Shopaholic anonymous
He may be a veteran professional in the retail industry, but John Postle will never dare admit to being better than the ladies at shopping. Unlike most men, however, the vice president of retail for Marina Bay Sands (MBS) enjoys retail therapy and will not berate his wife for buying yet another designer bag.
Consumerism is not evil. It’s a world where you can reward yourself with something you aspire to having and there’s nothing wrong with that. With things such as timepieces, jewellery or even some items in fashion, you may even be buying an appreciating asset.
I am certainly not a good browser and I’m a discerning buyer, so it’s nice to have luxury stores the like of what we have here (at MBS). They remember you and will lead you straight to what they think you will like and in my case, they are usually right. It’s very satisfying to be sat down, enjoy VIP treatment and have a suit put together for you. It’s great for the time-pressed professional.
I never shop with my wife and that’s probably the way she would have it as well. She’s an avid consumer and loves her fashion. She can spend the whole day looking in three or four stores here (at MBS), and take breaks in between at the dining and entertainment options.
While my wife shops, I like looking in the watch boutiques. I spend a lot of time in the Parmigiani Fleurier store working out how I can afford one of the watches (he had a Hublot on during the interview). The only criteria I have for my timepieces is that they can work with my lifestyle. I need to be able to wear them in the office, in the pool, mowing my lawn or fishing on my boat.
I really don’t appreciate gifts. If I really have to pick a single item to receive, I think I would say food. I am more focused on having a fun night out than having a material item. Being an Australian guy, I like my steaks, so Wolfgang Puck is one of my favourite restaurants. I am also a lover of Italian food and I go to Mozza for it.
My kids are becoming very good consumers themselves, whether it’s from watching the habits of their parents or because they have been brought up in Singapore where there’s this great shopping environment. They are only eight and four so they can’t really shop for themselves yet, but they are very good at pointing out what they want!
