E-Ran Stationary
Rows of pens, files and office supplies in every colour imaginable line the small, almost cramped interiors of E-Ran Stationary. Manning the cash register, Mdm Betty Chong clearly knows her shop well, quickly rattling off the number of product suggestions and their prices for a customer who simply asked for ‘the best value for money USB drive you sell’ - all without having to check her inventory or glance at the pricelist.
Young children choosing stationery before heading off to tuition classes.
“It’s like family, like a kampung - but in the mall, you’ve been here for so long, everyone becomes family”
Having run the store for almost 20 years, Mdm Chong can attest to the enduring spirit of family and community shared by the tenants and loyal patrons of Coronation Plaza, even the expatriates, who drop by for a quick visit whenever they return to Singapore on holiday.
When asked about her clientele, Mdm Chong’s face brightens, talking about the generations of students from nearby schools who frequent her shop to purchase school supplies, and the even younger crowd who come for the jars of brightly-coloured paint and DIY art supplies. Students from years past, all grown-up and married, return on occasion just for a quick word, and maintain a regular correspondence with her. Just as she mentions this, a young pair of siblings enter the shop and start stacking jars of paint on the counter for purchase as their mother looks on. As she talks to her young customers, Mdm Chong shifts smoothly from role of interviewee to confident store-owner, deftly bagging the items and processing the payment - all while chatting away cheerfully them. As they leave with an enthusiastic ‘Thank you, bye bye!’, Mdm Chong replies in turn, content in knowing the joy she brings to her customers from her humble stationary shop.