Tan Sheau Jing Turns Childhood Memories Into an Ang Mo Kio Mini Mart

At 33, Tan Sheau Jing has swapped her earlier work in travel customer service, e-commerce and food businesses for a neighbourhood shop filled with reminders of growing up. Her Huat Huat Mini Mart, tucked beneath a block in Ang Mo Kio, opened with more than 2,000 products, including retro snacks and toys that reflect memories she holds close. Tan, who goes by SJ, told the publication that the shop has a personal meaning. As a child, she liked pretending to be a cashier, and the sound of a cash register opening felt like part of a childhood dream. She now runs the store herself, though its modern touchscreen checkout is a far cry from the mechanical register she once imagined. Getting the doors open took a family effort. Tan said relatives contributed time and labour, and it took roughly one to two months to get everything ready. The store had been operating for just over a month when the reporter visited, yet the early-morning routine already looked well practised: shutters up, lights on, fridges unlocked and racks moved outside. Behind the nostalgic displays is a substantial amount of day-to-day work. Huat Huat carries more than 2,000 distinct items from nearly 60 suppliers, and Tan said she has to keep track of expiry dates while sourcing products at prices that suit local customers. She also described managing suppliers as part of the job, including dealing with deliveries that do not always arrive as expected. Tan’s earlier experience running a food-and-beverage business did not make the shift to a mini mart straightforward. She told the publication that the many small, necessary tasks and the challenge of finding suitable suppliers are among the more demanding parts of the venture. For now, the shop combines those practical responsibilities with a deeply personal idea: making a living from the kind of store she once imagined during childhood.