3 days ago
Iconic Penang store closing after decades of memories
AFTER faithfully serving the community for 45 years, Swi Wuat Mini Market in Batu Lanchang, George Town in Penang, will permanently shut its doors at the end of this month.
The iconic sundry shop along Jalan Tan Sri Teh Ewe Lim, once a bustling one-stop centre for locals, is now preparing to say goodbye as its owners step into retirement.
Walking into the mini market today feels like stepping into a bygone era.
The air carries a faint scent of spices and nostalgia.
Inside, weathered aluminium cabinets and glass display shelves still hold old glass mugs, aluminium tiffin carriers, school stationery and vintage board games, many being remnants of the store's heyday.
The mini market owner Loo Teik Hoon, 68, said many of the furnishings and shelves remained unchanged since the day the shop opened in 1980.
Corner mirrors are installed to monitor the aisles, long before the era of CCTV.
'My father actually started a smaller sundry shop nearby in 1962. In 1980, we moved to this larger shop and I began managing it.
'Back then, we were considered quite a prominent mini market, especially as there were only a few larger supermarkets in town.
'We sold everything from raw ingredients to kitchen tools and even loose items like rice and coffee powder, packed in our own bags,' he said.
Over time, the shop expanded from its original layout to occupy the entire double-shoplot, with extensions added three times to make room for more stock.
'Food items were always the most popular, especially among the residents here.
'It is the kind of place where people can get almost everything under one roof,' said Teik Hoon, who has his brother Loo Keh Hoon, 56, helping him in the business.
The store is still uses old-school simple methods like corner mirrors to monitor the aisles, long before the era of closed- circuit television (CCTV).
After surviving many economic downturns, including the Covid-19 pandemic, Teik Hoon decided it was finally time to call it a day.
Teik Hoon (left) and his brother Keh Hoon, 56, having a light moment at the shop in Jalan Tan Sri Teh Ewe Lim, Penang.
'Originally, I planned to run it for a few more years but decided to bring forward retirement.
'Both my daughters are engineers and are not keen on taking over, as it is not easy running a sundry shop every day from morning till night,' he said.
Teik Hoon said his decision to close shop was further motivated by new business requirements, such as the government's e-invoicing system that would involve complicated software and additional work.
'We have served the community through thick and thin.
'But now, it is time for us to spend our remaining days in peace and reflection,' he said.
A notice, hand-written with a marker pen, now greets customers at the shopfront.
'To all customers, we are ceasing operation on July 31.
'We sincerely appreciate and thank you for your support throughout our years of service,' it said.
As word of the closure spreads, many customers who have frequented the shop since childhood trickled in for their last visit.
Former clerk Lim Siew Lian, 54, described the mini market as a neighbourhood anchor shop that was always open and dependable.
'I remember coming here in my school uniform, holding a few coins in my pocket.
'The owner would always smile and let us take an extra sweet even if we didn't have enough money.
'During Chinese New Year, I could get everything from dried mushrooms to red paper decorations without needing to go all the way to town,' she said.
Lim said it was the warmth and familiarity that made the shop special.
'It wasn't just about buying things as we would chat, exchange stories, sometimes even gossip a little. Nowadays, in hypermarkets, no one even looks at you,' she added.
For lorry driver Rahim Abdullah, 54, Swi Wuat holds decades of memories.
'I used to run errands here after school, buying eggs, sugar or flour for my mother.
'It is more than just a shop, it's a time capsule of community life in this neighbourhood.
'I really hope someone sees the value and continues this legacy,' he said.
