What inspired you to start the Green Singapore Sale?
Everyone knows about the annual Great Singapore Sale from May 25 to July 22. I thought it would be great if we could have something similar within that sale period for environmentally conscious shoppers and to support local green retailers.

What were the biggest concerns putting this event together?
Initially, we were worried that retailers wouldn’t be interested in TGSS. But in the end, 66 retailers signed up, surpassing our target of 50. We were also worried about marketing as we did not have the resources to promote the event. Fortunately, we managed to enlist the support of 14 partners to help us spread the word.

Why don’t more Singaporeans buy environmentally friendly goods?
There are three common barriers: Consumers don’t know where to find the products, they have the impression that such products are expensive and they question whether green claims are really true.

Why did you decide to make this an online event?
This is the first year for TGSS so we decided to keep it simple. We provide an online map with the location of green retailers and the discounts they offer. Consumers go to the actual stores to buy the products or buy them online.

What kind of response do you expect?
We hope to see 10-20% more customers visiting participating retailers.

The Green Singapore Sale (TGSS) runs through July 22 at The Green Singapore Sale website.