Beach road army market might be shut down at the end of 2015

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BEACH ROAD ARMY MARKET MIGHT BE SHUT DOWN AT THE END OF 2015

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8 Nov 2014 - 9:46am









By Johnny Chen
“First to Beach Road then to army,” – this was common knowledge for enlistees awaiting National Service in Singapore. The Beach Road Army Market was a pivotal first stop for many. As a budding enlistee, I too reported at the Army Market in the radius of an eagle-eyed shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper’s decades of experience shone through. She recommended other essentials for my Basic Military Training – black tape, duct tape, extra admin attire, Snake brand powder and etc. True enough, they came in handy like she said they would.

Beach Road Army Market is the go-to place in Singapore for military-related paraphernalia.

The Army Market occupies the top floor of the Golden Mile Food Centre, which was originally built to cater to the street hawkers from the Jalan Sultan area.

The Army Market occupies the second level of Golden Mile Food Centre at Beach Road, while the food stalls occupy the ground and basement levels. The building was opened in 1975 to house resettled street hawkers who were displaced from the redevelopment of the Jalan Sultan compound. With the exception of Hajjah Fatimah Mosque, most of the compound had given way to demolition and redevelopment. Old shophouses were torn down; flats were built.

A street hawker stall along Jalan Sultan before the area was redeveloped. Image Source: National Archives of Singapore.

Hajjah Fatimah Mosque in the 1970s. It is the only building in the area to escape demolition. Image Source: National Archives of Singapore.

Beach Road was a suitable area to sell military essentials due to its proximity to the old Beach Road Camp and former headquarters of the uniformed groups including the Boys’ Brigade, Singapore Volunteer Corps and St. John.
Beach Road Army Market was close to many uniformed organisations including the old Beach Road Camp, and the headquarters of Boys’ Brigade and St John. Image Source: Ministry of Information and the Arts.

A Singapore Armed Forces exhibition at the old Beach Road Camp. Image Source: National Archives of Singapore.

Under the government’s Stall Ownership Scheme, many shopkeepers at the Army Market bought over their shop units in 1996 on a 20-year lease. With most of the shops specialising in army paraphernalia, Beach Road Army Market replaced the Sungei Road Thieves’ Market as the choice army market. Weekends were especially crowded with national servicemen running their military-related errands.
Servicemen continue to go to the Army Market for the purchase and stitching of military insignia.

A tailor at the Army Market.

The remaining shops have endured, either by offering a wider range of military essentials than the eMart or by diversifying to sell camping and outdoor-related products.
There is no official word on the future of these shops, as their 20-year leases will expire at the end of 2015.
With the shop leases due to expire at the end of 2015, shutters may roll on the iconic Army Market.







Ghetto Singapore
*Article first appeared on http://www.ghettosingapore.com/beach-road-army-market/



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