Tampines One versus Iluma
Over the weekend, I went to explore two megamalls which opened its doors to the public not too long ago. Believe me when I say that it was my virgin experience to Tampines One last Friday. I mean, despite being just an MRT stop away or a direct 15 minute bus ride away from where I live, I have not been to the place at all. I have been such a mountain tortoise.
I've heard about the hype about Uniqlo and Japanese Gourmet Town (a Jap version of Marche) and even Topman/Topshop in suburban Tampines (The suburban mats/minahs should be rejoicing now) and I've heard about the crazy crowds... What? You need to queue to get into Uniqlo? And it's not even a sale!!! So I told myself to go only when I think the crowds have died down.
To defend myself further, I was actually very busy with school, work, school and work. Since 28 April marked the end of the exams, I made up my mind to visit the megamall on Labour Day.
Wrong move.
The crowds have died down a little, I didn't need to queue up to get into Uniqlo and I could walk freely without stopping for stupid people, but there were still lots of people around. I think it's mainly because it was a damn holiday.
What I like about Tampines One:
Different shops from TM and CS. Apart from Uniqlo and Topshop, Messy, my ultra favourite shop from Bugis Junction, has gone suburban too. I also particularly like Sol Mart, a shop which sells traditional Korean foodstuff like Kimchi and Korean candies and crackers. One of the other stores which caught my eye is a sneakers store called 101 Station.
What I DON'T LIKE about Tampines One:
The price. Period.
VERDICT? Other than Messy which seems more affordable than the rest of the store population in Tamp One, I'm going back to Tampines Mall baybeh!
Yesterday, I also got the chance to explore Iluma in Bugis which opened about a month ago. It's a 10 storey megamall located just beside Bugis Village and opposite Bugis Junction.
For a 10-storey MEGAmall which is located in a shopping district, I'd say it is quite a flop in comparison to the suburban Tampines One. True, it is ginormous in size but it seems that Bugis Junction was still attracting like 80% of the crowds for there was not a lot of people in the MEGAmall even on a Saturday. Plus, after one month of opening its doors, most of the stores were still under renovation. The whole place literally smelled of construction works. And I also felt the mall was a tad too dim for shopping.
The funny thing was the doors to the mall and in the mall were the SUPER heavy kind, one which requires a great deal of strength to PUSH and PULL, and I think they fail to realise by now that 85% of their target shoppers are females.
What I like about Iluma:
The mega escalator from the first floor to the fourth. FilmGarde Cinemas. The bigass corridors and the many, many seats outside the stores. The viewing space outside the Arcade. The toilets.
What I DON'T like about Iluma:
Too big and too little shops. And the bane of all things: They don't even have a website. I expect a MEGAmall website to come up as the first few links when I search for it.
VERDICT? I'm better off shopping at White Sands or Downtown East.
I've heard about the hype about Uniqlo and Japanese Gourmet Town (a Jap version of Marche) and even Topman/Topshop in suburban Tampines (The suburban mats/minahs should be rejoicing now) and I've heard about the crazy crowds... What? You need to queue to get into Uniqlo? And it's not even a sale!!! So I told myself to go only when I think the crowds have died down.
To defend myself further, I was actually very busy with school, work, school and work. Since 28 April marked the end of the exams, I made up my mind to visit the megamall on Labour Day.
Wrong move.
The crowds have died down a little, I didn't need to queue up to get into Uniqlo and I could walk freely without stopping for stupid people, but there were still lots of people around. I think it's mainly because it was a damn holiday.
What I like about Tampines One:
Different shops from TM and CS. Apart from Uniqlo and Topshop, Messy, my ultra favourite shop from Bugis Junction, has gone suburban too. I also particularly like Sol Mart, a shop which sells traditional Korean foodstuff like Kimchi and Korean candies and crackers. One of the other stores which caught my eye is a sneakers store called 101 Station.
What I DON'T LIKE about Tampines One:
The price. Period.
VERDICT? Other than Messy which seems more affordable than the rest of the store population in Tamp One, I'm going back to Tampines Mall baybeh!
Yesterday, I also got the chance to explore Iluma in Bugis which opened about a month ago. It's a 10 storey megamall located just beside Bugis Village and opposite Bugis Junction.
For a 10-storey MEGAmall which is located in a shopping district, I'd say it is quite a flop in comparison to the suburban Tampines One. True, it is ginormous in size but it seems that Bugis Junction was still attracting like 80% of the crowds for there was not a lot of people in the MEGAmall even on a Saturday. Plus, after one month of opening its doors, most of the stores were still under renovation. The whole place literally smelled of construction works. And I also felt the mall was a tad too dim for shopping.
The funny thing was the doors to the mall and in the mall were the SUPER heavy kind, one which requires a great deal of strength to PUSH and PULL, and I think they fail to realise by now that 85% of their target shoppers are females.
What I like about Iluma:
The mega escalator from the first floor to the fourth. FilmGarde Cinemas. The bigass corridors and the many, many seats outside the stores. The viewing space outside the Arcade. The toilets.
What I DON'T like about Iluma:
Too big and too little shops. And the bane of all things: They don't even have a website. I expect a MEGAmall website to come up as the first few links when I search for it.
VERDICT? I'm better off shopping at White Sands or Downtown East.
posted by ; khsrL at
11:28 AM
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