The Covid-19 pandemic has affected every business in Singapore, and minimarts are no exception.

While the initial panic buying contributed to a spike in sales, retailers had to grapple with a shortage of supplies, more stringent social distancing rules and of course health concerns.

A year on, life in the marts has pretty much gone back to pre-Covid levels. But the past 12 months have shown many operators here that they are not simply running a business.

They are key nodes in their communities, offering support, providing connections and being unofficial front-liners to alert the authorities to any individuals and households in need of help.

During the circuit breaker period, for instance, customers who bought flour from the minimarts returned with their confectionery creations, happily sharing their delicious tarts and cakes.

Through these small acts of kindness, patrons wanted to show their appreciation for retailers who provided essential services during a trying period for everyone.

It was their way to say thank you. The warmth of Singaporeans was evident and heartening on the ground.

At a time when the Government was urging all of us to stay at home and avoid unnecessary commuting, the convenience of minimarts  — often just a few hundred metres away from homes in the heartlands  — became amplified.

Minimarts had played, and are still playing, a major role in providing daily essentials and helping to reduce large-scale mingling across communities.

During a pandemic, the marts provide a safe and cosy node for residents. 

It is thus reassuring to read of a project by the Housing and Development Board to study how to rejuvenate heartland shops and examine the value they bring to local communities.

According to media reports, the proposals could look at how to improve these retailers in terms of their operating costs, their accessibility to e-commerce and their staff members’ skills upgrading.

The study will also look at the impact Covid-19 has had on heartland shops and find ways to help them survive and even thrive amid changing consumer patterns and habits.

Such a study is timely after an unprecedented pandemic year.

Minimarts, for example, are adjusting to the new normal of Covid-19 through enhanced digitalisation.

While moves have already been taken in recent years to take business and processes online, the pandemic made it abundantly clear it was no longer an option. It must be done.

For example, the New Econ Minimarts have partnered the likes of Grab and Food Panda for groceries to be delivered.

Now, customers can select what they want online, and the minimarts nearby pack and pass the groceries to courier partners to be delivered. The entire process can take only an hour.

Who said heartland shops cannot innovate?

Similarly, when new safe distancing rules were issued, minimarts had moved quickly to ensure compliance.

Such vigilance not only provided assurance to staff, but also signalled to customers that their well-being was being taken care of.

Greater support from the Government to help minimarts upgrade and update would further accelerate and cement these efforts. It can take the form of the study mentioned or dialogues with the stakeholders.

Minimarts would also appreciate greater understanding from the authorities that regulatory restrictions, from safe distancing to alcohol and tobacco controls, are often challenging for manpower-starved micro-retailers. 

Closer exchanges between retailers and the authorities would allow shopkeepers to share their concerns and stress points, allowing the heartland shops to play the role of community touchpoints and foster friendships in the neighbourhoods.

At a time when many are still working from home, these connections take on greater importance.

It can help ensure that executives at home are not isolated and disconnected. Or worse still, suffering from domestic abuse or mental health challenges.

The intimacy of heartland shops provides a useful check against much of these Covid-influenced social issues. 

After all, there is a good chance that the minimart you visit knows your parents, your friends and certainly your neighbours too. 

A reminder or an alert from the retailer to the right party — if, for example, a regular customer has not appeared after days  — could make a critical difference.

Or at the very least, the minimart would know what to stock to help those who work from home relax after a long day of online meetings.

This has been a bestseller in recent months: Korean soju mixed with Yakult. Cheers!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kelvin Tan Qungen is a specialist adult educator, retail consultant and director at New Econ Holdings, a group of 19 minimarts in Singapore.