Kovan Aquarium Shop Owner Struggles With Learning Social Media, Can’t Retire Due To Poor Finances

Kovan Aquarium Shop Owner Opens Up About Struggles

Over the last few days, an aquarium shop in Kovan drew much attention its struggles went viral online.

A Facebook user shared the challenges faced by the shop’s owner, Uncle Wong, and helped give the business a much-needed boost.

Uncle Wong and his wife are older, so they do not know how to use social media to market the shop. Their business was struggling to make ends meet until they went viral.

Following that, our colleagues at TheSmartLocal went down to Uncle Wong’s shop to learn more about his situation.

Kovan aquarium shop has been around for 50 years

Uncle Wong, 72, runs Wong’s Fancy Fish on the second story of Kovan 209 Market and Food Centre. Sometimes, his wife would help him at the shop when she was not working elsewhere.

As the pair do not have children, Uncle Wong is still the pair’s main source of income.

Uncle Wong said the business has been around for the past 50 years, with 40 years at its current location.

However, Uncle Wong’s business has not been the best for the past six months. The nearby carpark was shut down to make way for new flats, so the footfall of the place has dropped. Recent recessions do not help either.

Shop owner makes about S$1,000 less than he used to, barely enough to get by

The only customers he gets now are regulars and repeat customers instead of new ones. As the Facebook post went viral only a few days before, Uncle Wong has yet to see an uptick in customers.

That is the most challenging part about the last few months, “No customers, no income, how to survive?”

He shared that they only make about S$2,000 to S$3,000. It is enough to get by after paying the rent and utilities.

Previously, he used to earn at least S$1,000 more than he does now.

At his advanced age, he does not know how to use social media to market his business. He feels there is no point as he thinks he does not have many years left ahead.

However, he admits he feels stuck as he does not know how to spread the word about his shop.

Although he wishes to retire and possibly travel to Taiwan or Japan with his wife, he thinks that his finances are not sound enough to do so.

At least his wife understands the challenges Uncle Wong and his business face and is willing to go through it with him.

Uncle Wong remains realistic, but still hopeful for the future

During this difficult period, Uncle Wong seems to take a realistic approach to things — put his head down and work. His only goal is to be able to pay for his expenses, nothing more, nothing less.

“It’s just a job,” he shrugged.

Speaking on his affinity with fishes, he said that he does not particularly love them, but he cannot hate them either.

“They make me a living and keep me alive. How can I hate them?”

That said, not all is doom and gloom for Uncle Wong. His ray of hope comes when a young patron visits his shop.

“Whenever I get a young customer who is just starting their own aquariums, I feel hopeful for the future,” he quipped.

If you would like to support Uncle Wong and check out the varieties of fish he carries, head on down to:

Wong’s Fancy Fish

Address: Level 2, 209 Hougang St 21, Singapore 530209
Opening hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 7am to 2pm
Nearest MRT station: Kovan

Hopefully, things get better for Uncle Wong and his shop soon.

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Featured image adapted from TheSmartLocal.