TPY 177 Furniture, a furniture store that has become a landmark in Toa Payoh central, will be closing down after 40 years in business.

Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, the store owners, 73-year-old Zhuang Miaozhu and 77-year-old Lin Hechang (both transliteration), shared that they made the difficult decision due to their age.

Additionally, "the difficulty in finding good employees" and the "many rules and regulations" surrounding running a business also contributed to their decision to retire, said the elderly couple.

Became furniture retailer in 1984

According to Zaobao, Lin began working at a mattress company when he was 16 years old.

At the encouragement of his wife, he started his own business in 1973, wholesaling sofa covers.

Some 11 years later, in 1984, the couple ventured into the furniture retail business by renting a space at Block 184 Toa Payoh Central.

Zhuang shared that as an MRT line was being constructed at Toa Payoh Central at the time, business at their shop was "very bad because it was blocked".

"We only managed to survive by relying on our wholesale business of sofa covers. It was not until the Toa Payoh station opened in 1987 that footfall became normal," recounted Zhuang.

Overcame challenges, connected with customers

When the couple's current unit at Block 177 Toa Payoh Central went on sale in 1990, they bought it to expand their business, reported Zaobao.

After the couple realised that the customer base for their store at Block 184 was the same as that of Block 177, they terminated their rental lease at the former Housing and Development Board (HDB) block.

Over the years, the furniture store overcame numerous challenges, such as the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak in 2003, the financial crisis in 2008, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the store's peak in around 2000, there were customers placing orders as late as 10pm, and store staff could only finish delivering orders after midnight.

"Over the years of running our business at Toa Payoh, we became friends with many customers. Many younger customers who grew up here also told me their parents had asked them to buy furniture from us when they move to their new home after marriage," shared Zhuang.

Opened store almost all year round for 40 years

This strong connection Lin and Zhuang shared with their customers was what motivated the couple to continue running their business, even though their offspring already repeatedly asked them to retire and enjoy their silver years, reported Zaobao.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, however, the couple began to consider retirement more seriously as online shopping was growing exponentially, and the couple were not familiar with technological tools.

According to Lin, he and his wife opened the store for business almost every day over the last 40 years and closed it for only four days during Chinese New Year each year.

"We knew how difficult it was to be in the furniture retail business. That's why we discouraged our offspring from taking over the store and hoped they could find a job they like, even when they told us they are willing to take over," shared Lin.

Rented out store while searching for buyer

The couple have currently listed their store, which comes in a two-storey shophouse, for sale, according to Zaobao.

The going price is S$5.88 million.

As to why they did not keep the shophouse and collect rent, the couple said they wanted to let go of the business completely so that they can retire meaningfully.

While searching for a buyer, Zhuang and Lin have rented out the store on the first floor to a friend in the furniture retail business.

Zhuang added that they could not rent the store out without care because they need to help customers ensure the goods sold by the tenant are reliable and reasonably priced.

"Our motto is while we strive to earn money while doing business, we must ensure it is earned reasonably. We have shared our experience on how to survive in Toa Payoh with the tenant," said Zhuang.

No regrets

Regarding their retirement plans, Zhuang told Zaobao they might travel overseas and work as volunteers.

However, the most important to-do item was to spend time with their family:

"We were preoccupied with running our business when we were younger and missed out on many important events of our offspring. This is a very big regret for us. If we were to go back in time, I would choose to become a regular housewife."

Similarly, Lin also shared that he would become a regular salaryman if he could choose again.

However, the couple shared that they do not regret starting their own business and are proud of how far TPY 177 Furniture had come and its good reputation.

Top image via Lianhe Zaobao