WITH less than two weeks to the Great Singapore Sale (GSS), retailers have stolen the march on the annual shopping festival with early sales and attractive offers.

With shop signs already screaming discounts of 70 per cent, should shoppers hope for even bigger price cuts come May 29, the sale's launch date?

Probably not, said retailers and industry experts interviewed. What shoppers can expect are more freebies, a wider range of discounted goods and more vouchers to encourage repeat spending.

Retail sales have been falling since last October, when the global financial crisis hit and consumers zipped up their wallets.

In response, shops have been slashing prices to the point, they say, that their margins have become razor thin. This is why they will stick to the 50 to 70 per cent discounts offered last year.

The sale, a two-month affair starting in late May, is a major event on the shopping calendar.

Takashimaya is giving shopping vouchers to customers with purchases of at least $200, while furniture store Courts will widen the range of discounted goods.

Singapore Jewellers Association head Ho Nai Chuen said jewellery stores will probably have giveaways and joint promotions.

If the latest retail numbers are anything to go by, shoppers are likely to go for such deals, especially for small-ticket items. Retail sales, which exclude car sales, edged up 3.3 per cent in March over February - the first uptick in this category since November.

Branding expert Joseph Baladi of the consultancy BrandAsian said the GSS is still a strong brand despite these pre-sale deals, adding: 'People will still believe it's a great sale because there are still discounts. Besides, Singaporeans love to shop.'

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twong@sph.com.sg