Singapore Shopping Malls Tier List: Jewel, ION and VivoCity in S-Tier

S-tier: Jewel, ION Orchard, VivoCity

These are the three malls people take visitors to. Jewel has the indoor waterfall and a forest inside an airport mall. ION is Orchard Road's main event, and VivoCity is where half of Singapore goes on a public holiday whether it wants to or not.

This is the island-wide list. We have also rated malls region by region, and the two do not always agree. In our central malls ratings, Plaza Singapura beat ION with a perfect 10, and VivoCity got an 8 in the south. Ranking a mall against its neighbours and against the whole island are different games.

A-tier: Suntec City, Plaza Singapura, Takashimaya

Suntec is the caption's hero, and A-tier is the honest spot for it. It is big enough to get lost in, and everyone has got lost in it at least once. Plaza Singapura makes the list for the same reason it always does: it has everything and nothing to complain about.

Takashimaya in A-tier is the surprise, because it only scored 6 out of 10 in our central ratings. Up against the whole island, Kinokuniya and the basement food hall carry it a long way.

B-tier and C-tier: good malls, just not destinations

B-tier is Jem/Westgate, which works as one mall in Jurong East, and Waterway Point in Punggol. Both are malls you are happy to live near. Neither is one you cross the island for.

C-tier is City Square Mall, Tampines Mall and NEX. NEX tied for first in our northeast ratings, so C-tier will sting for Serangoon. That is the point of the list. A great neighbourhood mall is still a neighbourhood mall once Jewel is in the room. The last slide promised an MRT stations tier list next, and that one is already up.

FAQs

What is the best mall in Singapore?

In our island-wide tier list, the S-tier is Jewel Changi, ION Orchard and VivoCity. Suntec City, Plaza Singapura and Takashimaya are one tier below.

Why is NEX in C-tier?

Not because it is a bad mall. NEX tied for first in our northeast ratings, but on an island-wide list it is a great neighbourhood mall rather than a destination.