Old school Holland Village party shop Khiam Teck to close end June: ‘No more business for this kind of shop’

But the boom of e-commerce, particularly post-COVID, has resulted in a “very quiet” store within the last two years. Weekends are especially empty, Mdm Ang shared in Mandarin, although she doesn’t quite know “where customers disappeared to”. 

“Last time, customers will bring their children here. Now I don’t see children coming to buy toys or items for their birthdays,” she said. 

“We’ve been here for so many decades. So if customers come nowadays… they tend to come here via recommendation from friends, like someone even came from Tampines. I’m very grateful that some longtime customers remembered our store.”

Having run the family business for over 30 years herself, Mdm Ang said she has seen customers grow up. Some used to patronise the shop with their children – who now have children of their own. Others have moved to another end of the island, such as Woodlands, but still make the occasional trip back to Khiam Teck. 

The 66-year-old is considering moving the remaining stock to her home in Lakeside, after the store closes. Customers who require pinatas and the like may put in requests with the shop, which she hopes to continue fulfilling.

Many customers tell her they miss “old school toys”, like five stones, she reminisced. “They tell me, ‘Aunty, I’ve been looking everywhere but I can’t find.'” 

Her older brother, Mr Ang, added that “young children don’t play these kind of toys already; they play computer and handphone”.