Whenever Mrs Huang Min Le visits Singapore with her husband, she has one aim in mind.

While he closes business deals during the semi-annual trips that last two to three days each, the 33-year-old “tai-tai” closes in on high-end items at malls like Paragon and Ngee Ann City.

“I buy all my branded goods here because you know you’re getting the real deal and the best quality. In China, the goods could be fake,” she said.

The Sunday Times followed her last Friday during a four-hour shopping spree in Orchard.

First stop was the Gucci outlet at 11am. She picked up three watches – two in stainless steel and one in edgy black – chalking up a $3,500 bill.

Next stop at noon was Burberry, where she splurged on a Beat Nylon Hobo bag, costing $1,500.

She moved on to Prada at 1.30pm, where she set her eyes on a pair of Prada Square Frame sunglasses. She paid $500.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. No surprise, then, that she made a stop at 3pm at Tiffany & Co. She took a shine to two diamond pendants priced at $7,000 in all.

Total shopping tally? A whopping $12,500 in four hours – all paid for with a Visa platinum credit card.

“I don’t see anything wrong with the way I spend if I can afford it; this is the normal price if you want high quality goods,” said Mrs Huang, who has no children.

Noting that many of her friends are also big spenders, she added that splurging is now a “very common trend” among affluent young Chinese.

Shopping over, she headed back to her hotel, The Royal Plaza on Scotts.

Her plan for the next day?

“I’ll shop again,” she said with a laugh.

<< Big spenders from China

This article was first published in The Straits Times.