The Great Singapore Sale will carry on, organiser to take on coordinating partner role

The Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) has reportedly said that it will not be cancelling the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) this year. However, going forward, the SRA will act as only a coordinating partner and not as an organiser, a role it has played for nearly 30 years.

These comments were made by SRA president Ernie Koh who was speaking to media at a media briefing this week, according to CNA. At the briefing, Koh noted that SRA has organised the GSS every year extensively with activities such as a fashion parade along Orchard Road. 

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However, from 2024, the SRA will now only announce the date of the GSS and work as a coordinating partner. This means that when a retailer wants to come in together, they will help coordinate. They will no longer organise activities for the GSS, Koh said. 

He explained that as a coordinator, SRA will not invest in GSS with marketing campaigns but that it will still welcome sponsors and do "a bit" of social media for the event. 

This comes as the GSS has started losing its lustre in recent years due to retail changes brought about by the introduction of eCommerce. 

At the briefing, Koh reportedly confirmed that while SRA did not announce the GSS for 2023, it did take place from June to September. 

This decision was made after internal discussions saw that there were many platforms for the event such as Shopee and Lazada and that with all the sales happening on different platforms, it was better to let local retailers just continue with their sales. 

Koh added that the reason why GSS was not scrapped was because the voices of retailers are strong and while some are for doing away with it, many are also keen to have it continue. 

Koh also said that the reason why SRA did not announce the GSS this year was because it was involved in another initiative called the Wunderground Festival, which saw collaborations between a number of companies.

The Wunderground Festival is a three-year initiative by SRA aimed at redefining the way Singaporeans shop with the inclusion of immersive experiences, innovation, and excitement.

The first part of the Wunderground Festival will take place from September 21 to October 2023 this year at 37 Emerald Hill. The second part of the experience will happen from 6 October to 15 October at Tampines West.

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