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2. But this is not another piece about the rising power of online and digital sales. Instead, it is a telling sign that, no matter what the future holds, the game has changed for brick-and-mortar stores. Forever. Singapore is a prime example of how consumers have changed and are continuing to change their shopping habits. Despite the opening of mall after mall here, online sales have been increasing rapidly. According to PayPal, there was a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in purchases from overseas sellers by Singapore buyers between October and December last year, compared with the same period in 2011. The online payment company does not have numbers for this year's recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, but last year's Black Friday weekend saw a 24 per cent increase in sales from Singapore buyers over the weekend before. On Cyber Monday last year, buyers here were shopping at a rate of 10 transactions per minute from overseas websites. Off the top of my head, I cannot say if all online stores offer better selections or prices, though I suspect many do. But I can tell you why local malls are increasingly unable to compete with their online counterparts. In terms of retail mix, the major malls contain the same shops peddling the same brands and the same things. Chances are, everyone will know what you paid for the gift you bought for the Christmas gift exchange at your office. High rents lead to higher prices. And these higher prices tend to be passed on to consumers. Crowded buses, trains and malls, and snaking taxi lines can transform the joy of buying a gift for a special person into a three-hour trial of one's patience and sanity. One great example of a company doing it right with an online store here is Apple. There are no physical Apple stores here but you can order the latest iPad or MacBook Pro, or even an upgraded iMac online and have it sent to your home. No fuss, no waiting, no queue. Brands such as Apple, as well as singers such as Beyonce are, in effect, telling consumers that it is fine to stay home and enjoy shopping from the comfort of your couch. One almost expects traditional stores to fight back by showing us how being in a store can be a much better experience. But their lack of a response seems to indicate that even they do not know how to win this fight.