Kampong Gelam heritage businesses worry about vanishing trades as rents spike and young Singaporeans show disinterest

SINGAPORE: Heritage shops in the Kampong Gelam area have seen an impact on their trades amid an increasingly challenging business environment.

Kebaya maker Ratianah Tahir shows a student how to make the traditional wear in her shop in Kampong Gelam.The owner of Kebaya by Ratianah said she is worried that not many will turn this skill into a business, and the trade will fade away despite her best efforts. “Back in the 40s and 50s, all the ladies in Singapore donned kebayas, it didn’t matter what race they were. I think we have forgotten about the kebaya. I would like to bring back the romance of the kebaya to the new generations,” she said.

However, it will be moving out of its current location along North Bridge Road later this month, after the landlord told the restaurant in June that its rent will doubled to about S$17,000 per month. He said his century-old traditional food stall will be relocating to another space nearby with a lower rent.

“After we did a bit of revamping and started being more aggressive on social media, we do see more people coming in from other races, enjoying our food, foreigners as well. It's very nice to see the younger crowd coming into a very old establishment to enjoy real food,” he said.

Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)

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