Mustafa for Mamas: Your Ultimate Guide (+Downloadable Map!)

Sassy Mama Jennifer has created the ultimate Mustafa guide, including a downloadable map!

Visiting Mustafa Centre on a busy Sunday is enough to have you clicking your stylish but sensible heels together like Dorothy and wishing for home. But sometimes it’s the only place to go when you need diapers, detergent, cumin seeds, black olives, a blender, a baby gift, and some shoes for the kiddo (how on earth do they grow so fast?!?).

But you must have a plan mama! Don’t fritter away all your patience for the day in just a few hours—I’ve mapped out the whole place, and I can tell you how to visit like a pro. If you haven’t been there yet, just know the place is MASSIVE. It covers 150,000 square feet and has three parts that I like to call “Mustafa Building 1” (entrances 1-3), “Mustafa Building 2” (entrances 4-6), and “Mini Mustafa”.

Mini Mustafa is the portion along Serangoon Road that is connected to Mustafa by a hallway on level 3. Its entrance feels more like an office building than a store, but you can soon be lost in the labyrinth that is Mustafa if you aren’t prepared. Mini Mustafa has a ton of stuff that Mustafa stocks (except the groceries, bookstore, hardware, kitchen-wares, and fabric), but is a much more compact way to shop. It has three levels and can be accessed by elevator (out in the “lobby” area) or by stairs/escalators. That said, I prefer shopping the main store, as I usually head to Mustafa when I need to stock up on dried apricots, beans, and Bob’s Red Mill products (I swear, they have them all).

So let’s go over your perfect trip to Mustafa:

• Getting There: Mustafa has a car park, or travel there by taking the purple SMRT line to Farrer Park. Walk through City Square Mall (level B1) to stay out of the blazing heat! I only found one bathroom with a baby changing table at Mustafa, so take care of bub at the baby/mama bathroom on the left as you walk through (baby rooms also on levels 2 and 4). Grab an iced coffee or a bubble tea for the walk over, then head up to level one on the escalators at the other end. Exit there, then turn right on Kitchener Link/Verdun Road to hit the middle of Mustafa between entrances 3 and 4. This area is a bit tough for strollers/prams to navigate, as is level 1 of building 1—you might want to wear your bub for your first trip.

• Luggage Check: There is a luggage check at entrances 1, 4, and sometimes 6. Give them your rolling grocery bag or any other large bags you have brought that don’t contain valuables.

• Save Time & Energy: Use the map (see below) to plan your visit, getting your chilled grocery items last. One possible route:

• • • Leave luggage at entrance 4, then head around the corner to the right to entrance 1. Head down to B1 for bras and undies for you.
    • Keep going past all the men’s clothes, but stay on the left to hit the kids’ clothes, baby clothes, baby stuff and gift sets.
    • When you hit the men’s underwear, go down to B2 and get toys for upcoming birthday gifts. If needed, you can mail the gifts straightaway at the SingPost down there.
    • Continue on through the sports equipment and athletic-wear, swimwear and pool toys until you hit the electronics and appliances.
    • Drop purchases off at the entrance 4 luggage check by heading up to level 1 via the printers/copiers section.
    • Then head back in entrance 4 to get your toiletries and supplements on level 1 of building 2 (a far more comfortable shopping experience compared to level 1 of building 1).
    • Go up the elevator by the optometrist (!) to level 3 for cleaning products, detergent, sprays, bins, paper products, diapers, pet stuff, and sanitary pads.
    • Now head down to level 2 for groceries. They have so so much! I love the fresh herbs, whole and ground spices, jarred sauces, frozen curries, dried fruit, and nuts galore. Get your cold stuff last, and head down the elevators near produce to level 1.
    • Pray it isn’t raining, exit out entrance 4, get your luggage, and try desperately to get a taxi so you can collapse for the ride home, LOL.

Click here to download the Mustafa Map!

• Stop to Eat: There is a café near entrance 2 on the ground level, a bakery on level 2 above entrance 3, and a restaurant on level 7 of the building 2. Drop off your purchases at a luggage check then get refreshed with some food before continuing your shopping trip.

• Recover: Now book an appointment for a nice foot massage. Funny they haven’t added that to their services yet! It’s practically a necessary component of a shopping trip there.

I hope this helps you plan an efficient (maybe even enjoyable?) trip to Mustafa.  For the full map and bathroom locations (including the ONE baby table), head on over to my blog. Happy shopping! There is so much variety there, the map is only a very general guide. There are so many discoveries to be had and new products to try.

Enjoy, mama!

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