Mama shop
Encyclopedia
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
that are located under high-rise apartment blocks built by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Traditionally, they are owned and operated by India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
ns. Unlike other stores such as 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
, mama shops are not air-conditioned, and sell a variety of provisions within their limited area of approximately nine square meters.
Local residents often make use of mama shops as location markers.
It has been claimed there is a hint of architectural value in the ingenious way the wide range of goods are displayed within the spatial confinement of the store.
History
The earliest mama shops were started by the early Indian immigrants who were traders and businessmen. Many eventually became small shopkeepers along Serangoon RoadSerangoon Road
Serangoon Road is a road from Little India to Boon Keng of Singapore . There is another road, from Woodsville Interchange to Sengkang called Upper Serangoon Road.Another way is via Jalan Besar and Bendemeer Road....
in the early 20th century. In its early days, the mama shop served mainly villagers in the vicinity. Since the shopkeeper was most likely to be the shop owner, service was rendered largely on a friendly and personal basis. In earlier times, many customers were granted unlimited credit
Credit (finance)
Credit is the trust which allows one party to provide resources to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately , but instead arranges either to repay or return those resources at a later date. The resources provided may be financial Credit is the trust...
, according to Ubid bin Ibrahim, co-owner of one of the oldest surviving mama shops. Bargaining
Bargaining
Bargaining or haggling is a type of negotiation in which the buyer and seller of a good or service dispute the price which will be paid and the exact nature of the transaction that will take place, and eventually come to an agreement. Bargaining is an alternative pricing strategy to fixed prices...
, discounting of prices
Discounts and allowances
Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.They can occur anywhere in the distribution channel, modifying either the manufacturer's list price , the retail price , or the list price Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.They...
and personal delivery of goods were also common. Over time, shopkeepers became familiar with customers from the other racial communities, particularly the Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
who observed the custom of reciprocity
Reciprocity (cultural anthropology)
In cultural anthropology and sociology, reciprocity is a way of defining people's informal exchange of goods and labour; that is, people's informal economic systems. It is the basis of most non-market economies. Since virtually all humans live in some kind of society and have at least a few...
. As English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
was not a commonly spoken tongue back then, the Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
served as the main form of communication between them.
When Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
’s population underwent a major resettlement from villages to high-rise flats in the 1960s, many mama shops were relocated to the void decks – open areas on the ground floor of the HDB flats. While in the villages they had catered mostly to housewives, they now were frequented by children who would stop at the stores to browse through the thrift comics, inexpensive sweets, and cheap stationery. However, the resettlement caused a weakening in what had been a strong sense of community established back in the village, and many mama shops witnessed a loss in an otherwise frequent and loyal patronage. With the passing of time and increasing modernization, rising competition from air-conditioned mini-marts and upbeat convenience chain stores also dealt a blow to the survival of many traditional mama shops.
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See also
- Convenience storeConvenience storeA convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
www.mamashoponline.com]]