Tanglin Halt Sers: Beauty salon lost $2,500 a month for 3 years but boss kept business running for employees' sake

When her business was badly hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, the boss of a beauty salon located at Tanglin Halt never thought about closing it down.

The woman running Alice's Hair & Beauty Shop, surnamed Chen, estimates that she has been losing about $2,500 a month in the past three years.

What has kept her going, however, is her concern for her employees' livelihoods.

"One of our beauticians is in a difficult situation as she has to raise a son with special needs. We also have part-time foreign employees, what will happen to them if the business closes?" Chen explained.

Chen, who's in her 70s, told the Chinese evening daily that she has been operating the salon within the Tanglin Halt estate for 62 years and has worked there since the age of 15.

She shared how business used to be thriving, adding: "My children grew up here and the shop was full every day."

Faced with rising costs, Chen and her husband have had little choice but to dig into their allowance given by their children in order to sustain the business.

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But the future of the beauty salon is up in the air, as Chen and other remaining tenants prepare to hand over their units to the Housing Development Board (HDB).

A total of 31 blocks in the neighbourhood have been slated to be torn down under the Housing Board's Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) — a plan which was announced back in 2014.

Demolition works began at the end of 2021, with all tenants expected to vacate the units by the end of March 2024.

According to Shin Min, a notification HDB sent out to remaining tenants in June stated that blocks 47 to 49 within the estate, as well as the market and hawker centre at block 48A, have been earmarked for phase two of the redevelopment. They will only be torn down after construction of a neighbourhood town centre is completed. As such, tenants have the option to renew their leases till March 2027.

A Shin Min reporter who visited the neighbourhood on Monday (July 3) found several businesses in operation among the three rows of shops still standing.

Besides Chen, another second-generation owner of a Traditional Chinese Medicine business shared that she'd signed a lease for a store at Block 38, Margaret Drive and had planned to move out next week.

"I am still considering whether or not to renew the existing lease and operate two stores at the same time," she said, expressing worry over the lack of customers at the existing location.

Chen told the Chinese evening daily that she is considering extending the shop's lease as well. But with business continuing to dwindle and as she and her husband advance in age, Chen shared that they can only take things one step at a time.

"All the other shops have moved and we are the only three left here. I feel lonely. The owner of the shop next door said he is considering renewing the lease. I might also consider renewing it for another year," said Chen.

candicecai@asiaone.com