https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7 Exploring different perspectives. en-us 2022-04-05 11:33:36 UTC 2022-04-06 10:02:13 UTC hello@padlet.com edina_rahman https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2130646492 I don't think Provision Shops are struggling to survive because young children would always walk past these shops at the HDB void decks and would be taken in by the array of candies and sweets on display.

The adult with the child would likely buy these sweets for the child and this would generate some business for the Provision Shops (no matter how small).

I have also noticed many primary school children who would flock to these Provision Shops buying a snack or a drink when they leave their school premises since these shops are located in HDB housing estates near schools.

QUESTION/CONCERN: But how long are these shops able to sustain with purchases of small budget items like snacks, candies and sweets?]]> 2022-04-05 13:21:47 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2130646492 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131690575 I am thinking of Provision Shops in Singapore are struggling to survive from the point of view of the shop owner's children. I think Provision shops are struggling to survive because the shop owner's children are unwilling to continue on with their parents' business. The children as well as the shop owners are mostly unwilling to pass on the business as they may be deemed as "not well-educated" and they would not want their child to face discrimination from the public and their peers. The children themselves also have better career options that may allow them to lead a better life. Owning a provision shop will also restrict one's freedom to explore different lifestyles as they would have to mend the shops and it is part of their routine. 

question: Would shop owners be willing to pass on their business to outsiders in order to continue on with the business?]]> 2022-04-06 00:48:50 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131690575 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131694505 I think provision shops are struggling to survive from the perspective of managers of big supermarkets because supermarkets offer a much larger variety of goods than provision shops. Major supermarkets have a larger budget than provision shops, so they can buy a larger variety of goods. In addition, supermarkets tend to have better facilities such as refridgerators, which allow supermarkets to store more food that needs to be stored in cold conditions. Thus, many consumers would prefer to shop at supermarkets than provision shops. This would cause provision shops to lose a lot of profit, and they are struggling as a result.

Question: If customers only need to buy a specific product such as soya sauce or eggs, would they prefer to go to a provision shop than supermarkets? (Because provision shops are right at the void deck of HDBs, while people have to travel a distance to reach supermarkets)]]> 2022-04-06 00:51:53 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131694505 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131700120 We think that Provision Shops are struggling to survive because children of shop owners find that being a shop owner would cause them to have a lower quality of life. Their profits are not high especially if they have to pay rent. Moreover, there may not be many customers to help generate sufficient income. The shop owners mentioned that they would be happy to just have 3 meals a day where in reality, we need to afford for education, healthcare, and sometimes even luxuries. Since they are the children of these shop owners, they would have experienced living frugally, some may detest this way of life. 

Also, children of shop owners may have their own dreams they wish to pursue. They may have their own passions and these jobs may be better paying. Since these children do not wish to take over, the provision shop will eventually have to close down.

I don't think that Provision Shops are struggling to survive as children of shop owners may want to continue providing affordable goods for certain groups of consumers, for example foreign workers.
There are some cases where children of shop owners go to help their parents in the provision shops after they have finished school. They would have form connections and bond with these customers. Hence they may see beyond low profits, and want to take over the shop. 

Question: Is human connections or being somewhat well-to-do more important?]]> 2022-04-06 00:56:13 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131700120 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131700648 1. We are thinking of Provision shops in Singapore are struggling to survive  from the perspective of Supermarket owners.

2. They are struggling to survive as supermarkets are more popular compared to these provision shops. Customers feel it is more suitable to buy things from supermarkets as supermarkets accept a wider range of payments such as credit cards and cash but provision shops usually accepts only cash since the owners are mainly elderly. Another reason why supermarkets are doing better is supermarkets have a larger budget so they are able to have wider range of brands of a certain item compared to a provision shop, this gives customers more options of groceries. Moreover, supermarkets have wider access to customers. While provision shops are usually able to only have one outlet, usually located in the void decks of HDB flats, supermarkets are able to open more outlets in both city area and HDB flats. Supermarkets have an impression to be more modern than provision shops as they provide air conditioning and use of more modern technology. Provisional shops, on the other hand, rarely use the latest technology and give off a more traditional image. Hence, customers are more inclined to believe that they will receive better service at a supermarket rather than a mama shop. Supermarkets provide a more comfortable shopping experience.

3. If these provision shops give customers human warmth(idk we found the word in the passage), than why would they struggle if they had such loyal customers


]]> 2022-04-06 00:56:41 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131700648 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131708252 I think that Provision shops in Singapore are struggling to survive from the point of view of Provision Shop owners.

I think the provision shops are struggling from the point of view of the provision shop owners because their children are unwilling to take over their business. Such provision shops already have a very low revenue and are unlikely to be competitive in the near future. This makes the children of shop owners think that they would not be able to earn a good amount of income to survive if they ever take over. They also would find such jobs to be menial and boring, rather wanting a job that allows them to explore their area of interest. They also have their own ambitions to fulfil and their own career paths to follow. 

From the articles that I have read, provision shop owners have mentioned that their children are unwilling to take over their business when they retire or pass away. This creates an uncertain future for provision shops as their business would be unable to carry on due to lack of manpower.

QUESTION/CONCERN: Would current shop owners be able to find potential successors of their businesses from outside of their family?]]> 2022-04-06 01:02:52 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131708252 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131710136 I think that provision shops in Singapore are struggling to survive from the point of view of housewives. This is because housewives generally prefer to shop at supermarkets and would think that not many people prefer to shop at provision shops. 

Supermarkets appeal to the needs of the housewives more as compared to provision shops. Housewives usually need to buy groceries for the family, such as ingredients for cooking and household items. Supermarkets usually sell a greater variety of goods and have more brands of goods. Supermarkets also have vouchers and discounts, which appeal to housewives who wish to save money. This does not mean that provision shops do not offer discounts, but supermarkets generally have  a system that offers discounts while provision shops do not have. Supermarkets also have lucky draws and  member cards, which allow customers to accumulate points of getting promotional discounts. Such offers can be interesting to housewives who may feel bored staying at home. These advantages of supermarkets appeal to the needs of housewives more, which attract them to patronise supermarkets more often than provision shops. Since housewives patronise supermarkets more often than provision shops, they may have the impression that provision shops are not operating well due to a lack of business. 

On the other hand, housewives may not think that provision shops in Singapore are struggling to survive. Some housewives may prefer the more personalised services provided by provision shops. Provision shops can change the quantities of the products sold, unlike supermarkets which sell goods in large quantities in order to gain profit. This may appeal to housewives more as they may not want to buy more than what their family needs.

Question: How can provision shops survive better? What are the measures they can take to do so?]]> 2022-04-06 01:04:18 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131710136 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131710155 I don't think Provision Shops are struggling to survive because foreign workers would always patronise the shop. 

Foreign workers and domestic workers are likely to purchase the items from the shop as some items that they want might be cheaper and it is also more convenient for them. For example, foreign workers such as construction workers often work near HDB blocks and can purchase small snacks and drinks to recharge themselves during their breaks, and are able to have more time to rest after all the physical work they have done.

For domestic workers, they usually purchase from these shops as it is located near the employers' house/near schools and would bring their employers' child downstairs to buy traditional snacks not found in supermarkets/buy items in small quantities.

Additionally, provision shop owners are able to converse in multiple dialects and languages and foreign workers will be more comfortable when conversing with them rather than talking in English with staffs at the supermarkets.

QUESTION/CONCERN : Would the limited variety of items available at provision shops be enough to sustain their business as compare to supermarkets with lots of variety?


]]> 2022-04-06 01:04:19 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131710155 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131712888 Provision shops are not struggling as they experience sufficient business to keep the business afloat, as people would go to provisional shops for the increased convenience.

Provision shops are for most of the time, located in void decks and in HDB areas, while most supermarkets are located in shopping centres which are further away from residential areas. Supermarkets also experience long queues and high human traffic, which makes provisional shops more convenient for most.

Furthermore, provision shops offer delivery services for up to 5km within the shop radius, which makes it more convenient for people, especially those with movement difficulties, as rather than travelling to a supermarket and travelling back, they can simply contact a provision shop.

Provision shops owners also forge a stronger relationship with their customers, and makes the customers feel more of a 'warmth' that supermarkets do not provide. This makes them more inclined to purchase from provision shops rather than supermarkets, due to the 'human warmth' providing a better shopping experience and also to keep their business afloat.

Provision shop owners also pick up multiple languages running the shop, which lets them converse with customers that speak other languages more comfortably, which encourages them to visit provision shops instead.

Parents that are regulars of provision shops also bring their children to visit provision shops and these increases business indirectly as the children who used to visit provision shops regularly would be more familiarised with provision shops and be more fond and nostalgic of provision shops, leading them to visit provision shops in the future.


Questions:

How can provision shops continue sustaining their customer chains when many youths nowadays do not usually visit provision shops?

]]> 2022-04-06 01:06:27 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131712888 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131715311 I don't think Provision Shops are struggling to survive because young adults are not aware of the situation Provision Shops are facing and some youths do buy from these Provision Shops, thus they think that these Provision Shops have stable business and are not struggling.

Students tend to walk past these shops on their way home and would sometimes stop to buy themselves a snack. This would generate some income for the shop itself and would be able to sustain the business.

Young adults may have a larger daily expense, thus they may visit these shops more often to purchase and reminisce the nostalgic snacks available at these shops. 

Question:
Would these provision shops gain more attention from passers-by should they display and sell a larger variety of childhood snacks such as gem gem or ABC snacks? ]]> 2022-04-06 01:08:03 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131715311 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131718602 I think of Provision shops in Singapore are struggling to survive from the point of view of shop owners because of stiffer competition and lack of successors. In 1986 , the number of businesses registered with the Singapore Provision Shop Friendly Association was 1262 but that figure is a mere 110 today. Well-educated children of the provision shop owners usually choose not to continue the family business. People generally prefer to go to supermarkets, minimarts and convinience stores like 7-eleven , which offer a wider variety of products and a more conducive shopping environment. 

What can shop owners do to maintain their business in such an environment with stiff competition ]]> 2022-04-06 01:10:25 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131718602 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131720577 I am thinking of Provision Shops in Singapore are not struggling to survive from the point of view of the shop owner's children. I think Provision Shops are not struggling to survive because of the children's ignorance. Since they do not probe their parents about their businesses, they would not know the struggles their parents' are facing, like the rising competitions and lower income generation. The shop owners themselves may also be unwilling to share their struggles with their children as they do not want their children to worry. This would cause their children to have a lack of understanding about the situation and struggles of the provision shops, thus, causing them to think that their parents shops are not struggling.

question: How can we educate the shop owner's children to raise awareness about continuing on with traditions?]]> 2022-04-06 01:11:47 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131720577 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131722622 I think Provision Shops in Singapore are struggling to survive from the point of view of provision shop owners. 

I think Provision Shops in Singapore are struggling to survive from the point of view of the Provision shop owners because of rising competition from supermarkets. These competitors provide a larger variety of items and a cleaner environment which attracts more customers. Supermarket offers a wider and up-to-date items to caters to the needs of different age groups as they have a greater budget compared to provision shops, which provide items to suit the needs of a limited group of people. Furthermore, supermarkets are able to employ more staff when needed. However, provision shops do not have the ability to employ more workers in the shop, resulting in a manpower shortage in the shop. Additionally, supermarkets offer seasonal discounts to customers, meaning customers are able to get up-to-date items at a cheaper price. Since provision shops are unable to compete with supermarkets, they are unable to survive from the point of view of provision shop owners.

Question: How can provision shops continue to survive with a limited variety of goods?]]> 2022-04-06 01:13:17 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131722622 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131724776 I am thinking that provision shops in Singapore are struggling to survive from the point of view of the youths. I think provision shops are struggling to survive because they find it uninteresting to visit provision shops to purchase goods. Customers visit provision shops as it would provide a sense of nostalgia and is also more accessible. However, youths nowadays feel no sentimental attachment to these provision shops as they might not have grown up visiting provision shops in their childhood. This means that they would not find a point to visit provision shops as they are not familiar with the goods sold. Although it is convenient and accessible, there are many convenient stores in the neighbourhood, such as 7-11, which might provide more options, and are more familiar to these youths.]]> 2022-04-06 01:14:48 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131724776 https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131729908 I think that provison shops in SIngapore are struggling to survive  from the point of view of youths.

I think provision shops in SIngapore are struggling from the point of view of youths because youths prefer to shop at supermarket chains. This is because, they prefer to shop in a more comfortable environment. For instance, supermarkets are well maintained and clean. Supermarkets have the financial capabilities to make frequent renovations. As a result, the good condition of walls, shelves and refrigerators is maintained. In contrast, provison shops have rusted shelves,faded coloured walls. Such an environment is a major turn off for youths. Hence, they see no reason to patronise provison shops but go to the supermarket chains instead.

Youths piroritise efficiency over warmth from shopkeepers. Provision shops have lost appeal to the younger generation due to a lack of emotional attachment. However, the elderly are still more inclined towrs these shops beacuse of how the shopkeepers make an effort to get to know them in order to cater to their needs. However, youths do not cherish such relationships wirh shopkeepers. Instead they prorituse access to latest goods which provision shops fail to provide. Since provision shops fail to cater and adapt to the different needs of the new generation, they have lost relevence.]]> 2022-04-06 01:18:21 UTC https://padlet.com/edina_rahman/3ho1apw2av90oml7/wish/2131729908