According to the Federation of Merchants’ Associations, Singapore, neighbourhood shops are getting a double whammy these days.
Less people seem to be shopping in the neighbourhood with the opening of a number of new malls and the integrated resorts.
Chua Ser Keng, the president of the Federation of Merchants’ Associations, has noticed a 10 to 20 percent reduction in shoppers, leading to a 20-percent fall in sales at the neighbourhood shops.
However, he said merchants themselves lack cohesion, which has greatly affected their operations.
Through dialogues and promotional events, the association is planning to get the merchants to work together.
In the mean time, neighbourhood shops are trying different ways to attract the crowd, especially the younger customers.
For instance, a bakery at Hong Kah point is selling its buns for only 10 cents each.
Its costumers have no qualms queueing for them and in just an hour, the bakery sold 900 buns.
Over at Toa Payoh, there is a flea market every Sunday until mid-June.
Singapore Toa Payoh Central Merchants’ Association also utilizes the internet in reaching young people who are interested in putting up stalls.
The association hopes such activities can bring the younger crowd back to the heartlands because according to it, the response has been good.
Yeo Hiang Meng, president of Singapore Toa Payoh Merchants’ Association said, “We find that youngsters nowadays like to go to air-con(ditioned) shopping centres and also to Orchard Road. So we want to basically rejuvenate the HDB retail market."