Sorry Amazon, in Singapore people love to go shopping

Web store has been operating Prime Now for about three months

As Amazon.com pushes into Southeast Asia with a new venture into Singapore, the online retailer is facing some tough hurdles. Shopping in air-conditioned malls is practically a national sport, and e-commerce rivals moved in long ago.

Delivery delays also marred Amazon’s debut in July, when on-the-ground operations began with Prime Now two-hour deliveries. Even when including orders placed on its main US website, Amazon lags behind local web store Lazada and its parent, Alibaba Group Holding.

For the island country’s consumers, a store or a shopping centre is usually just minutes away. In fact, there are too many stores, with mall operators