Key takeaways
- Most general retail shops need no special trade licence. Start with ACRA registration, Corppass and a business bank account. For start-up funding, see our guide to SME business loans.
- Some goods do need a licence. Tobacco needs an HSA licence for each outlet. Liquor for takeaway needs an SPF Class 3A or 3B licence, and some secondhand goods need an SPF dealer licence.
- Check the unit’s approved use before you sign. Malls often charge GTO rent, which is a percentage of your sales, so your POS reports matter from day one.
- Choose a POS that handles barcodes, variants, stock and local payments such as PayNow and NETS. If you are in the heartlands, look into CDC Vouchers.
- From 30 September 2026, the EDGE Grant replaces PSG, EDG and MRA. It pays on a reimbursement basis, so you still need the cash upfront.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change, so check the latest on GoBusiness and with each agency before committing money.
Step-by-step overview
A small boutique, gift shop or minimart usually follows this order. For a hair or beauty business, read how to open a salon in Singapore instead. Some steps overlap, but a few depend on each other. For example, a tobacco licence needs a signed tenancy, and your fit-out depends on the landlord’s rules.
- Concept and numbers. Decide what you sell, who buys it, your price points and roughly how much you need to sell each day to cover rent and wages.
- Register the business with ACRA, set up Corppass and open a business bank account.
- Check licences for anything regulated you plan to sell.
- Find premises, confirm the approved use and negotiate the lease, including the fit-out period.
- Fit out the shop: shelving, lighting, fitting rooms, the counter, storage and cabling.
- Line up suppliers and your opening stock.
- Set up your POS, payments and online channel, then load your products and barcodes.
- Hire and train staff, run a soft opening, then launch.
Business structure and ACRA registration
ACRA’s guide to choosing a business structure sets out four options. For a retail shop, the choice is usually between these:
- Sole proprietorship or partnership. Quick and cheap to set up. ACRA lists the fee at $115 for one year or $175 for three years. Neither is a separate legal entity, so the owners have unlimited liability for the business’s debts.
- Limited liability partnership (LLP). A separate legal entity with two or more partners, which protects the partners’ personal assets.
- Private limited company. A separate legal entity with limited liability for shareholders. ACRA lists the fee at $315, and notes that it has the most rules to follow and the most yearly paperwork.
A shop lease usually runs for several years, and you sign for stock on credit, so think about liability before you sign. If you have a partner or investor, or plan more than one outlet, a company is often the cleaner structure. An accountant can advise on tax for your case.
Once registered, set up Corppass. You use it to log in to GoBusiness, IRAS, CPF and other government services on behalf of the business.
Licences: what applies to your shop
Most general retail, such as clothing, accessories, gifts, homeware or stationery, does not need a special trade licence. Pet shops are an exception; see how to open a pet shop. What you sell decides whether you need one. The safest step is to search GoBusiness for your business activity. Common cases:
Tobacco
The Health Sciences Authority says you need a licence before you can retail tobacco products. The licence is issued to a particular outlet, so each shop needs its own application. HSA asks for a tenancy agreement or lease with at least one year’s occupation from the date you apply, and you may only start selling once the licence is approved.
Liquor for takeaway
A minimart or provision shop that sells beer or wine needs a liquor licence from the Singapore Police Force. For a shop built around alcohol, read how to open a liquor shop. Our guide to opening or taking over a minimart covers tobacco and liquor licences. SPF’s licence classes page lists Class 3A (retail liquor for consumption elsewhere) and Class 3B (beer only), both for 0700 to 2230hrs, at $110 a year. Check the latest fees and conditions before you apply.
Secondhand goods
If you buy and sell certain used goods, SPF says you must hold a Secondhand Goods Dealer licence, unless you are exempted. The regulated goods are listed in the Schedule of the Secondhand Goods Dealers Act 2007. SPF lists an ordinary licence at $165 for one year or $280 for two years, and processing takes about three weeks. Applications go through GoBusiness. If you run a thrift, preloved or trade-in shop, check whether your goods are on that list. Dealers in precious stones and metals have separate rules; see our jewellery shop guide.
Other goods to check
Food and drinks, health products, cosmetics and electrical goods can come with their own rules on labelling, registration or safety. Some apply to the importer rather than the shop. Ask your suppliers which approvals they hold, and check GoBusiness for anything you import yourself.
Choosing a location: mall, HDB shop, shophouse or pop-up
Location sets your rent, your footfall and your customers. Our guide to renting a retail shop in Singapore compares mall, HDB and shophouse units. Before you sign anything, check that the unit is approved for your use.
Shopping malls
Malls bring footfall, but also service charges, fit-out rules and often GTO rent, a component based on your gross sales. Under the retail leasing Code of Conduct, “base rent plus a percentage of GTO” is a compliant rental formula. The landlord will want regular sales figures, and some want a direct link to your POS. Our guide to mall GTO sales reporting explains what the Code says about GTO leases and who pays for POS integration.
HDB neighbourhood shops
HDB shops can offer lower rent and loyal local customers. HDB’s change of use page says trades in HDB commercial units need HDB’s approval, and it publishes a list of permissible trades. Check that your trade is allowed for that unit before you commit.
Shophouses and other private units
URA’s change of use guidance says changing a unit’s approved use may need planning permission, and that each case is assessed on its own. URA states a $500 processing fee and about 10 working days for processing. You can check a shophouse’s approved uses on URA SPACE before you view it.
Pop-ups and markets
A pop-up in a mall atrium or a weekend market is a cheap way to test demand before you sign a long lease. Our pop-up shop guide explains how to plan one. Our guide to POS rental for pop-ups and roadshows covers the checkout side. Food sellers should read our pasar malam and pop-up stall guide. You will need a portable POS and payment set-up that works on a small counter.
Questions to ask the landlord
- What is the approved use of the unit, and can I see proof?
- Is rent fixed, GTO-based or both, and how must I report sales?
- How long is the rent-free fit-out period, and what are the reinstatement terms?
- Are there rules on trading hours, signage and approved contractors? Our signage approval guide explains which signs need a permit.
Fit-out and store layout
Get the landlord’s fit-out guidelines before you brief a contractor. Malls often have approved contractors, deposits and working-hour rules.
- Customer flow. Put best-sellers and new arrivals where people walk first. Keep the aisles clear and the counter visible from the door.
- Counter and checkout. Plan space for the POS terminal, a barcode scanner, a receipt printer, the card terminal and a PayNow QR display. Run power and network cabling there during renovation.
- Fitting rooms and storage. Fashion shops need fitting rooms and back-of-house space for stock. Minimarts need cold storage and space to receive deliveries.
- Lighting and security. Good lighting sells products. CCTV and a counter layout that lets staff see the floor reduce shrinkage. Our retail shrinkage guide covers shoplifting, staff theft and stock errors.
- Self-checkout. Busy shops sometimes add a kiosk. ChaChaCha has a retail kiosk mode for self-checkout, and our kiosk page explains the hardware. For costs and loss control, see our guide to self-checkout for small retailers.
Inventory and suppliers
Stock is where most of a new shop’s cash goes, so buy carefully:
- Start lean. Buy fewer lines in depth rather than many lines thinly. You will learn your real best-sellers within weeks.
- Compare suppliers. Check minimum order quantities, lead times, payment terms and return policies. Local distributors cost more per unit but tie up less cash than importing.
- Set up products properly. Give every item an SKU and barcode. Handle size and colour as variants of one product, so stock counts and sales reports stay readable.
- Count regularly. Do a stock take before opening and on a regular schedule after. Compare what the system says with what is on the shelf. Our guide to inventory management systems for retail shops covers what to look for.
Our inventory management page shows how stock works in ChaChaCha. For shop-specific set-ups, see our fashion and boutique POS and grocery and minimart POS pages.
POS, payments and selling online
Your POS is where sales, stock and customers meet. Our comparison of retail POS inventory features names vendors side by side. For a small Singapore shop, look for:
- Fast barcode checkout and label printing for items that arrive without barcodes.
- Variants and stock by outlet, with low-stock alerts.
- Local payments. Shoppers expect PayNow, NETS and cards. ChaChaCha supports PayNow, PayLah!, NETS, Visa/Mastercard and GrabPay, with split payments and automated reconciliation. See POS payments.
- Loyalty. Points, stamps, stored value, vouchers and birthday rewards give regulars a reason to return. See CRM and loyalty.
- Reports. Daily sales by payment method and by item, which you need anyway for GTO reporting and your accountant. See POS reports.
- Offline selling. ChaChaCha keeps selling if the internet drops and syncs later, so a network fault does not stop your queue.
CDC Vouchers. If your shop is in an HDB estate and sells daily goods or services, you may be able to accept CDC Vouchers. You register through your regional CDC and redeem using the free RedeemSG Merchant app, which is separate from your card terminal. Our CDC Vouchers merchant guide covers eligibility, payouts and the rules on what vouchers cannot buy.
For a side-by-side look at retail POS vendors, including us, read our best retail POS systems in Singapore comparison.
Selling online and offline
Many shops now sell through a website, a marketplace or social media as well as the physical store. The hard part is stock: if the same item sells online and in-store, both need to draw from one count, or you will oversell.
- Decide early which channel is primary, and where stock is counted.
- If you use a separate online platform, ask each POS vendor exactly which platforms it connects to and how stock syncs. Get the answer in writing from each vendor, including us.
- Offer in-store collection. It brings online buyers into the shop, where they often buy more.
- Keep prices and promotions consistent across channels, or explain clearly why they differ. The same price transparency rules apply to shops and restaurants.
Staffing your shop
A small shop often opens with the owner plus one or two part-timers. Plan your roster around your busiest hours, such as weekends and evenings, rather than a flat headcount.
- CPF. The CPF Board says employers must pay CPF contributions for Singapore citizen and PR employees earning total wages of more than $50 a month.
- Foreign staff. MOM says all foreigners must hold a valid work pass before they start work. Quotas and levies apply, so check with MOM before planning around foreign hires.
- Training. Teach product knowledge, the POS, refunds and exchanges, cash handling and opening and closing routines.
- Permissions. Set staff permissions in the POS so voids, discounts and refunds need a manager’s approval.
Opening costs and grants
Every shop is different, so we don’t quote a typical total. List every category and get written quotes for each.
| Category | What it includes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rent and deposits | Security deposit, advance rent, fit-out deposit | Often the largest upfront cash outlay. Ask about GTO terms in malls. |
| Fit-out | Shelving, lighting, fitting rooms, counter, signage | Include reinstatement at lease end. |
| Opening stock | First orders from suppliers | Start lean. Check payment terms. |
| Registration and licences | ACRA ($115 to $315 depending on structure), tobacco, liquor or secondhand dealer licences if needed | Fees from ACRA and SPF pages. Check GoBusiness for the latest. |
| Technology | POS, scanner, label printer, card terminal, online store | Try our POS cost calculator and POS cost guide. |
| Staff before opening | Wages during training, uniforms | Staff are paid before sales start. |
| Marketing | Launch promotions, photography, social media | Check landlord rules on signage. |
| Working capital | Cash for the first slow months | New shops take time to build regulars. |
Build a monthly profit and loss forecast too: rent, wages, cost of goods, card fees and utilities against realistic daily sales. For market context, see Singapore’s official retail sales data. Keep an eye on GST. IRAS says you must register for GST if your taxable turnover is more than $1 million at the end of a calendar year, or is expected to exceed $1 million in the next 12 months.
Grants: the EDGE Grant
Enterprise Singapore’s EDGE Grant page says EDG, MRA and PSG cease on 29 September 2026, and businesses apply under the EDGE Grant from 30 September 2026. It lists support of up to 70% for SMEs, with levels differing by activity. Grants are paid on a reimbursement basis after the project is completed and paid for.
Two practical points. Check eligibility before you count a grant in your budget, and keep enough cash to pay in full first. AppsPOS, which powers ChaChaCha, has been a PSG pre-approved vendor and is approved under the EDGE Grant. Our grant guide for POS systems explains how it works.
Opening checklist
| Stage | Task | Who / where |
|---|---|---|
| Set-up | Register the business; set up Corppass; open a bank account | ACRA, Corppass, your bank |
| Licensing | Check licences for regulated goods (tobacco, liquor, secondhand goods) | GoBusiness, HSA, SPF |
| Premises | Confirm approved use; review GTO and fit-out terms; sign lease | URA / HDB / landlord |
| Fit-out | Renovate; install counter, cabling, POS, scanner and printers | Contractor, POS vendor |
| Stock | Agree supplier terms; create SKUs, variants and barcodes; count opening stock | You, suppliers |
| Payments | Set up PayNow, NETS and cards; register for CDC Vouchers if eligible | Bank, payment provider, regional CDC |
| Online | Set up your online channel and stock sync | You, vendors |
| People | Hire; CPF set-up; work passes if needed; training | CPF Board, MOM |
| Launch | Test checkout, refunds and reports; soft opening; public launch | You, POS vendor |
| After opening | Report GTO sales if required; watch the GST threshold | Landlord, IRAS |
If you’d like a quote for a retail set-up with scanner, printer and payments, talk to us. ChaChaCha pricing is quote-based.
