54YO Record Shop In Chinatown Complex Center Forced To Close Down By End Nov 2019

2019-11-15 , 11:00 am

All good things either change or come to an end.

Nasi lemak burgers vanish, film cameras are replaced by smart technology and GPAs decrease as the school years go by.

Okay, that last one is hugely subjective.

In some seriousness, the inevitable fact that technology will always change remains constant.

The more niche businesses eventually fall out of relevance as is the case with record shops.

It really breaks my heart to write this story.

According to Mothership, CD shop Foo Leong Records located in Chinatown Complex Centre will be closing by the end of November 2019.

The shop owner, 79-year-old Wong Nam Thye, named the shop after her as the name meant ‘prosperity and good nature.’

However, 54 years of going strong and the business has finally come to a close.

Wong wanted to keep the store going for as long as she could due to old memories but realises that it is not sustainable anymore.

It’s never easy to let go of something you built up yourself.

From a roadside store to Pagoda Street till moving to Chinatown Complex in 1983, Wong has done her utmost to keep her business alive.

In an age where people can simply download music, the once-booming business in the 80s has taken a hard hit.

She has been making losses over the past four years and she can no longer keep up with the rental fee of over S$1000.

Wong attempted to combat this by reducing the space by one unit and pawning off gold dowry but to no avail.

It really breaks one’s heart to know something so passionate has to end this way.

With the shop closing soon, Wong still needs to clear her remaining stock.

Certain CDs that used to cost S$10 now only cost a mere S$2! A freaking steal if you ask me.

She has also considered selling off CDs in one-for-one promotions.

The losses would be great but at this point, every dollar counts.

Customers from over the years have come to give the shop one final hurrah before it’s gone for good.

If you’d like to visit the store to help Wong out, you can head over to the address below.

Address: 335 Smith St, Singapore 050335

Opening Hours: 8 am – 10 pm (weekdays), 10 am – 8.45 pm (weekends)

These old-but-gold shops are a rarity in this decade. Let us take a moment to appreciate Wong’s dedication and hard work through the years!