Terrence Voon believes that the F1 circus won't drive bargain-hunters away.

THERE are just over three weeks to go before the Formula One circus come to town, and malls in the Marina Bay area are buckling up for a street fight.

Road closures and traffic jams in the surroundings areas are expected to deter shoppers come September 28. In anticipation of this, malls like Marina Square, Suntec City and Raffles City are fighting back with late-night shopping deals, motor racing promotions and even go-kart races.

But will shoppers bite?

Memories of near-empty malls at the IMF-World Bank meetings two years ago spring to mind. Back then, Singaporeans stayed away in droves, intimidated by the traffic diversions and security checks. Even the international delegates at the meetings skipped the shops, content to stay cocooned in their meeting halls and hotel rooms.

Instead of a retail boom, it was a retail bust.

Malls are expecting a different story this month. Many shop-owners are hoping for a shopping craze, fuelled by the high-octane racing action just outside their walls.

For one, the security checks at the Singapore Grand Prix will be nowhere near as tiresome as those that guarded the IMF meetings in 2006. Furthermore, there's likely to be a carnival atmosphere both inside and outside the malls.

After all, the occasion is all about fast cars and glamourous celebrities - not staid meetings and stony-faced politicians.

But this Singapore shopper is still not quite sure if shopping in the Marina Bay area during the race weekend is worth his while, especially when malls in the heartland areas offer a less-congested alternative.

Sure, it's nice to have free shuttle buses and the odd F1 driver dropping by to sign autographs. But what shoppers really want, is a good deal.

Forget the gimmicky road shows, the free balloons and whatnot. Give us discounts of Great Singapore Sale-proportions.

Slash the prices, and the crowds will come - road closures be damned.

Just take last weekend for example.

Everyone knew the roads surrounding Suntec City would be choked with traffic. But with high-tech gadgets on offer on the last day of Comex, it would take more than a traffic jam to prevent price-conscious Singaporeans from grabbing that bargain-basement-priced LCD TV. What's one hour of my life when I can save several hundred dollars at one go?

Not every Singaporean is an F1 fan, but you can bet your last discount coupon that few people in this country will turn down a good bargain.

Read Terrence Voon's full report in The Straits Times today.