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This is a very sad situation - materialism and the "high life" are spilling over to the teenagers, even before they enter the workforce and know how to earn a living! Are the parents at fault for "spoiling" their kids? Comments are welcome...
Oct 24, 2010
special report: starting young
Just teens, but living the high life
Designer goods, fancy restaurants and spa treatments are not just for adults these days
By Alexandra Jen Wong
Young, restless and ready to rock - and shop.
Walk into the trendier shops or eateries these days, and do not be surprised to see teen customers.
One 19-year-old, who wanted to be known only as Rachel, told The Sunday Times she spends up to $6,000 a month on shopping.
The university student, whose parents run businesses, said her biggest buy was a $5,000 Chanel bag.
She said: 'If my mother can afford it and buys it for me, then I will accept it. If I can't afford it, I won't buy it.
'I don't think it has to do with peer pressure. Perhaps it is more a matter of upbringing. My family values quality, and branded items are usually of a higher quality.'
At Ion Orchard, staff at luxury store Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) say one in 10 teen customers is local. One favourite purchase is the Muse Two bag, which costs $2,180.
The teens are typically around 16 to 17 years old, say YSL staff.
A sales assistant at Dior said that the store sees on average 30 teenagers a day, with many of them coming with their friends and in groups. Those who make purchases spend $2,000 on average.
But one 19-year-old university student, who wanted to be known only as Amanda, said: 'I don't believe teens have to spend excessively to look good. What matters is whether we know how to appreciate what we have.'
She added that she enjoys $20 dresses as much as the pricier ones.
Still, Amanda - the daughter of a finance professional and a housewife - does have favourite brands such as Prada and Miu Miu.
When it comes to things she really wants, such as a Mulberry Alexa handbag which costs about $1,600, she will save up for it.
One parent, a partner in a consultancy firm who declined to be named, said she buys expensive goods for her children 'to give them the best'. She added that branded items 'last a lifetime'.
She buys Chanel and Louis Vuitton bags which cost up to $5,000 each, which she shares with her two daughters, aged 21 and 25.
Another parent, who also declined to be named, said: 'If you can afford to buy things you think look nice, then why not?'
Well-dressed teenagers are also increasingly seen at upmarket dining places.
Staff at Basilico, an Italian restaurant at The Regent Singapore, said there has been an increase in the number of teen customers at lunchtime, spending at least $39 each for the weekday buffet. Teenagers are also turning up with their friends on Sundays, when brunch prices range from $59 to $175.
Popular nightclub Zouk also noted an increase in the parties hosted by teenagers and young adults over the past few years. Mr Benny Heng, its director of operations, said four to five birthday and farewell parties are held there each month, up from one to two before.
He added that such parties are usually attended by 20 or more people while in the past, there were 10 or fewer guests.
Cost does not seem to be an issue. The teens and young adults attending these parties at Zouk typically spend $60 to $70 a head - drinking champagne, shooters and premium vodka like Grey Goose, which costs $230 a bottle.
One teenager even told The Sunday Times she rented a yacht for about $750 from Grand Cruise for her boyfriend's birthday party. The 19-year-old, who did not want to be named, used her savings and her 15 guests paid $35 each to offset the cost.
The entire bash cost more than $1,000, including two bottles of Moet Champagne and four bottles of wine.
Teens are also conscious about their looks. Ms Kay Nalla, marketing manager for Bonafides, a beauty spa, said teens now make up about 30 per cent of its clientele, with one third of the teenagers being male.
It even has a specially tailored product, the 'teenage healing facial', with 30 to 40 teens signing up each month. This costs between $45 and $65 a session.
But not all teens agree with such a lifestyle.
Charmaine, 19, a university student, said: 'These teenagers come off as superficial. Most care only about the brands they buy and the places they are seen at, because it shows that they can afford it.'
Madam M.L. Fong , 45, a housewife and mother of four, said: 'It is worrying when teenagers spend so much money before they even know how to earn it. It's definitely an issue parents should be concerned about.'
Associate Professor Ho Kong Chong, from the National University of Singapore's department of sociology, said young people are influenced by marketing pitches, and that the teenage market is lucrative.
He added that 'the extension of school has resulted in a prolonged period of youth, and exploring of identity, while still dependent on parents'.
ajenwong@sph.com.sg
Oct 24, 2010
Tai-tai by 20
Li Lin (not her real name) is barely out of her teens. But she already owns a bag that costs about $10,000.
She also has more than 50 pairs of shoes, along with expensive clothes and jewellery.
She waited a year for her prized bag, a grey Yves Saint Laurent Muse handbag (right), which cost about $10,000. It was a gift from her father, a businessman.
Li Lin, who turned 20 just last month, is currently taking time off school.
Her mother is a housewife and her only brother is doing national service.
Li Lin gets a monthly allowance of $1,500, plus $2,000 a year for skincare expenses.
She spends about $500 on make-up and the rest on facials, which she goes for two to three times a month.
She also spends money on meals, shoes, clothes and bags. She has three supplementary credit cards linked to her parents' accounts, as well as her own debit card.
Counting brands such as Christian Louboutin and Miu Miu as her favourites, she said that she once bought 'five bags in one month' from brands such as Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen.
The spree set her back more than $5,000, although she cannot remember the exact amount.
She has lunch and dinner with friends about four times a week.
She enjoys the restaurants at Dempsey and along Orchard Road, and counts Ristorante Da Valentino off Rifle Range Road as one of her favourite haunts.
She drives a $160,000 BMW, which her father bought for her a few months ago.
Li Lin also has a penchant for diamonds. She owns more than 10 necklaces from brands such as Tiffany & Co and Cartier, mostly presents from her father.
She conceded that teens spend more nowadays, and that she has friends who spend even more than she does.
She admitted that her lifestyle is rather lavish, but added: 'Then again, it is not for anyone to judge. After all, my parents do not mind.'
Alexandra Jen Wong
Oct 24, 2010
special report: starting young
Just teens, but living the high life
Designer goods, fancy restaurants and spa treatments are not just for adults these days
By Alexandra Jen Wong
Young, restless and ready to rock - and shop.
Walk into the trendier shops or eateries these days, and do not be surprised to see teen customers.
One 19-year-old, who wanted to be known only as Rachel, told The Sunday Times she spends up to $6,000 a month on shopping.
The university student, whose parents run businesses, said her biggest buy was a $5,000 Chanel bag.
She said: 'If my mother can afford it and buys it for me, then I will accept it. If I can't afford it, I won't buy it.
'I don't think it has to do with peer pressure. Perhaps it is more a matter of upbringing. My family values quality, and branded items are usually of a higher quality.'
At Ion Orchard, staff at luxury store Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) say one in 10 teen customers is local. One favourite purchase is the Muse Two bag, which costs $2,180.
The teens are typically around 16 to 17 years old, say YSL staff.
A sales assistant at Dior said that the store sees on average 30 teenagers a day, with many of them coming with their friends and in groups. Those who make purchases spend $2,000 on average.
But one 19-year-old university student, who wanted to be known only as Amanda, said: 'I don't believe teens have to spend excessively to look good. What matters is whether we know how to appreciate what we have.'
She added that she enjoys $20 dresses as much as the pricier ones.
Still, Amanda - the daughter of a finance professional and a housewife - does have favourite brands such as Prada and Miu Miu.
When it comes to things she really wants, such as a Mulberry Alexa handbag which costs about $1,600, she will save up for it.
One parent, a partner in a consultancy firm who declined to be named, said she buys expensive goods for her children 'to give them the best'. She added that branded items 'last a lifetime'.
She buys Chanel and Louis Vuitton bags which cost up to $5,000 each, which she shares with her two daughters, aged 21 and 25.
Another parent, who also declined to be named, said: 'If you can afford to buy things you think look nice, then why not?'
Well-dressed teenagers are also increasingly seen at upmarket dining places.
Staff at Basilico, an Italian restaurant at The Regent Singapore, said there has been an increase in the number of teen customers at lunchtime, spending at least $39 each for the weekday buffet. Teenagers are also turning up with their friends on Sundays, when brunch prices range from $59 to $175.
Popular nightclub Zouk also noted an increase in the parties hosted by teenagers and young adults over the past few years. Mr Benny Heng, its director of operations, said four to five birthday and farewell parties are held there each month, up from one to two before.
He added that such parties are usually attended by 20 or more people while in the past, there were 10 or fewer guests.
Cost does not seem to be an issue. The teens and young adults attending these parties at Zouk typically spend $60 to $70 a head - drinking champagne, shooters and premium vodka like Grey Goose, which costs $230 a bottle.
One teenager even told The Sunday Times she rented a yacht for about $750 from Grand Cruise for her boyfriend's birthday party. The 19-year-old, who did not want to be named, used her savings and her 15 guests paid $35 each to offset the cost.
The entire bash cost more than $1,000, including two bottles of Moet Champagne and four bottles of wine.
Teens are also conscious about their looks. Ms Kay Nalla, marketing manager for Bonafides, a beauty spa, said teens now make up about 30 per cent of its clientele, with one third of the teenagers being male.
It even has a specially tailored product, the 'teenage healing facial', with 30 to 40 teens signing up each month. This costs between $45 and $65 a session.
But not all teens agree with such a lifestyle.
Charmaine, 19, a university student, said: 'These teenagers come off as superficial. Most care only about the brands they buy and the places they are seen at, because it shows that they can afford it.'
Madam M.L. Fong , 45, a housewife and mother of four, said: 'It is worrying when teenagers spend so much money before they even know how to earn it. It's definitely an issue parents should be concerned about.'
Associate Professor Ho Kong Chong, from the National University of Singapore's department of sociology, said young people are influenced by marketing pitches, and that the teenage market is lucrative.
He added that 'the extension of school has resulted in a prolonged period of youth, and exploring of identity, while still dependent on parents'.
ajenwong@sph.com.sg
Oct 24, 2010
Tai-tai by 20
Li Lin (not her real name) is barely out of her teens. But she already owns a bag that costs about $10,000.
She also has more than 50 pairs of shoes, along with expensive clothes and jewellery.
She waited a year for her prized bag, a grey Yves Saint Laurent Muse handbag (right), which cost about $10,000. It was a gift from her father, a businessman.
Li Lin, who turned 20 just last month, is currently taking time off school.
Her mother is a housewife and her only brother is doing national service.
Li Lin gets a monthly allowance of $1,500, plus $2,000 a year for skincare expenses.
She spends about $500 on make-up and the rest on facials, which she goes for two to three times a month.
She also spends money on meals, shoes, clothes and bags. She has three supplementary credit cards linked to her parents' accounts, as well as her own debit card.
Counting brands such as Christian Louboutin and Miu Miu as her favourites, she said that she once bought 'five bags in one month' from brands such as Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen.
The spree set her back more than $5,000, although she cannot remember the exact amount.
She has lunch and dinner with friends about four times a week.
She enjoys the restaurants at Dempsey and along Orchard Road, and counts Ristorante Da Valentino off Rifle Range Road as one of her favourite haunts.
She drives a $160,000 BMW, which her father bought for her a few months ago.
Li Lin also has a penchant for diamonds. She owns more than 10 necklaces from brands such as Tiffany & Co and Cartier, mostly presents from her father.
She conceded that teens spend more nowadays, and that she has friends who spend even more than she does.
She admitted that her lifestyle is rather lavish, but added: 'Then again, it is not for anyone to judge. After all, my parents do not mind.'
Alexandra Jen Wong
My Value Investing Blog: http://sgmusicwhiz.blogspot.com/
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