Keeping alive memories of a vanishing trade

IN THE past 50 years, Mr R. Vadivelu has seen different generations of families patronising his provision shop in Upper Changi Road.

"Some of them used to come with their parents and, now, they have become parents themselves or even grandparents," said the 75- year-old, who came from Chennai, India, and started his business in 1956.

His shop, ARV Stores, is tucked away among a row of shophouses and is one of just a handful of traditional shops that still exist. These shops typically sell dry goods as well as fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables.

Daily sales are usually recorded with a notebook and pen, and calculators are rarely used, said Mr Vadivelu.

"After so many years, everything is up here," he said, pointing to his head. "I just look at a list of items and I'd know how much it would cost."

The first thing that greets you as you step into his shop is the overpowering aroma of spices from sacks of tumeric and curry powder arranged neatly on one side of the shop.

Inside, his shop looks the same as it did on its opening day. Canned food and daily provisions fill wooden shelves that reach all the way to the ceiling, as they did decades ago.

Overhead, carefully placed wooden beams span the shophouse, heavily laden with even more provision stock.

And until six months ago, cash transactions were carried out with the help of a traditional tin-can pulley system that hung near the entrance.

"Nothing much has changed," Mr Vadivelu said repeatedly. "Only the number of people coming here has.

"The number of customers keeps dropping as the years go by. People prefer supermarkets because, to them, it's clean and air-conditioned."

His monthly earnings have taken a significant hit, he added.

"It's not easy. We used to get more than 100 customers daily, but now we average only about 50."

Given the ubiquity of supermarkets and air-conditioned mini-marts, traditional provision shops are fighting a losing battle to stay afloat.

For shopowners like Mr Vadivelu, a steep road lies ahead.

Some cite the lack of successors due to unfavourable working conditions. "It's hard work and the hours are long. Our children are well-educated and don't want to work in such an environment," said former provision- shop owner Goo Kem Suaa.

In Mr Vadivelu's case, it took some coaxing before his 18-year-old son, Mr V. Vivekraja, agreed to take over the business.

To preserve memories of the vanishing trade, the National Heritage Board (NHB) has curated an exhibition to trace the rise and decline of these traditional shops.

Entitled Traditional Provision Shops: A Thriving Past & An Uncertain Future, the exhibition - held at Jurong Regional Library until the end of this month before moving to Tiong Bahru Community Centre - captures elements of 20 existing old-fashioned provision shops through a montage of photographs and information panels.

The shops featured include one established in Joo Chiat Road in the late 1920s and another in the 1930s in Changi Road.

Work on the research project started in August, said Mr Alvin Tan, NHB's director for heritage institutions and industry development. It took a team of 11 people comprising NHB staff and photography enthusiasts more than three months to put the exhibition together.

"These shops are an important aspect of our heartland heritage and we felt it was important to capture this trade quickly before it is gone completely," he said.

The project is the pioneer edition of the NHB's Community Heritage Series. Plans for a similar showcase of another vanishing trade - that of wet markets - are in the works.

The shophouse showcase will run until October at eight more community centres and libraries, including the National Library in Victoria Street and Pasir Ris Public Library.

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