Despite the onslaught of competition from franchise stores such as 7-Eleven and Cheers, local convenience stores called “Mama shops”, still thrive – even in busy areas such as Chinatown. Part of the reason why they are not going anywhere, anytime soon is because “Mama Shops” offer something more than just convenience: they make customers feel at home, and their items are priced way lower than their commercialised counterparts. At the heart of Keong Saik Road lives Save Mart, which has been serving local residents and tourists alike with warm-hearted hospitality and good prices.

Mr Mohamed Ikbal, 53, is probably one of the handful of Singaporean entrepreneurs who believes strongly in rejuvenating the Kampung spirit. (Singaporean colloquial term for being friendly and helping one another out) As an extension of this intention, he set up Save Mart at 334 Kreta Ayer Road in January 2017. For more than 2 years, it has been the one-stop store for people around the Keong Saik area to get their necessities, and offers 3 to 4 times greater variety as compared to franchises like 7-Eleven and Cheers.

One of the more surprising finds at Save Mart is the Tan-Cho hair cream, which is often seen as the “grandfather” of Brylcreem. In fact, it’s so old-school that it’s not easily available even at some older legacy convenience stores.

Save Mart also does their own hand packaging of Kuay Chee (Sunflower seeds), and packets of Hacks Sweets. Mr Mohamed Ikbal said that contrary to popular belief, these appeal greatly to tourists, as many them in the Keong Saik area “look for localised items rather than the usual things they can find in convenience chain stores”.

Relying on pure retail sales alone is not the only reason why Save Mart is still going strong despite apparent competition around. Mr Mohamed Ikbal believes in working together with the community to effect sustainable trade, thus establishing working relations with the shops around Keong Saik Road. Save Mart caters drinks, tidbits, and even over-the-counter medications to neighbouring cafes and restaurants, acting as their supplier.

Somehow, it’s assuring to know that local shops such as Save Mart are doing well in the face of heated competition from a hyper-globalised economy.