Navya Prasad
17 Nov 2022
“Taking over my father’s shop has been the best decision I ever made.”
Mr Vivek Raja, owner of ARV Stores, sits down with NAVYA PRASAD to discuss his past and motivations for running his shop.
Despite facing the harsh realities of managing his stores at times, Vivek maintains a smile on his face as he is hopeful for the future. (Photo credit: NAVYA PRASAD)
As the rest of Singapore is still warmly tucked under their blankets in the comfort of their own homes, Mr Vivek Raja, 26, can be found up bright and early at 4:30 am, piercing the tranquillity of the morning with the ‘clickity-clack’ of metal shutters that signals the opening of his own mama shop, ARV Stores.
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As larger convenience stores such as FairPrice and Sheng Siong take the stage, many smaller mama shops, such as Mr Raja’s, have been overshadowed and forgotten by the Singaporeans of today. With the deals, discounts and renown of these large stores, these supermarkets look much more appealing to many Singaporeans out there.
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In the face of these supermarket titans, many other mama store owners would have succumbed to adversity and shut down before their losses could accumulate. But not Mr Raja. His connection to ARV Stores run deeper than the blood in his veins, and he’s determined to not let the fate of other stores befall his.
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“We want to keep it (ARV Stores). This is more than a business for me, for everyone here,” said Mr Raja.
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Set up by Mr Raja’s father and uncle in the 1960s, before Singapore even gained its own independence, ARV Stores has been around for a long time. Over the years, they’ve gained many loyal customers who still patronise their shop to this day, but most of their customers have been lured away by the promise of novelty and freshness of larger supermarkets.
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“It was not as competitive back then as it is now. No provision shops, only 4 to 5 stores,” Mr Raja continued, “There was no market leader back then, but markets like Giant and FairPrice came, so it was difficult to compete.”
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But despite the fact that the ARV Stores of today is merely a shadow of its past, Mr Raja has still chosen to succeed his father as the owner of this store.
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Like the traditional Mama Shops, ARV Stores have retained this traditional look in order to preserve the history. (Photo credit: NAVYA PRASAD)
Hailing from India, Mr Raja never grew up in Singapore, despite his seemingly unbreakable bond with his store, one of the few remnants of Singapore’s past culture.
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Instead, he was only able to visit the store a few times a year during his school holidays.
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“It was then that I (realised) I wanted to have a shop, like my father, and expand all around Singapore,” said Mr Raja.
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And so, Mr Raja studied. He studied as hard as he could, taking a course on Business and even getting a master’s degree in Marketing and Innovation, all so that he could safely take over his father’s business.
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In the end, Mr Raja managed to take over the store, even inspiring one of his childhood friends, Mr Kumaran, 30, who did not give his last name, to join him in Singapore to take care of the business.
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“In office jobs, there wasn’t (much) communication (with each other), so (for me) it was boring. (However), over here, you communicate with each other every day. I still (use) my accounting (skills) in this shop. I’m happy here, it’s like family,” said Mr Kumaran.
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Since Mr Raja took over, he’s worked hard to try and establish a foothold in Singapore’s market. As he continues moving forward, he keeps getting busier and busier, facing more challenges along the way, but he hasn’t slowed down or looked back yet.
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Over time, he’s made friends, met many new people and learned many new things. But most importantly, he’s turned the people around him, his co-workers, his customers and even the store itself, into part of his family.
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“Taking over my father’s shop is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. Although it might not be giving a lot of profit, it has helped us out at times. We believe this is going to last long, that this is more than just a business. It’s family, and when you have family, you don’t want to leave.”
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