Singaporeans seen queuing outside Johor Bahru supermarket, netizens cite cheaper prices
A queue of shoppers believed to be Singaporeans waiting outside a Lotus’s supermarket in Johor Bahru before it opened sparked online discussion over cross-border grocery shopping.
- A long queue of shoppers believed to be Singaporeans was seen outside a Lotus’s supermarket in Johor Bahru before it opened.
- The post sparked mixed reactions, with some netizens citing lower prices, while others linked the trend to Singapore’s high cost of living.
SINGAPORE: A queue of shoppers believed to be Singaporeans was seen waiting outside a Lotus’s supermarket in Johor Bahru before it opened, sparking online discussion about cross-border grocery shopping and cost comparisons.
The scene was shared by Singapore ex-presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian in a Facebook post on Monday (22 Dec).
Tan, who said he was among those waiting, highlighted the long line outside the supermarket, located at KSL Mall in Johor Bahru.
According to him, the supermarket opens at 10am, but shoppers had begun queueing well before the shutters were raised.
Images accompanying his post showed a significant number of people gathered outside the store entrance.
Mixed reactions from netizens
The post drew a wave of comments on both Tan’s Facebook page and World of Buzz’s Facebook post, with netizens offering mixed reactions to the scene.
Some questioned whether Singapore lacked sufficient shopping malls or supermarkets, while others suggested shoppers were drawn by lower prices across the border.
However, several users pushed back against the assumption that groceries in Johor Bahru are always cheaper.
One commenter noted that items at Lotus’s are not necessarily as affordable as many expect, adding that certain products can be more expensive than in Singapore.
Others questioned the need to queue before the supermarket even opens, saying they did not understand why people would wait in line so early just to buy groceries.
Some netizens also raised doubts about Tan’s claim that those in the queue were Singaporeans, questioning how their nationality could be confirmed and suggesting the shoppers could just as easily have been local Malaysians.
Cost of living
Several commenters linked the situation to Singapore’s cost of living, pointing to high rents and everyday expenses as factors driving people to seek cheaper alternatives across the border.
“Singaporean cost of living is very high so must need to find cheaper food,” one user commented, adding that Malaysians go to Singapore to earn money, while Singaporeans go to Malaysia to save money.
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