World's Most Avid Recreational Shoppers Found In Asia

It's official - Singaporeans love to shop! Look at the astonishing figures!

World's most avid recreational shoppers found in Asia: survey
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia
Posted: 19 July 2006 1631 hrs

SINGAPORE : A global online survey has confirmed that Asians are the world's most avid recreational shoppers.

In fact, Asian countries accounted for seven of the top 10 markets where people shop once a week simply to occupy their time. Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore rank highest in the world, their citizens heading to the malls about twice a week.

They do not actually need anything but find shopping a form of entertainment.

And "retail therapy" is not just a buzz phrase for many of them.

Singapore and Japan are among the global top 10 countries whose people agree with the therapeutic effect of clothes shopping.

Meantime, the booming economies of China and India are fast joining the list of places where clothes shopping is a popular pastime. A third of Chinese consumers and one fifth of Indians say clothes shopping is their favourite thing to do.

The survey was conducted online among 22,000 Internet users in 42 markets by AC Nielsen Research.

In Singapore, where shopping is touted as one of the national pastimes, nine out of 10 respondents say they go shopping as a form of entertainment.

Some 32 percent do it once a month, while 22 percent say they shop once a week.

Seven percent admitted indulging in it twice weekly or more often.

Slightly over a quarter say they find therapy in shopping for fashion apparel, and 12 percent say that it is their favourite pastime.

- CNA /ct