- General provision stores traditionally run by Indians were found widely in housing estates in 1980s and ’90s before new supermarkets led to decline
- ARV Stores – established in 1950s – has stayed open during Covid-19 outbreak and family-run business remains upbeat about the future
Every day at about 4.30am, A.R.V. Vivekraja, known simply as Vivek, rushes to open his family-run provision shop – affectionately referred to as a “mama shop” by Singaporeans – in Changi Road, on the eastern part of the island city state.
With the help of two of his staff, Vivek, 24, must prepare for the delivery of spice powders and other food produce, such as onions and potatoes, ordered by restaurants, which have to be loaded onto trucks by 5.30am, before getting the store ready for walk-in customers.
This has been Vivek’s daily routine for the past five years, since taking over the management of ARV Stores from his 81-year-old father, after graduating with a master’s degree in marketing and innovation in the United Kingdom.
“Although my father will support me if I pursue other career paths, I personally wanted to take over the store and continue this family business,” Vivek says.