Same Old Work
Just beside an alleyway on King George's Avenue sits Bee Hong Fruit Trading.
The owner of the store is Mr Tan Peng Lam, aged 58. Mr Tan originally took care of fish and sold them as his job.
Unfortunately, the government took control of the land where he had his business. As he was uneducated, Mr Tan turned to the only other thing he knew, fruits. He hired his friends and together they established Bee Hong Fruit Trading in 1995.
From 6am in the morning, Mr Tan and his employees prepare and sell fruits while also interacting with their customers for the entire day, only closing at 8pm, way past the normal working hours of a typical Singaporean.
Unlike most fruit stalls in Singapore, Bee Hong Fruit Trading also sells soft drinks, canned drinks and fruit juice. You would not expect fruit stalls to be selling drinks but Bee Hong Fruit Trading does.
Business has not been the best for the fruit stall these past three months. At this moment in time Mr Tan and his employees are still able to amass enough money to support themselves financially. However, with the advent of supermarkets and the ease and convienence they bring in buying fruits, Bee Hong Fruit Tradings' loyal customers can only help so much and I expect their business to dwindle even further.
As each day passes, Mr Tan and his employees work long and hard to make sure they will be able to support themselves financially through their jobs. How much longer will the fruit stall last? Nobody knows. The future of the fruit stall is uncertain but I am confident that Mr Tan and his employees will make the most of it while it lasts.
