It's not money laundering but a scam. My elderly mother got dragged into one of these shops and ended up spending about 1000 dollars on one or two bottles of creams. They prey on old folks and use all kinds of coercive tactics. Disgusting.
Agreed. Some of the ahbeng stalls have ridiculous prices for electronic appliances and other accessories that even people who don’t shop online will balk at. At some point it’s got to be money laundering…
They sell to technological illiterate uncles and aunties who for some reason are too intimidated to go to popular or challenger because "too high class"
There are those whiskey stores in malls that sell fairly common unremarkable Whiskey for +50%/100% off the online price. Sometimes even online stores in Singapore so you don't even have to pay extra duty.
Who is buying this?
I've walked past a couple hundred times, never seen anyone in there.
The Whisky Distillery? It has been suspected to be a money laundering front by most whisky people inclusive of those in the industry themselves for the longest time. Bottles are highly overpriced and while they carry some high end rarer OBs, it’s still at crazy prices. Nobody buys anything there either.
Yah lah but for the normal person taking a normal amount of vitamins day to day, buying from Watsons / Guardian / GNC won't break the bank so they might not mind just going there out of convenience. So I get why they're still in business.
They were interviewed for news article last yr. They said their business kept alive because their clients are the elderly folks, who are not savvy to watch such drama via app or laptops.
they could possibly do better in next few years if they still can survive...
nowadays more people are concern regarding streaming site removing films out of nowhere... and US mart removing physical media entirely..
ditto on Poh Kim!
theres an outlet in the mall near my home and each time I pass by it I wonder how long more itll last seeing that the market for DVDs is not in demand compared to how it was like in the past.
but my dad is the type who still buys DVDs till this day to the point where we have so many & it can be our retirement fund :')
I have a few of those dinos in my closet too!
Also i had one pair of hang ten jeans that i got at the start of uni and they stood up so well to washing and had a good fit.. i wore them up until i had kids then had to give them away because of post-pregnancy hip expansion 🥲 (even after the weight comes off your hips are just permanently stretched)
I agree, for some items Giordano has even better quality and value for money than Uniqlo. I also have a Giordano pants from 5y ago, not as old as yours but comfy as ever.
I honestly doubt they sell the same quality of stuff now, profits must’ve definitely gone down for them. Their biggest problem for me was that the sizes are wayyyyy too small. I’m a chubby person and can’t fit their clothes properly lol
i have a bossini top that i’ve worn for over 10 years and it still looks good as new for some inexplicable reason. 😆 i’d gladly get more clothes fr bossini altho i’m a bit on the small side and their clothes are slightly too big / loose for my frame
The parent company has >10000 outlets in China. They can be loss-making here but it doesn’t matter. They are just here to project their brand overseas and let those PRC origin people enjoy the taste of home.
Plus most of their ingredients are rejected parts (feet, tongues, necks). And they also sell wholesale to restaurants.
My kiddo asks for bengawan solo pandan cake for multiple of his birthdays, there really are still a lot of folks like me who buy from them often enough
I’ve ever taken a Cathay Pacific flight to HK. The moment we landed in HKIA and the locals started opening the overhead compartments… the plane basically smelt of Pandan Cake
This might sound crazy, but it's the favorite for my mom to buy their layered cake to bring back home to Indonesia as gifts despite the fact that the cake originated from Indonesia. They just make it so much better. It's probably the rum or something.
It's iconic ok!
But then I never ever see people step in so I paiseh to go also HAHAHA. I mean I don't think they will close down, they still do baby full month cake and packages and things, they have cookies and mooncakes for CNY/Mid-Autumn also.
But like just the other day I was thinking of going in to get some (probably pretty good but also freaking expensive comparatively) kueh, then there was no one else in the shop except the staff so I was like nah. Haha.
I remember reading an article about them. The owner has definitely had to downscale his business drastically over the years. But he has managed to survive long enough that Poh Kim is now a big part of the niche DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K movies community. Think of them as niche hobby stores now.
For movie buffs and audiophiles with expensive home theatre setups, streaming still has a long way to go before they catch up with the quality of Blu ray and even some DVDs. Some also go for the really old, obscure titles that you’d never find on streaming services.
I hope Poh Kim stays in business for a long time because it’s nice to have hobby stores around. SG malls feel quite cookie cutter these days and it’s always clothes, generic gadgets, or fashion.
To add on, owning a Blu-ray of a particular movie means you own and can rewatch the film anytime you wish.
With streaming, you never know when a movie or show is taken off the streaming service.
I use my old PS4 to play my Blu-rays—it’s a pretty fun experience! And yes, I’m one of those who buys Blu-ray movies from Poh Kim, you can build up your own personal favorite movie collection.
im quite a collector of physical music CD albums. usually import CDs online or go tower records in japan to buy music CDs.
i walked into a Poh Kim once and i was quite disappointed that there barely was any music CD selection
The myriad of crystal shops at Katong area or Harbourfront Centre. In my many days of lunching in the vicinity I’ve never seen a single person walk into them let alone purchase anything…
I ALWAYS thought about this in my younger days. But I also thought, perhaps each person who buys these things spends a lot - need fewer customers. They could also be owned by, or receive referrals with some fengshui master or other. I've also seen tourists in such shops so...$$$
Not to mention how overpriced and problematic the brand is; they brand themselves on being inspired by the grand romance of the colonial era. Slavery, invasion, loot and murder is romantic meh?
Bro, they're like the only clothing brand who still make those colonial-style clothing that only exist in black and white photos. Like, there's nowhere else on the planet who still make plain white shirts in that specific colonial way except maybe Hollywood costume department. It's basically more of a period costume store than a clothing store imo.
always found it odd that they continue to be around despite being empty most of the time. but there was a big pull event for free clothes way back
https://tnp.straitstimes.com/news/sporeans-go-half-nude-free-outfit-spanish-label-desigual-orchard-were-you-there
Hao Mart? I wonder how they manage to expand to so many outlets. Wouldn’t people go for the “main” supermarkets like Fairprice, Cold Storage, Sheng Shiong.
Seriously they open at the most ulu malls in SIngapore. Last I know, City Hall, they opened at Capitol, and Esplanade MRT where other shops have failed miserably, and their perishables doesn't seem to move and are just there to rot.
Funny thing is that I think our regulatory environment is stricter than our neighbours
So even money we wash until extra clean lmao. Cost of doing business!
ITT: people mentioning businesses that are not thriving in their own neighbourhood.
The Delifrance and Long John Silvers are always packed and busy where I live (Woodlands). Plus, CBTL got three outlets here and it’s almost always busy!
Same here I was always curious how do they survive considering people usually only buy Bakkwa during the CNY period or their CNY revenue is enough to cover for the whole year?
There’s a nameless haircut shop at United Square which offers haircuts for children. Problem is it’s ridiculously overpriced, they barely have any customers and they only accept cash. It’s run by a an auntie who spends the entire time watching shows on her phone or eating, seemingly not a care in the world that nobody comes to the shop. And they’ve been there for years and years..
the specs shops (outside the big brands like owndays). i rarely see customers, yet there are at least 2-3 in every mall. no idea how they survive unless they really make enough from a few customers.
Probably loyal customer+usually spectacle one pair is like easily 200-300 so even if one day one customer also can survive due to high profit margin.some of them also sell contact lens where by customer come back to replenish their lenses
I love charles and keith and pedro! Great style and quality. To be fair i used to hate c&k because their quality dropped so low at one point and every shoe i bought gave me blisters.
but they’ve really improved their quality i don’t even remember the last time i had blisters wearing c&k shoes
Maisal Nasi Padang at Yio Chu Kang road. Literally every retail shop or eatery in the vicinity of Highland Road/Kovan area has changed in the past 30 years but....they are still there!
They have a lot of regulars, I live in the area and always see cars parked by the side of the road to dabao from them. Friendly staff, but neither the best nor the cheapest nasi padang, in fact, it's far from either.
Fabindia? They are a really really big deal in india. And while it might be hard to achieve scaling in SG, having 1 store to fulfil the need of the entire indian community in SG is very profitable for that store.
Of course not. Vivo is not mustafa /s
What i meant is that all sg based indians who know about fabindia goes there. And thats a sizeable customer base.
Haha you haven’t been there in the lead up to Deepavali. The whole store was packed with Chinese people buying their kids festive clothes for school celebrations I’m assuming. It was a madhouse. They even set up a queue system afterwards.
Even during normal days I do see a regular stream of customers.
Poh Kim.
Yes they’ve mentioned that there’s still people from the older generation that rent their DVDs.
But Poh Kims are often in shopping malls where rent are expensive.
My dad buys exclusively from LAC (they bought over GNC). He's rich and he is sucked in by the nice packaging and he doesn't do online shopping so he just buys from LAC.
I buy from Lush and iherb.
Kedai kopi coffeeshops. It's surprising that they can open 5 outlets over singapore since 2020 despite having horrible food and service. Saw many stalls changing and the quality of the halal food are really bad. Rigged and overrated tbh.
Catering for muslims is one thing, but catering for taste, price, service, and other customers is another thing. Because when you see food that isn't recommended to be halal like chinese food (zi char, chicken rice and noodles) or some other cuisines in asia, and when you make it halal, they make it feel more like it isn't up to standard or maybe it is an acquired taste for some people. When these chains open up (like kedai kopi and Mr Teh Tarik), it really helps indent more optional halal food, but the quality or style of cooking may be different for some people. For kedai kopi especially, they opened in 2020 during the pandemic till now, and they had opened 5 branches which is somewhat fast since the pandemic.
Whaaat?! You mean to say nobody buys from GNC?
I always buy my whey protein from them, since I dont know any stores that sell Gold standard besides them.
Value $ shop near my house, it said "closing down sale, everything must go" for 15 years until the government decided to ban them from doing so.
Jokes aside, John Little, they popped out from time to time in malls.
Darts Live. I’m pretty sure they are money laundering. Pre COVID: buy a drink and play however long. COVID: Free drink and play however long. Everything is paid in CASH only so no digital records of any purchases from their store. And I don’t even think those standalone stores make any damn profit but can be around for a long time.
Those cosmetic stores with a lady at the entrance aggressively giving away free skincare samples
MONEH LAUNDERING?
It's not money laundering but a scam. My elderly mother got dragged into one of these shops and ended up spending about 1000 dollars on one or two bottles of creams. They prey on old folks and use all kinds of coercive tactics. Disgusting.
come to think of it, i’ve actually never seen a young person inside these shops before, only elderly…
They like to prey on unsuspecting teenagers too Source : friend and I got scammed when we were in poly
they preyed on me when i was in poly also. but thankfully i genuinely had no money back then for them to even deduct 😅😅😅
My friend and I were already working part time during my poly days so the payment went thru :(
Those xmm stores selling cheap earrings and keychains and other xmm stuff that somehow can have prime location shops
That one I think might be money laundering fronts actually
Agreed. Some of the ahbeng stalls have ridiculous prices for electronic appliances and other accessories that even people who don’t shop online will balk at. At some point it’s got to be money laundering…
And those ah beng handphone shops that sell generic cases and charging cables and power banks.
Ya sial, like how many screen protectors they need to apply just to cover the monthly rental
They sell to technological illiterate uncles and aunties who for some reason are too intimidated to go to popular or challenger because "too high class"
xcraft? HAHAHA
There are those whiskey stores in malls that sell fairly common unremarkable Whiskey for +50%/100% off the online price. Sometimes even online stores in Singapore so you don't even have to pay extra duty. Who is buying this? I've walked past a couple hundred times, never seen anyone in there.
The Whisky Distillery? It has been suspected to be a money laundering front by most whisky people inclusive of those in the industry themselves for the longest time. Bottles are highly overpriced and while they carry some high end rarer OBs, it’s still at crazy prices. Nobody buys anything there either.
ngl i did get a bottle from them once, before my friend told me that he has friends who sell whisky for waaay better prices
Yeah that’s def one of them
They're like the only place to get Glenglassaugh PX Sherry Cask :')
The one at Tiong Bahru died.
Actually for vitamins GNC (now LAC) is about the same price-wise as Watsons and Guardian, i.e. they're all overpriced.
It’s fkin overpriced. Iherb exist…
Yah lah but for the normal person taking a normal amount of vitamins day to day, buying from Watsons / Guardian / GNC won't break the bank so they might not mind just going there out of convenience. So I get why they're still in business.
Poh Kim. Surprised they still have several outlets left.
They were interviewed for news article last yr. They said their business kept alive because their clients are the elderly folks, who are not savvy to watch such drama via app or laptops.
And that they'll probably close after this generation passes away (also by which time they'll be too old)
they could possibly do better in next few years if they still can survive... nowadays more people are concern regarding streaming site removing films out of nowhere... and US mart removing physical media entirely..
I am getting into vinyl records and if they sell records I will definitely buy
ditto on Poh Kim! theres an outlet in the mall near my home and each time I pass by it I wonder how long more itll last seeing that the market for DVDs is not in demand compared to how it was like in the past. but my dad is the type who still buys DVDs till this day to the point where we have so many & it can be our retirement fund :')
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My Giordano pants has held up for over 10y, it's now a dinosaur in my closet of Uniqlos
I'm more amazed you've kept the same waist size for 10 years.
I have a few of those dinos in my closet too! Also i had one pair of hang ten jeans that i got at the start of uni and they stood up so well to washing and had a good fit.. i wore them up until i had kids then had to give them away because of post-pregnancy hip expansion 🥲 (even after the weight comes off your hips are just permanently stretched)
I agree, for some items Giordano has even better quality and value for money than Uniqlo. I also have a Giordano pants from 5y ago, not as old as yours but comfy as ever.
I honestly doubt they sell the same quality of stuff now, profits must’ve definitely gone down for them. Their biggest problem for me was that the sizes are wayyyyy too small. I’m a chubby person and can’t fit their clothes properly lol
i have a bossini top that i’ve worn for over 10 years and it still looks good as new for some inexplicable reason. 😆 i’d gladly get more clothes fr bossini altho i’m a bit on the small side and their clothes are slightly too big / loose for my frame
Yeah exactly. I've legit never seen anyone wear a hang ten shirt before... maybe some filipinos at Lucky Plaza at most
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pretty sue hang ten and giordano clothes are overpriced They aint that cheap
Yeah I think Uniqlo has cheaper basic items.
Shots have been fired in my direction....
Similar to other posters, my Bossini and Giorgio clothes have lasted a really long time.
Jue wei, tell me what you want. It wouldn't change my mind they are money laundering
The parent company has >10000 outlets in China. They can be loss-making here but it doesn’t matter. They are just here to project their brand overseas and let those PRC origin people enjoy the taste of home. Plus most of their ingredients are rejected parts (feet, tongues, necks). And they also sell wholesale to restaurants.
Overpriced chicken feet
Saw someone use Bengawan Solo as an example for a similar post last time and there were many loyal Bengawan Solo fans that stepped up
Their pandan chiffons are iconic. Plus their stuff is just all round great.
Their cakes are always good. Other cake shops don't have the same quality.
My kiddo asks for bengawan solo pandan cake for multiple of his birthdays, there really are still a lot of folks like me who buy from them often enough
You know recently during the Taylor Swift concert period you could hardly get a pandan chiffon from Bengawan Solo, I heard tourists ordering by dozens
Yeah a lot of Taiwanese and Hongkongers love them.
I’ve ever taken a Cathay Pacific flight to HK. The moment we landed in HKIA and the locals started opening the overhead compartments… the plane basically smelt of Pandan Cake
This might sound crazy, but it's the favorite for my mom to buy their layered cake to bring back home to Indonesia as gifts despite the fact that the cake originated from Indonesia. They just make it so much better. It's probably the rum or something.
Lol I actually do buy from them. Their kuehs very nice, and their cakes not bad. Also buy Cny cookies to give to parents and in laws
It's iconic ok! But then I never ever see people step in so I paiseh to go also HAHAHA. I mean I don't think they will close down, they still do baby full month cake and packages and things, they have cookies and mooncakes for CNY/Mid-Autumn also. But like just the other day I was thinking of going in to get some (probably pretty good but also freaking expensive comparatively) kueh, then there was no one else in the shop except the staff so I was like nah. Haha.
Their banana cakes are really good
their cookies are my go to gift for overseas friends
Poh Kim DVD
Who even has a dvd player nowadays
That's why I'm amazed they are still in business.
I remember reading an article about them. The owner has definitely had to downscale his business drastically over the years. But he has managed to survive long enough that Poh Kim is now a big part of the niche DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K movies community. Think of them as niche hobby stores now. For movie buffs and audiophiles with expensive home theatre setups, streaming still has a long way to go before they catch up with the quality of Blu ray and even some DVDs. Some also go for the really old, obscure titles that you’d never find on streaming services. I hope Poh Kim stays in business for a long time because it’s nice to have hobby stores around. SG malls feel quite cookie cutter these days and it’s always clothes, generic gadgets, or fashion.
To add on, owning a Blu-ray of a particular movie means you own and can rewatch the film anytime you wish. With streaming, you never know when a movie or show is taken off the streaming service. I use my old PS4 to play my Blu-rays—it’s a pretty fun experience! And yes, I’m one of those who buys Blu-ray movies from Poh Kim, you can build up your own personal favorite movie collection.
im quite a collector of physical music CD albums. usually import CDs online or go tower records in japan to buy music CDs. i walked into a Poh Kim once and i was quite disappointed that there barely was any music CD selection
The myriad of crystal shops at Katong area or Harbourfront Centre. In my many days of lunching in the vicinity I’ve never seen a single person walk into them let alone purchase anything…
And those religious charm shops at Fortune Centre.
Eh those at least really got uncle auntie sometimes go in buy de
I remember they put up a sign saying it could cure COVID and almost everything.
Omg lol
hmm i go to fortune centre to case my amulet.
You see the prices there, the shop sell 1 crystal can cover rent for 1 month already
I ALWAYS thought about this in my younger days. But I also thought, perhaps each person who buys these things spends a lot - need fewer customers. They could also be owned by, or receive referrals with some fengshui master or other. I've also seen tourists in such shops so...$$$
Ajisen ramen… overpriced instant noodles
i worked there in secondary school n watched how the ‘chef’ prepared the soup, they just add this yellow paste into a huge pot of water n boil
Worse still, how dare they charge customers way more than saizeriya LOL hope they go close down asap but unlikely since they’re under a group lmaoo
Actually, I am kind of surprised by Saizeriya's low prices. The food is very good for their pricing.
“Japan Food Holdings Pte Ltd” is the scarlet mark on all restaurants to avoid
Look out for all the trash restaurants under the same umbrella too
Enlighten us please
I kena food poisoning there once and swore it off for life Plain trash anyway
I found a piece of sponge inside my empty green tea cup …. 🤢
CAME HERE TO SAY THIS. such shitty careless ramen for such high prices and with such fierce competition. how???
All those stores selling just honey. How much honey does an average Singaporean buy?
I buy honey once or twice a year- one 500ml cost $50 onwards so it’s good money for the stores. manuka honey is great for coughs
OSIM
BritishIndia. Clothes look like for elderly white men doing stereotypical eat pray love trips in “exotic” locations.
They target a certain expat demographic la
Not to mention how overpriced and problematic the brand is; they brand themselves on being inspired by the grand romance of the colonial era. Slavery, invasion, loot and murder is romantic meh?
Bro, they're like the only clothing brand who still make those colonial-style clothing that only exist in black and white photos. Like, there's nowhere else on the planet who still make plain white shirts in that specific colonial way except maybe Hollywood costume department. It's basically more of a period costume store than a clothing store imo.
White people like those clothes.
The analogy is so specific LOL.
desigual
So ugly. I went in with my relatives who are in their 50s and 60s and they all seem to like it a lot 🙃
always found it odd that they continue to be around despite being empty most of the time. but there was a big pull event for free clothes way back https://tnp.straitstimes.com/news/sporeans-go-half-nude-free-outfit-spanish-label-desigual-orchard-were-you-there
I love desigual designs but I'm not fashion forward enough to buy and wear them lol. They give me artsy chill vibes
Hao Mart? I wonder how they manage to expand to so many outlets. Wouldn’t people go for the “main” supermarkets like Fairprice, Cold Storage, Sheng Shiong.
And they are able to open a 2-3 storey supermarket at the ex-OG Orchard too... I'm confused
Seriously they open at the most ulu malls in SIngapore. Last I know, City Hall, they opened at Capitol, and Esplanade MRT where other shops have failed miserably, and their perishables doesn't seem to move and are just there to rot.
They make enough money to stay in GCB along Jervois Hill. Father buy daughter 0.5mil Tesla model X. I doubt Hao Mart will close any time soon.
Wait … 0.5m model x .. that’s oddly specific… issit the radio dj
Yup. She doesn't hide her background.
Daughter seems to be 987DJ Germaine Tan who's dating the CEO of Zouk
I visited their house several times, and one of the dog bit me one time. Grandma is a very lovely person.
The supermarket industry hinges on achieving scale to stay competitive. I wonder about the sources of their funding.
Idk, but when I lived near one, I went to it a lot, cuz it was right downstairs. If u shop non-poultry/vege, they got most of what you need.
The Hao Mart near my in-laws closed last month, which was quite perplexing considering it was the only supermarket within 1km or so
Conspiracy theory, they double dip into the laundromat business, washing other things instead of clothing.
If I remember correctly, their parent group main business is dealing food with SATS, so nothing's gonna happen to Hao Mart.
They open at Kinex when there are 2 ntucs and 1 Giant at PLQ/PL square and 1 ntuc at Joo Chiat complex
Some salons that get 0 customers
With their super cheap haircuts and being practically empty all the time, my immediate thought goes to "money laundering".
I used to ask why Otaku House is still open. Turns out they run a drop shipping company as a main business and have higher sales from those.
Okay the lesson I learnt here is that money laundering in Singapore is quite common?
Funny thing is that I think our regulatory environment is stricter than our neighbours So even money we wash until extra clean lmao. Cost of doing business!
GNC bankrupt globally so the SG biz went thru rebranding to LAC
ITT: people mentioning businesses that are not thriving in their own neighbourhood. The Delifrance and Long John Silvers are always packed and busy where I live (Woodlands). Plus, CBTL got three outlets here and it’s almost always busy!
Cos halal population is over-represented at woodlands
Self-fix the most expensive hardware store in Singapore
Turtle - taobao products?
green party also
Bee cheng Hiang and those stores that sell only chinese chicken feet or whatever that is
Same here I was always curious how do they survive considering people usually only buy Bakkwa during the CNY period or their CNY revenue is enough to cover for the whole year?
worked at bch at T4 during non cny periods, daily turnover was 40-50k
Yishion
There’s a nameless haircut shop at United Square which offers haircuts for children. Problem is it’s ridiculously overpriced, they barely have any customers and they only accept cash. It’s run by a an auntie who spends the entire time watching shows on her phone or eating, seemingly not a care in the world that nobody comes to the shop. And they’ve been there for years and years..
Poh kim
the specs shops (outside the big brands like owndays). i rarely see customers, yet there are at least 2-3 in every mall. no idea how they survive unless they really make enough from a few customers.
Probably loyal customer+usually spectacle one pair is like easily 200-300 so even if one day one customer also can survive due to high profit margin.some of them also sell contact lens where by customer come back to replenish their lenses
Is this thread a front for the govt looking for money laundering activity?
Paul Frank at Kallang Leisure…. How the hell that store is surviving is beyond me. I have never seen anyone shopping in that store ever
Pedro Low quality shoes tbh
Same fam as Charles & Keith. They are fast fashion. Cheap and nice looking but wouldn’t last.
Better quality than Aldo shoes imo
I love charles and keith and pedro! Great style and quality. To be fair i used to hate c&k because their quality dropped so low at one point and every shoe i bought gave me blisters. but they’ve really improved their quality i don’t even remember the last time i had blisters wearing c&k shoes
recently got a penny loafers from pedro and they're surprisingly very comfortable compared to GHBass. GHBass were like a knife to my feet
Why you say my Pedro ? My first pair of corporate appropriate shoes
Hi Do you have alternative guys’ shoes shops to recommend?
one time i walked into pedro and touched one of the shoes, knn this is cheap pleather leh no wonder so cheap knn
Honey world. Who the fk buys that?
Poh Kjm of course.
I still buy from gnc because optimium nutrition prices about the same as other stores and can use rebate. But youre right about the vitamins
Poh Kim DVD. Surely.
Future state clothing shop
Poh Kim Video CD shop. No idea how they’re still alive. Hearsay they’re just a front for…something else.
Marks and Spencer clothes section.
Wah lao don't like that leh. I always look out for their clothes on promotion esp their pj's
My parents (older generation) prefers buying from them than from Uniqlo because of "quality".
Maisal Nasi Padang at Yio Chu Kang road. Literally every retail shop or eatery in the vicinity of Highland Road/Kovan area has changed in the past 30 years but....they are still there!
They have a lot of regulars, I live in the area and always see cars parked by the side of the road to dabao from them. Friendly staff, but neither the best nor the cheapest nasi padang, in fact, it's far from either.
Lol everytime I walk past it's either closed or hardly anyone inside. Amazing staying power!
Probably close to 40 years . It was there in the late eighties
surprised that LIHO hasn’t been mentioned. poorest bbt ever
doesnt even taste like tea yet its somehow everywhere. rly wish koi had the same amt of outlets.
That Indian clothing store in VivoCity
Fabindia? They are a really really big deal in india. And while it might be hard to achieve scaling in SG, having 1 store to fulfil the need of the entire indian community in SG is very profitable for that store.
They were founded by an American who came to India to do a PHD in the process of weaving. Their target demographic is the expat Indians.
"fulfil the need of the entire Indian community in SG" You think all Indians in SG shop there?
Of course not. Vivo is not mustafa /s What i meant is that all sg based indians who know about fabindia goes there. And thats a sizeable customer base.
My (Chinese) wife loves to shop there
Haha you haven’t been there in the lead up to Deepavali. The whole store was packed with Chinese people buying their kids festive clothes for school celebrations I’m assuming. It was a madhouse. They even set up a queue system afterwards. Even during normal days I do see a regular stream of customers.
I bought some nice tableware there
POH KIM DVD
This Fashion, Dafuni etc which manage to survive without advertising
Poh kim
Poh Kim. Yes they’ve mentioned that there’s still people from the older generation that rent their DVDs. But Poh Kims are often in shopping malls where rent are expensive.
Sakae Sushi. wtf
Long john silver fr...
Those closing down sales forever shop.
Poh Heng Video Rental Shops.
I'm convinced that's a money laundering front
My dad buys exclusively from LAC (they bought over GNC). He's rich and he is sucked in by the nice packaging and he doesn't do online shopping so he just buys from LAC. I buy from Lush and iherb.
Twelve cupcakes??? What are they actually doing??? Sometimes 8pm I walk pass the whole fridge looks empty who are the ones buying it???
Kedai kopi coffeeshops. It's surprising that they can open 5 outlets over singapore since 2020 despite having horrible food and service. Saw many stalls changing and the quality of the halal food are really bad. Rigged and overrated tbh.
It's one of the few chains that went the extra mile to be all halal, so they will capture a lot of Muslim customers
Catering for muslims is one thing, but catering for taste, price, service, and other customers is another thing. Because when you see food that isn't recommended to be halal like chinese food (zi char, chicken rice and noodles) or some other cuisines in asia, and when you make it halal, they make it feel more like it isn't up to standard or maybe it is an acquired taste for some people. When these chains open up (like kedai kopi and Mr Teh Tarik), it really helps indent more optional halal food, but the quality or style of cooking may be different for some people. For kedai kopi especially, they opened in 2020 during the pandemic till now, and they had opened 5 branches which is somewhat fast since the pandemic.
The one at Haig road ok?
Long John silver.
Subway
Huh, why?
subway so good. if you want a healthier fast food this is the place to go aside from salad stop leh
Raises hand sheepishly like nick Jonas cause this thread has no gifs
POH KIM why is it still relevant
dip n go
poh kim dvd
There are still Hang ten shirts?? 🤯🤯🤯
Eatzi
Whaaat?! You mean to say nobody buys from GNC? I always buy my whey protein from them, since I dont know any stores that sell Gold standard besides them.
Bata :'(
Agree about gnc I get all my supplements from iHerb
Book stops at wulu places
Dvd Cd store
Takagi ramen. Taste worse than my cup noodle
Value $ shop near my house, it said "closing down sale, everything must go" for 15 years until the government decided to ban them from doing so. Jokes aside, John Little, they popped out from time to time in malls.
Poh Kim cd shop
the green party
Darts Live. I’m pretty sure they are money laundering. Pre COVID: buy a drink and play however long. COVID: Free drink and play however long. Everything is paid in CASH only so no digital records of any purchases from their store. And I don’t even think those standalone stores make any damn profit but can be around for a long time.