Faces of fep
Lin Si Si
Casuale Clothing Store
Lin Si Si is a sales assistant at Casuale Clothing Store, one of the first tenants in 1983. The shop sold CDs for about 20 years, but was rebranded as Casuale and switched to selling womens' fashion 10 years ago.
She says that in the past, there was a strong sense of camaraderie amongst the store assistants - they would even stay after working hours to enjoy each other’s company. Now, like the mall, the kampong spirit has faded, and her relationship with the other sales assistant is purely professional.
Lin Si Si
Solito Fashions
George Assodani, the owner of Solito Fashions currently occupies two corner shops on the first floor of Far East Plaza. The business has been in operation for over 30 years, since Far East Plaza first opened. His customer base used to comprise of European and American tourists who were willing to pay premium prices for his suits.
Nowadays, as e-commerce and department stores have overshadowed businesses like his, the number of customers to the shop has dwindled and he mostly makes suits for Singaporeans. The business has barely made enough to cover its mortgage instalments for the last three years. Mr Assodani says he is ready to retire, as the mall that has put his son through university seems to be in its twilight years as well.
George Assodani
Maurice Low
Ming's Jewels
Maurice Low owns Ming’s Jewel, which is located at Level 2. His shop specialises in the sale and tailoring of jewelry. The store began its operations at Far East Plaza when the mall’s flooring was not yet complete, making it one of the mall’s first tenants.
He reminisces of a time when Far East Plaza was the cultural centre for youth, when the corridors were so crowded that people “spilled into the shops”. Now his business is dwindling and he relies on an increasingly small group of regular customers to make ends meet. “Maybe it’s time to retire,” he said to us with a sad but resigned laugh.
Maurice Low
Joshua Ong
Johnny Two Thumb
Joshua “Jaws” Ong, is one of the owners of Johnny Two Thumb, a tattoo parlour in Far East Plaza. The business began in the 1940s at Bras Basah. The original owner provided tattooing services for British sailors using a car battery and called all his customers “Johnny” (hence the name), who then spread the word to their friends in the Navy.
After shifting to Far East Plaza in 1990, it made a name for itself in the then-popular mall -- attracting other tattoo shops that wanted to cash in on its name. Mr Ong says the business does not employ any paid marketing, only using their Facebook page to “show everyone they’re still alive”. Instead, they keep with tradition and rely on word-of-mouth from satisfied customers to maintain their reputation.
Joshua Ong
Richman Luxury
Jin Goh
Jin Goh, owner of Richman Luxury on Level 2 of Far East Plaza, has only recently begun selling luxury watch holders and leather goods - just a couple of storefronts down from Goldman Luxury, a luxury secondhand watch shop owned by her parents.
For the last 6 years, her parents have run a successful business providing one of the niche offerings Far East Plaza offers - inspiring Ms Goh to start her own business. Unlike some of the older tenants, she does not see the mall as a dead end, but a new beginning for her business - one with potential for the future.
Jin Goh
Sun Xue Lei
Korean Cuisine
Sun Xue Lei is the cook of Korean Cuisine at Level 1. Although he has worked at the store for about five years, he says he does not have any emotional attachment to the mall because he is only an employee at the shop and just focuses on doing his job well.
According to him, the business is not too badly affected by the retail slump. Some reasons for that are the discounts offered by the eatery and the new delivery service it provides for office workers nearby.