Vietnam, for the first time in four attempts, appeared in the Top Three at the 2009 Great Singapore Shopping Challenge, the organizers announced June 1.

Binh Minh (L) posing with the award (Photo: Courtesy of Galaxy Media)

The contestants on May 30, with the participation of 20 international teams and eight Singaporean teams, visited some of the most popular shopping malls in Singapore.

Within three hours, the teams had to buy as many items as possible from a list on a budget of SGD1,000 (US$690) each.

The Vietnam team, Nguyen Binh Minh and Pham Thanh Hang, received a lot of compliments from the local press during their trip.

The Vietnam team finished the race in the shortest period, but came third because the first placed U.K team and second placed Australian team spent less money.

Vietnam saved SGD11,000 (US$7,590) while the U.K pocketed SGD25,000 (US$17,250).

The Vietnam team won SGD2,000 (US$1,380) plus what they bought in the contest.

The Great Singapore Shopping Challenge is annually by the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Retailers Association.

It marks the beginning of the Great Singapore Sale, which lasts from May 29 to July 26. A discount of up to 70 percent is available at participating stores in Singapore.

VietNamNet/SGGP