Support from the National Heritage Board's Heritage Business Scheme has provided traditional enterprises with marketing aid, consultancy, and greater visibility. Century-old tea merchant Pek Sin Choon saw customer footfall rise by roughly 20 per cent after introducing modern products, while traditional Malay restaurant Rumah Makan Minang generated sales increases between 5 and 7 per cent. Nevertheless, participating firms struggle to safeguard core craft traditions as their specialized talent pools shrink. Indian fashion retailer Stylemart reported that its available pool of skilled overseas artisans fell by roughly 50 per cent following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key points
Government heritage initiatives are successfully modernising traditional brands to draw i…: Government heritage initiatives are successfully modernising traditional brands to draw in younger consumer demographics.
Generational businesses continue to face critical long-term risks surrounding succession…: Generational businesses continue to face critical long-term risks surrounding succession planning and the loss of specialized artisan skills.
The National Heritage Board is planning to offer more tailored assistance to help heritag…: The National Heritage Board is planning to offer more tailored assistance to help heritage operators navigate modernization while retaining aging staff.
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The National Heritage Board says it is looking to offer more tailored support as businesses deal with challenges such as attracting new customers and preserving traditional skills.
SINGAPORE: From traditional hot brews to carbonated tea and even gelato, century-old Chinese tea merchant Pek Sin Choon is exploring new ways to introduce its tea blends to younger customers.
Beyond experimenting with new products, the business is also drawing fresh interest, with customers discovering it through social media and artificial intelligence platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini.
The company has seen footfall increase by around 20 per cent since it was recognised under the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) Heritage Business Scheme in October 2025.
Under the scheme, Pek Sin Choon has received social media marketing support and signed up for consultancy services to help showcase its heritage and reach new audiences.
“Beyond the footfall and all the sales, I think the key thing is that we are able to do a little bit more for the community, and this part of the Singapore story can be better shared not only to the…
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