THE CONVENIENCE stalls that were found along five-foot ways and under staircases of shop houses are a dying breed. Fondly called Mama stalls, they are run by Indian "uncles" who managed to make a living selling everything from condoms to toy xylophones. They are sure to have the daily newspapers and magazines, and used to sell single sticks of cigarettes to those who can’t afford to buy a pack of 20s until this was outlawed by the authorities. They continued selling single bananas at 10 cents apiece that one can select from the bunch.

       Like the panda, they are an endangered species. Many have found it hard to make a profit after paying for the expensive rents in the Housing Board heartland shops. Others find that they cannot compete with the giant chain stores and the 24-hour convenience stores such as Cheers and 7-Eleven.

       While the Indian uncles make it a point to know all the customers, they do not have the economies of scale of NTUC Fairprice, Carrefour, Giant or Sheng Siong. The Mom and Pop shops are facing the same plight as the Mama stores. At the neighbourhood shopping centres, I’ve observed that they have been displaced by the Giordanos, Citychains, Guardians, and Watsons, for example.

       Such displacements of the Mom and Pop shops are happening in many developing and developed countries. In the smaller towns of Thailand, the authorities are trying to stop the foreign supermarkets from taking root. A foreigner living in one such town says: "It’s apparent that a lot of people don’t think very highly of Mom and Pop shops. They don’t post prices, carry outdated merchandise, are poorly lit, have crowded aisles, and overcharge. Rather than crying foul, the Mom and Pop shops should band together and improve their services."

       Tesco Lotus has been trying to open a store in Loei, Thailand, for over a year. They have encountered all sorts of obstacles from City Hall to the local small merchants. Although they have secured the building, they may never open. The nearest super store is 150 km away in Udon Thani province.

       So in many countries, the battle between the giants (no pun intended) and the small retailers go on. The small retailers will have to give way to the Giants and Fairprices simply because they don’t have discount coupons and special sales to draw the crowds. As the elderly owners retire, their children do not want to take over the store that cannot prolong its existence with the march of times.

       Let’s prepare an obituary for the passing of the Mom and Pop stores. May they rest in peace.—R Tan Chee Teik, Editor