'Fulfilling childhood dream': Inspired by grandma, this degree holder spent $150k to open minimart in Ang Mo Kio

Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Management, Sheau Jing (SJ) Tan decided to embark on a new venture opening a minimart in Ang Mo Kio.

Tan completed her degree from the University of London, studied through the Singapore Institute of Management, in 2017.

She worked in the travel industry for over eight years in sales and customer experience before starting a Food & Beverage (F&B) business in 2023. 

After three years in the F&B industry, the 33-year-old decided to open a minimart in Ang Mo Kio in September this year to fulfill a childhood dream.

"My childhood dream was to be a cashier because whenever I played role playing games with my cousins, I liked the sound of the cashier machine and how it operates," said Tan.

She described how she enjoyed the process of pressing the buttons on the cashier and scanning the items as a kid, adding that it feels "surreal" to be able to realise this childhood dream of hers.

Tan explained how the minimart is also inspired by her childhood memories with her grandmother, whom she used to live with along with her cousins when she was young.

"My grandma always took me to the minimart downstairs," said Tan, adding that these trips were the simple ways in which she bonded with her grandmother.

"So, when I think about my childhood memories, these are some of the core memories that I had." 

These experiences influenced her decision to open a minimart because she felt it was not only a good way to fulfill a childhood dream, but also honour her grandmother.

She even went the extra mile to register the minimart under her grandmother's name, Eh Wa Services.

She chose the name Huat Huat Mart for the outlet to give it a distinctly local flavour and so it could be remembered easily.

'Only possible because of family'

When Tan told her family in July that she wanted to open a minimart, they were surprised.

"This is something that they never expected me to do. It's very different from all the industries that I came from," she said, referring to her background in travel and F&B.

They were also concerned if she was equipped with the resources and knowledge to do so as they knew it was a challenging pursuit with a hefty price tag of $150,000 to start the business.

But she got them on her side after sharing her reasons, and they all grew supportive of her new venture, including her husband who works full-time.

They have no kids.

Her family even volunteered to help her set up the shop in August, arranging the stocks in the correct order and ensuring everything had a price tag and that the price had been keyed into the system.

"It may not sound like a lot of work, but because of the amount of inventory that we have, it's a massive job," Tan explained.

Everyone from her siblings, cousins, parents and in-laws were involved.

"It was a full kampung and this is only made possible because of my family."

Tan admitted that she knew her family was inevitably concerned about her business, but she appreciated that they expressed their worries in a productive way.

"At the end of the day, they knew their worries were not going to help me, so they turned it into actions and gave me the support I needed to execute this," she said.

Customer-oriented business

The minimart was a novel industry for her and she had to learn many things about managing a minimart from scratch, from sourcing for products, to pricing and doing inventory.

She said that opening a minimart is similar to her previous roles in terms of customer experience and how she works on creating a unique experience for all her customers.

She added that her main goal in the business was to create an opportunity for others to experience the kinds of memories she shared with her grandmother.

"For me, the most satisfying part of working in the minimart is when I get to see familiar faces," said Tan, adding that it meant people were returning to her shop and feeling a sense of affinity for it.

She finds joy in seeing families visiting the minimart and conversing with one another, potentially creating their own memories to hold onto.

Despite living in the East, she opened the minimart in Ang Mo Kio due to its proximity to schools and coffeeshops which increase the likelihood of families going grocery shopping and bonding while running other errands.

"I also enjoy the small interactions with my customers," Tan explained, feeling pride whenever she is able to remember customers' preferred items, such as a regular Coca Cola instead of a Coke Zero. 

Many elderly people living around her minimart often make conversation with her and remind her of her own grandparents.

"It's a nice and warm feeling," she said, adding that she is also grateful for their feedback whenever they visit. 

Her customers often honestly share about items that are good to stock up on and what they hope to see in her minimart.

Minute details in a minimart

When asked about the challenges she has faced so far, Tan shared that the biggest one happens to be the many small things she has to manage every day.

"As a customer, you walk into a minimart, you pick something and just pay and go, right? But as the person running it, I have to think about the stock level, the suppliers, where to get the best deal, manpower, deliveries, how to optimise my display and whether I'm carrying the right product."

She shared that these were her initial hurdles and that her current challenge is to understand the specific needs of the customers in her neighbourhood.

She explained that this can even boil down to specific brands of a product that they may already be carrying, citing an instance she posted to TikTok on Oct 9 about a man who requested for a particular brand of Chinese fish sauce when she only carried Thai brands.

She has also made attempts to take in feedback where possible. After many customers recommended that she sell fruits such as bananas, papayas and watermelons, she has started to do so.

After nearly a month, Tan candidly shared that it was still too early to report on the revenue made but remained hopeful for the business.

"So ideally, if there is an opportunity to expand, I would be open to it. But for now, I want to really just focus on this store and ensure that it runs smoothly and in accordance to what we set out to do." 

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