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The Chinese saying “麻雀虽小，五脏俱全” (literal translation: the sparrow, though small, has all its vital organs intact) aptly applies here and it is not hard to see why. Provision shops occupy only a small space but are where you can find practically everything — sweets, newspapers, cigarettes, medicated oil, and so on. Some even sell perishables like eggs and potatoes! Today, most of them have already relocated to the void decks of HDB flats (public housing) and are not air-conditioned.

In the past, they were where residents would get their mail or make phone calls as only they had official addresses and telephone numbers. Discounts were given to repeat customers and provision shops were where you could haggle over the price.

Like rojak, there is the Chinese provision shop and the Indian provision shop — better known as the mama shop. Why the term mama? It actually means uncle (an older man) in Tamil and the Indian provision shops are typically manned by local Indian men. The earliest mama shops were operated by Indian immigrants back in the early 20th century and the shops were along Serangoon Road. Today, although most have relocated to void decks, you can still locate a few in Little India.

The Chinese provision shops are similar to the mama shops but they usually sell just Chinese and English publications. Another difference is that they have tins of biscuits which are sold by the weight. Just tell the auntie or uncle how much you want (either by weight or by monetary value) and they will grab a handful, place them on the weighing scale and adjust accordingly.

Many of us Singaporeans grew up with them. Whenever we had enough fun at the playground, we would rush to the nearest provision shop to quench our thirst. The affable auntie and uncle sitting inside, listening to Rediffusion, would amble over and ask how our day had been or even how our families were doing. Such was the warmth and personalized service you would experience at the shops. It was heartening to know that the shopkeepers could recognise you by face.

However, it is hard for provision shops to survive in this competitive landscape. With the rapid growth of supermarkets as well as the additional competition brought on by wet markets and mini-marts, the old humble provision shop has been overtaken in popularity. Singaporeans, in general, prefer to shop in comfortable, air-conditioned places and they appreciate being able to choose from a greater variety of brands, which the humble provision shops can’t offer.

I become more aware that they will soon fade away. Well, at least, it is comforting to know that there exists a body which represents the interests of local provision shops — the Singapore Provision Shop Friendly Association.

Why not grab something there for a change and strike a friendly conversation with the storekeepers next time?