Can 'hipster' hawker centres work?
18 Sep 2017
The Straits Times, 17 Sept 2017 - Article highlighted that NTUC Foodfare will be opening the Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre in November in a bid to attract more young hawkers and customers. This hawker centre will combine traditional and modern cuisine, by filling its first floor with traditional hawker stalls while setting up a "hipster" area on the second floor for young hawkers to ply their trade. There are other modern hawker centres such as Timbre+ in Ayer Rajah Crescent and Bedok Marketplace near Simpang Bedok, both of which have mostly “hipster" stalls. SP’s Business School Senior Lecturer and Section Head of Marketing and Retail Amos Tan opined that consumer patterns need to be understood as it is not just about offering cafe food in a hawker setting. Ms Esther Ho, deputy director at NYP’s School of Business Management shared that a hawker centre must be a place that is relaxing and that young people feel compelled to go to.