These old-school heartland shops are accepting your CDC vouchers
By now, Singaporeans should have received their second tranche of CDC vouchers, ready to be used at major supermarkets such as Giant, Cold Storage, and Fairprice, as well as at heartland businesses.
Even old-school merchants — such as one seamstress in Jurong West, and a Marine Parade sundry stall owner in his 70s — have embraced this form of payment.
Here are five unexpected shops where you can use your vouchers, and heads up, they might just be in your ‘hood.
1. Use CDC vouchers at Mdm Ong’s alteration shop
Mdm Ong Ewe Lun, an experienced seamstress in her 60s, runs a humble tailor shop called Blue Stitches. Tucked along a row of ground-floor shops in Jurong West, the establishment offers tailoring and alteration services.
Mdm Ong’s journey began with a love for sewing, which led her to leave her job as an apprentice to start her own business.
In 2009, she opened her first shop in Holland Village.
While business was good for a while, Mdm Ong was forced to move her store to Jurong West 11 years ago due to rising rental costs.
Photo courtesy of Community Development Council
Since then, she has built a rapport with the west-side residents, who slowly but surely appreciated the quality of her workmanship.
Mdm Ong, a CDC merchant since 2021, noted that at first, many residents were unsure how to use the vouchers and some also struggled to find the vouchers on their phone.
It was then that she found joy in breaking the ice and helping her customers redeem their vouchers, noting that some had even become her friends.
Now 11 years into running Blue Stitches, Mdm Ong hopes to buy a permanent space for her business instead of renting.
While she struggles with steadily increasing rent, she has also diversified her offerings — stocking her shop with beauty products that she stands by.
Here’s how you can get to Mdm Ong’s shop:
Blue Stitches @ Jurong West
Address: Block 961, Jurong West Street 92, #01-190, Singapore 640961
Opening hours: 9.30am to 6pm (Mon – Thu), 9.30am to 5pm (Sat & Sun). Closed on Friday.
Nearest MRT station: Pioneer
2. Hougang TCM shop urges elderly customers to use CDC vouchers
Like Mdm Ong, Mr Heng Chee Kiang, owner of Teck Chua Medical Hall in Hougang, has also built stronger relationships with his customers since becoming a CDC merchant in 2022.
The traditional Chinese medicine store, open for 38 years, has primarily served the older residents in the area.
Mr Heng, 64, says many of his regulars, mostly above 50 years old, have been visiting his shop for more than two decades.
Photo courtesy of Community Development Council
As older clientele are less tech-savvy, Mr Heng has to be more mindful in guiding them on how to use the vouchers.
He also constantly reminds his customers to use their vouchers before they expire.
These interactions have only improved his relationship with his customers — some of whom continue to patronise his store even after moving to a different estate.
Mr Heng shares that though he sees less footfall compared to 10 years ago, he is grateful for even the small purchases.
Here’s how you can get to Mr Heng’s store:
Teck Chua Medical Hall @ Hougang
Address: 322 Hougang Ave 5, #01-84, Singapore 530322
Opening hours: 9am to 7pm (Mon – Fri), 9am to 2pm (Sat). Closed on Sunday.
Nearest MRT station: Hougang
3. 77-year-old Mr Law accepts vouchers at Marine Parade sundry shop
As a first-generation merchant, Mr Law Chon See has been serving the Marine Parade community for close to 40 years.
The 77-year-old relocated his shop, which sells sundries to households, from Katong Market to Marine Parade Hawker Centre in 1984.
Photo courtesy of Community Development Council
Decades in the business have taught Mr Law to be open-minded, which led to him adopting the CDC vouchers scheme, even though he experienced difficulties navigating the app at the start.
He has since noticed an uptick in sales after becoming a CDC merchant in 2023.
Mr Law presently runs the stall — which sees 40 to 50 customers a day — with his wife and brother-in-law and has no immediate plans to retire.
He hopes to continue working as long as he is healthy, adding that his children have built their own careers and will not be taking over his business.
Sundry Shop @ Marine Parade
Address: Blk 84, Marine Parade Central Market, #01-37
Opening hours: 6am to 2pm (Tuesday – Sunday). Closed on Monday.
Nearest MRT station: Marine Parade
4. Get new kicks for cheap at Toa Payoh shoe store
In Toa Payoh, 37-year-old Mr Victor Shi runs Widdy TPLS, a shoe store selling all sorts of footwear from safety shoes to office wear.
Even though the young owner took over the family business two years ago, the store has been operating for close to 20 years.
As such, Mr Shi is no stranger to the residents in the area — from the elderly in the pioneer generation, to the working adults and children looking to buy new school shoes.
“We have a lot of great memories with our customers,” said Mr Shi.
“Most of them are happy we are still around after all these years and continue to patronise us even though there are increased competition from online and shopping malls.”
Photo courtesy of Community Development Council
He recalls one regular who willingly helped to serve customers when the shop was short-handed.
“They even knew where to locate the inventory and explain the product benefits to the new customer,”added the business owner.
For Mr Shi, the CDC vouchers have been a help to his small business as it encourages people to visit neighbourhood brick-and-mortar stores.
If you’re in the area and in need of some new shoes, here’s how you can get to Widdy TPLS:
Widdy TLPS @ Toa Payoh
Address: 178 Toa Payoh Central, #01-228, Singapore 310178
Opening hours: 10am to 9pm (Mon – Sun)
Nearest MRT station: Toa Payoh
5. Use CDC vouchers at Admiralty store selling bicycles
Singaporeans who grew up in the heartlands will recall buying their first bicycle at neighbourhood stores instead of Toys”R”Us or Decathlon.
50-year-old Mr Fong Weng Men, described by some customers as a kind and fatherly figure, hopes to preserve the tradition of neighbourhood bike shops through his store, Just Bike, in Admiralty.
Photo courtesy of Community Development Council
The shop draws a wide range of customers, though it’s particularly popular among the younger crowd.
Since joining the CDC voucher scheme as a merchant, Just Bike has seen more parents buying bicycles for their children.
The vouchers have also allowed customers to maintain and upkeep their bicycles more regularly without burning a hole in their pocket.
North-siders in the market for a new bicycle can find Mr Fong’s bicycle shop here:
Just Bike @ Admiralty
Address: Woodlands Drive 71, #01-19, Singapore 730676
Opening hours: 10am to 7pm (Tue – Sun). Closed on Monday.
Nearest MRT station: Admiralty
Bonus: Halal Sembawang butcher accepts CDC vouchers
Mr Renga and Ms Sophina opened The Meatery after they noticed a gap in the meat industry in Singapore.
The husband and wife duo left their cushy office jobs in advertising and opened their Halal butcher shop in 2019.
Photo courtesy of Community Development Council
Since then, they have expanded their business to a larger unit in Upper Thomson where they offer premium Muslim-friendly meats.
For the pair, the Covid pandemic was the “most pivotal moment” — citing stiff competition from wholesalers on top of a staffing shortage.
“At one point, four members of our team were quarantined at one go,” they said.
However, their community had rallied to help them, with customers offering to pitch in and part-timers coming in “full-force”.
Photo courtesy of Community Development Council
“We’re truly grateful for the community we’ve built,” said the couple, who even had the privilege to attend a Zoom wedding for one of their customers.
With the introduction of the CDC vouchers, they’ve noticed an uptick in customers exploring different cuts of meat.
Having moved to a store space eight times larger than their first shop, the couple now have plans to cater to busy Singaporeans by expanding their ready-to-cook or ready-to-heat offerings.
Here’s how you can get to The Meatery:
The Meatery @ Upper Thomson
Address: 10 Jalan Gelenggang, Singapore 578191
Opening hours: 9.30am to 6pm (Tue – Sat), 9.30am to 4pm (Sun). Closed on Monday.
Nearest MRT station: Mayflower
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All images courtesy of Community Development Council.
