SINGAPORE – After nearly 40 years operating at the Golden Mile Complex, Supermarket Thailand will open at its new home, Aperia Mall in Kallang, in the first week of June.
Gone are the harsh lighting and supply store vibes. Instead it is a modern supermarket with new products and services.
The supermarket, along with many Thai restaurants and businesses, had to move out of Singapore’s Little Thailand, Golden Mile Complex in Beach Road, following a successful $700 million collective sale in May 2022. The food industry has dispersed throughout Singapore and supermarkets are taking up a chunk of the ground floor of the Aperia.
Mr. Loh Yuen Seng, 59, who owns the supermarket with his brothers, said the relocation was “much more complicated than we imagined”, because in addition to the supermarket, there were two stalls with kitchens, takeout kiosks and retail services.
“There are a lot of permits, restrictions and regulations when it comes to operating in malls,” he added.
Although necessary, the move marked the next stage in the business’s evolution, which began in 1987.
Mr. Loh started his business at the Golden Mile Complex in 1985, selling trousers. Supermarkets have grown in size over the years.
At one point, the brothers even ran a movie theater in the building, showing the latest Thai movies.
In 2020, when the pandemic broke out and people were wary of going out, he opened an online supermarket. Then there was a small facelift, with new refrigerators to display Thai herbs and other products the store sold.
At Aperia, customers can shop for groceries in the 6,000-square-foot supermarket and can also dine in the separate 64-seat dining area.
Folks Collective, which operates a Thai restaurant at the Cross Street Exchange, will operate two booths. One person will serve salads with marinated seafood, as well as grilled meats and seafood, curries and pan-fried dishes.
At lunchtime, customers can make their own Thai lunch bowl, with choices of rice or vegetables, protein, toppings and sauces. Prices start at $9.
From late afternoon, the counter will also serve alcoholic beverages.
