Old Supermarkets in Singapore … Snapshots of a Few Familiar Favourites
From well loved big names to small artisan shops specialising in organic food, Singaporeans today are spoilt for choice when it comes to supermarkets. In the first of a two-part feature, Senior Librarian Barbara Quek explores a selection of well known supermarket names from the past, some of which still exist today.
Supermarkets operate on famously thin margins, which is why even though they provide an essential service, many have come and gone. Some of the big names that have survived the test of time in Singapore are Cold Storage, FairPrice and Sheng Siong. However, in the past, there were many others that had faithfully served the residents in Singapore. Some familiar names that have left the scene include Fitzpatrick’s, Yaohan, Tay Buan Guan, Carrefour, Silo-PIEU and more.
Cold Storage
Established in 1903 when they pioneered the storage and distribution of the first consignment of frozen meat and dairy products from Australia, the Cold Storage Company is the earliest supermarket in Singapore. It opened its first retail shop in 1905 at the corner of Cuppage and Orchard Road. In 1919, Cold Storage Company purchased the entire premises on which it built a two-storey building¹ (now Peranakan Place, Orchard), before moving to Centrepoint Shopping Mall in 1983 (renamed The Centrepoint in 2006).²
Those with fond memories of the old Cold Storage at Centrepoint Shopping Mall may also recall that Glutton Square was located across the street. It was a popular street dining venue – an open-air carpark – in the 1970s. Singaporeans and tourists alike missed this outdoor food haven after it closed in 1978.³
Cold Storage eventually moved out of The Centrepoint and in its place now is another supermarket, FairPrice Finest.
In 1992, Dairy Farm International Holdings (DFI), a part of Hong Kong’s Jardine Matheson conglomerate, purchased Cold Storage Holdings retail operations for $130 million. The Cold Storage name was retained as it was well loved in Singapore. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003 with a commemorative book.⁴ The DFI Retail Group (rebranded Dairy Farm Group) later invested $40 million in a rebranding exercise to revamp all the Cold Storage stores by the end of 2022, taking on the name of CS Fresh.⁵
Fitzpatrick’s
Fitzpatrick’s was another well known name, though it is no longer around. Established in 1947, it set up its iconic store in Orchard Road in 1958 on the site of the current Paragon.⁶ An upmarket supermarket, it was closed on 31 December 1980 to make way for The Promenade, a 10-storey shopping and office building which opened in 1984. Fitzpatrick’s raised $55 million to build this complex, and its re-opening after a 40-month absence was a grand homecoming.
The re-opened Fitzpatrick’s faced tough competition from old rivals – Cold Storage at Centrepoint Shopping Mall, Yaohan at Plaza Singapura and Jasons at Orchard Towers – all of whom had benefitted from the long closure of Fitzpatrick’s Orchard store.
Named Fitzpatrick’s Orchard, the flagship store of the supermarket chain at the basement of The Promenade, carried about 7,000 lines of food items and sundries aimed at the affluent clientele in the Orchard Road and surrounding areas. It was the ninth in the Fitzpatrick’s chain with the largest range of goods among all its stores and the first supermarket in Singapore to offer live lobsters for sale.⁷ Many of us may also have fond memories of the delicious chocolate soufflé from Temptations (a bakery) at The Promenade. Sadly, in 1985, the building was up for sale after incurring undisclosed losses although its turnover was close to $200 million.⁸ Its Hong Kong owner, Dairy Farm International, sold the supermarket chain to Cold Storage Holdings.
In a move touted by the newspapers as coming full circle seven years later in 1992, Dairy Farm bought up Cold Storage retail outlets and announced the return of Fitzpatrick’s which it had bought over in 1985.⁹ The trading name of the newly-acquired takeover changed to Cold Storage, as Dairy Farm would not sell the long established Fitzpatrick’s name.¹⁰ The buy-out saw Cold Storage emerging as one of the strongest retailers in Singapore.¹¹
As early as 1958, Fitzpatrick’s started a community service by way of a notice board at its outlet in Orchard Road. Named “Talk of the Town”, these are essentially forums where individuals could advertise their goods and services. With no social media or mobile phones back then, people with goods or services to sell advertise them on strips of paper with telephone (or pager) numbers for interested individuals to tear off and contact the seller.
This way of direct, no-charge advertising was popular even through to the 1980s. From music and tuition classes to garage sales, from bird cages for sale to even amahs (domestic helpers) for hire, notice boards at supermarkets were a cheap and convenient way to advertise goods and services.¹²
Fitzpatrick’s also had a three-day strike over a wage dispute which ended on 18 December 1965, just seven days to Christmas. Shoppers were relieved when about 200 workers called off the strike after reaching a settlement at the Labour Ministry.¹³
This is the first of a two-part feature on Supermarkets in Singapore. Join us for the next instalment by following our page!
Barbara Quek is a Senior Librarian with the National Library, Singapore. She is part of the team that oversees the statutory functions of the National Library Board in the compliance of Legal Deposit in Singapore. Her work involves developing the National Library’s collections through gifts and exchange as well as providing content and reference services.
[1] Goh Chor Boon, Serving Singapore: A Hundred Years of Cold Storage, 1903–2003, (Singapore: Cold Storage, 2003), 34. (Call no. RSING 381.148095957 GOH)
[2] “Time Stands Still at Singapore’s Veteran Shopping Malls,” 13 June 2012 from Remember Singapore website
[3] National Heritage Board, Orchard Heritage Trail: A Companion Guide (Singapore: National Heritage Board, 2018), 67.
[4] “Supermarket Milestones,” Straits Times, 11 March 2003, L5; Marjorie Doggett, Characters of Light (Singapore: Times Book International, 1985), 69. (Call no. RSING 722.4095957 DOG); Goh Chor Boon, Serving Singapore: A Hundred Years of Cold Storage, 1903–2003 (Singapore: Cold Storage, 2003), 13, 131. (Call no. RSING 381.148095957 GOH); Eddie Toh, “Fitzpatrick’s Holdings to buy Cold Storage outlets for $130m,” Straits Times, 25 October 1992, 1.
[5] Jessie Lim, “Cold Storage opens flagship outlet at Paragon as part of $40 million revamp”, Straits Times Online, 25 August 2021. (From NewspaperSG)
[6] Chuang Peck Ming, “Fitzpatrick’s – Tiny Office to Major Retailing Chain,“ Business Times, 26 June 1985, 3; A Brief History, Business Times, 26 June 1985, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
[7] Tong Yoke Tho, “Fitzpatrick’s Orchard opens again after 40 months,” Straits Times, 26 April 1984, 21; “A Brief History,” Business Times, 26 June 1985, 3; Monica Gwee, “Fitzpatrick’s Glad to be Back Home in Orchard Road,” Business Times, 27 April 1984, 2. (From NewspaperSG)
[8] “A Brief History,” Business Times, 26 June 1985, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
[9] Angeline Tan, “Time Running Out for Fitzpatrick’s,” Straits Times, 7 August 1985, 17; Doreen Siow, “Fitzpatrick’s Comes Full Circle”, Straits Times, 29 November 1992, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
[10] S. Kumar, “Cold Storage to Take over Fitzpatrick’s operations,” Straits Times, 27 June 1985, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
[11] Doreen Siow, “Fitzpatrick’s Comes Full Circle,” Straits Times, 29 November 1992, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
[12] Carolyn Lee, “Notice Boards at Supermarts Becoming More Popular,” Singapore Monitor, 25 May 1985, 6. (From NewspaperSG)
[13] “Shoppers Cheer as Supermarket Strike Ends,” Straits Times, 13 December 2015, 9. (From NewspaperSG)
