Let’s be really honest here. Roadshows aren’t cheap. You’ve got to pay the mall, hire the promoters, drag all your props down, and hope people actually stop. So here’s the blunt question: is it worth it? The only reason you’d spend five figures to sit in a mall atrium is because footfall = sales. If nobody walks by, nobody buys. Period.
But not all mall atriums with high footfall in Singapore are created equal. Heartland malls? There’s your everyday aunties, uncles, parents with kids, people who actually need shampoo and biscuits. Central malls? Flashy, expensive, packed with tourists who might snap a photo but won’t lug home three bottles of body wash. Which should you choose? That’s the fight every FMCG brand has when the marketing team wants “visibility” but the sales team screams “ROI.”
So let’s unpack this. Here are the top shopping malls in Singapore by visitor traffic in 2025, ranked from #5 to #1, with real numbers, roadshow ROI insights, and some ugly truths about whether those crowds actually convert into sales. A little food for thought for trade teams out there who are planning your next roadshow activation.
#5. VivoCity
Image Source: liveeatcolour.wordpress.com
Everyone loves to say “Vivo has crazy traffic, it’s the biggest mall in Singapore, Sentosa gateway, blah blah.” Yes, it’s massive, yes it sees millions of visitors per month, making it one of the top shopping malls in Singapore by monthly visitors. But here’s the catch: half the people are killing time before heading to the cable car or Universal Studios. They’re tourists.
Are tourists really going to buy your 1-litre shampoo promo pack? Probably not. If you’re selling a lifestyle brand or snacks they can eat on the spot, sure. Otherwise, you’re paying Orchard-level atrium rental rates for a lot of window shoppers. When planning FMCG roadshows in Singapore malls, VivoCity works if you want visibility and tourists snapping photos. If you want pure sales volume? Think twice.
#4. ION Orchard
Image Source: IonOrchard.com
It’s Orchard Road, so the footfall is insane: about 4.9 million people per month. On paper, this is one of the malls with highest footfall in Singapore. But don’t kid yourself. Orchard crowds are brutal. They’ll walk right past your booth unless you’re flashy enough to stop them.
And the rent? Painful. Prime Orchard malls’ atrium rental rates hit around S$35.83 psf/month in 2024. So if you’re thinking “volume sales,” forget it. The game here is prestige. You go to ION to show off, not to clear stock. If your boss wants sales conversion, push back. If your boss wants pretty PR shots from Orchard, this is the place.
#3. Jewel Changi Airport
Image Source: jewelchangiairport.com
On paper, Jewel looks unbeatable: 80 million visitors in 2024 , with 35% from overseas . But think about it. Tourists don’t want to lug heavy bottles onto a plane. Locals go there for Instagram photos or a meal. So yes, the numbers are mouth-watering, but are they buying your household detergent? Probably not. Unless your product is portable, giftable, or “experience-driven,” Jewel is a brand-awareness play. It’s gorgeous, but don’t fool yourself into thinking footfall automatically means sales.
#2. Jurong Point
This one’s the opposite story. Jurong Point clocks around 4.3 million visitors a month, and these aren’t tourists. These are heartlanders with trolleys. Families, students, aunties stocking up for the week. For FMCG sales conversion, this is where it happens.
If you need real people to actually buy and bring home packs of noodles, skincare, or detergent, Jurong beats Orchard hands down. The downside? It’s not glamorous. Nobody’s writing PR stories about your Jurong Point roadshow. But if ROI is the measure, this is where you fight for space. Heartland malls vs central malls in Singapore? This is Exhibit A for why heartlands win on conversion.
#1. Serangoon NEX
Image Source: Feel Entertainment
Our own experience with Cetaphil at NEX in September 2025 proves the point. Weekday sales were fine. But come the weekend, sales literally doubled the entire Monday-to-Friday combined. That’s how powerful weekend heartland traffic is.
You’re catching the everyday shopper right where they live, and they’re ready to spend. Costs are still high (think S$20–40 psf/week for atrium event space in heartland malls), but compared to Orchard or Jewel, you’re getting way more bang for your buck. If you want sales, not selfies, NEX is where you set up. For FMCG roadshows in Singapore’s heartland malls, NEX is the gold standard.
Heartland vs. Central: Stop Pretending It’s the Same Game
Here’s the adversarial truth: if you’re FMCG, heartland malls are usually where the money is. People come to buy, not pose. Central malls make your brand look shiny, but often don’t move units. Yes, your boss will love to see photos of a big Orchard booth. But ask yourself: do you want Instagram posts, or do you want sales?
What You Should Think About Before You Blow Your Budget
- 1. Who’s your buyer? If your product is everyday essentials, go where everyday people shop. If it’s prestige or premium, maybe central malls make sense.
- 2. Do you need sales or just noise? Be honest. Heartland gives sales volume. Orchard and Jewel give pretty pictures and tourist eyeballs.
- 3. How heavy is your product? Nobody’s lugging a 5-litre detergent bottle through ION or onto a plane from Jewel. But heartlanders with trolleys? Different story.
- 4. Weekday vs. weekend traffic. In heartland malls, weekends explode. Plan your promos to hit then. Don’t waste your big push on a Monday afternoon.
- 5. Budget per square foot. Orchard averages S$35.83 psf/month , heartlands around S$20–40 psf/week . You decide if bragging rights are worth double the price.
- 6. Conversion vs. visibility. Traffic is not sales. Do you have promoters, demos, freebies, or something loud enough to make people stop? If not, you’re burning money.
- 7. Logistics. Deliveries, storage, staff travel. Heartland malls might actually be easier to run, while Jewel has airport-level security hoops.
Conclusion: Worth It or Not?
Big brands can afford to do both, and maybe they should. Use heartland malls to drive actual volume. Use central malls to make noise and stroke egos. But don’t let anyone tell you that “footfall” is automatically worth the rent. Footfall is just a number until you turn it into a purchase. The only question is: do you want hype, or do you want ROI? Pick your battleground wisely.
Sources
- NEX annual shopper traffic (36.2 million in FY 2023)
Frasers Centrepoint Trust: “NEX attracted approximately 36.2 million shopper traffic in FY2023, the second highest within FCT’s Retail Portfolio.” - Jurong Point average monthly footfall (~4.3 million per month)
Archify: “the mall attracts an average footfall of 4.3 million visitors a month.” - VivoCity monthly visitors (~4.4 million visitors)
BusinessTimes article: “With a monthly visitorship of some 4.4 million, VivoCity … enjoys the spinoffs from holidaymakers and locals returning …” - ION Orchard average monthly footfall (~4.9 million)
MallSpacesAsia: “ION Orchard alone attracts an average of 4.9 million shoppers per month.” - Jewel Changi Airport footfall (80 million in 2024)
Changi Airport press release: “It recorded over 80 million footfall traffic from January to December 2024 … a 10 % year-on-year increase…”
Also: Mothership.sg, “Jewel Changi Airport saw footfall traffic of over 80 million from January to December 2024 …”