By Goh Yi Han
ST Intern
gohyh@spy.com.sg

 

WHEN pasar malam operators first told me that they'd started bringing in the big boys like Popular and John Little to help boost customer traffic, my first thought was, "The smaller stalls are in trouble now."

I felt that with their brand names, larger variety of quality goods and much stronger financial positions, the larger retailers would surely lure business away from the mom-and-pop setups which usually sell more frivolous wares like cheap toys and imitation watches.

Even food stalls at night markets have become something of a franchise, with stallholders paying licensing fees to sell certain brands like Ramly Burgers or Taiwan sausages.

How on earth could your average family selling homemade goreng pisang and samosas continue to survive, especially in these lean times?

Thankfully, the bosses were quick to assure me otherwise.

"We want to encourage people to set up businesses, even in hard times," said Ivan Ho, one such operator.

His company is willing to make concessions for people with less capital, he told me — waiving rent and helping them sell goods for a commission is one such option.

Recession or no, Mr Ho said, business wouldn't be too much of a problem as long as tenant mix was properly controlled.

"Obviously we can't have five or six stalls selling fried chicken at the same pasar malam now - but two stalls would get along just fine," he added.

You might think it overly optimistic, but to me this news couldn't be better for some aspiring entrepreneurs out there seeking to make their fortunes, or find new work during the downturn.

Startup costs could be very low, depending how helpful your landlord is, and the business model is small-scale and easy to manage, for those just starting out. Sure it's hard work, but it could become a decent living, nonetheless.

Pasar malams are also a far more organic and natural way of growing micro-business entrepreneurs than any kind of IE or SPRING-led initiative to help SMEs could ever be.

It's so quintessentially Singaporean, too, with the cries of "Lelong!", gaudy antique auctions and cheap Malaysian groceries on offer. What's not to like, really?

So the next time you visit a night market, don't be so quick to call the stuff boring or kitsch. By buying a little something, you could well be doing your part for local culture and enterprise.

Read more: Big retailers in night markets.