Last year, before the economy began its plunge, 1.1 million people visited the event, Singapore's longest-running consumer technology event.

Consumer spending at the show could even surpass last year's take of $51.7 million. As at 6pm last night, three hours before the close of the show, exhibitors had reported receipts of more than $48 million.

PC Show organiser Lines Exposition and Management Services project manager Gillian Loh said that she was confident 'we can top last year's figure'.

The show, she said, had received a boost from recovering consumer confidence here.

The belief that the worst was over stirred consumers out of their spending stupor and into the fair, spread out over multiple floors of the Suntec Convention Centre.

Foresight Marketing, which launched its iNo mobile phone at the fair, saw 'incredible' interest in the device, said the firm's marketing executive Alex Hui.

The phone, which is designed for the elderly and for younger users, features buttons at least three times bigger than those of typical mobile phones as well as a special SOS button that sends out an emergency call and text messages to four numbers when it is pressed.

One iNo buyer was first-time show-goer, retiree Benjamin Tan, 61.

'Now is the time to buy before retailers raise prices. The stock and property market are both up, which means retailers will soon follow suit,' said Mr Tan.

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.