Record-breaking bid of over $10,000 for Marine Parade stall raises eyebrows among hawkers

SINGAPORE: A stall at the Marine Parade Food Centre drew a record-breaking bid of over $10,000 monthly rent in the latest hawker stall bidding exercise in July.

Some hawkers who spoke to 8World expressed optimism about recovering the high costs due to the increased foot traffic and consistent customer flow thanks to the newly opened Thomson-East Coast MRT line.

During lunchtime, the Food Centre is bustling with activity, with many stalls experiencing long queues of eager patrons. One hawker noted to 8World, “Now that the MRT line is here, business has increased by 10 to 20 percent.”

Another hawker, who participated in the latest bidding exercise, said: “Many tourists come here, and it’s very good. I hope everyone will come to eat.”

Others, however, have expressed concerns about how the hawker who made such a high bid could cope with paying the $10,158 he bid.

One vendor said: “The rent is more than $10,000, water, electricity and gas are more than $3,000, and workers are several thousand dollars. They can’t just work for a few hours. How can we pay the rent? Young people need to learn these things.”

Meanwhile, the lowest bid registered in the July exercise was $2-5 for a stall at Block 724 Ang Mo Kio Market and Food Centre. Hawkers at that Food Centre who spoke to 8World suggested the low bids could be due to sparse crowds. /TISG