Soon-To-Close Thambi Magazine Store Owner Specially Orders Taylor Swift Merch For Swifties
“It’s not just about money, it’s not just about business,” says Sam Senthilmurugan, owner of the iconic Holland Village newsstand. The devoted magazine man will close his iconic third-gen business today (May 5) after over 80 years.
After today (May 5), a Holland Village icon will be no more. Thambi Magazine Store, a familiar sight outside Holland Road Shopping Centre, is closing after over 80 years in business and three generations of owners.
1of11
Sam with 8days.sg's last print issue from Sept 2018. "I used to sell a few hundred copies of 8 Days every week," he shared.
Third-gen Periathambi ‘Sam’ Senthilmurugan, 49, first told CNA Lifestyle that he was planning to shut down his famous shop for good. His late grandfather, P Govindasamy, had started the business as a newspaper distributor in the 1940s, before Sam’s father expanded their offerings to include print magazines. The store was then passed down to Sam, who now runs it with his wife and sister-in-law.
2of11
The one thing that cemented Thambi Magazine Store’s legendary status is its dizzying display of magazine titles, neatly propped up on shelves lining an open-air walkway and on tables.
Unlike most bookstores, everything here is unwrapped, inviting customers to flip the pages, feel the paper, and hopefully buy a copy home.
3of11
The ‘try and buy’ business model has served Sam well, as he was the one who convinced his father that their wares should not be kept like untouchable precious heirlooms.
“If you know how to display, it’s a beautiful art. The customer will be carried away. Once they get carried away, that’s the secret of success,” he told CNA Lifestyle.
So when he received notice that he had to cut down on the size of his display area, Sam stuck to his principles and decided to close his almost century-old store instead.
4of11
“It’s not just about money, it’s not just about business”
This 8days.sg writer has spent many happy hours at Thambi Magazine Store as a kid, getting lost between pages. It was at Sam’s shop that we bought children’s magazines, before graduating to publications like 8 Days (which ran its last weekly print issue in Sept 2018) as we grew up.
“Back then we had over 7,000 titles, and we sold a few hundred copies of 8 Days every week,” he recalls.
So you could say Sam is not just a magazine seller; his way of doing business had the effect of inspiring a generation. “It’s not just about money, it’s not just about business,” he insists to us.
5of11
He avers that his decision to close had nothing to do with a rent hike (a common scenario these days), and sales were still strong enough to sustain his operations. “My business isn’t doing badly. Some months I made a loss, but it was still alright,” he shares.
What made him sad is how his customers can no longer touch and feel magazines, or discover obscure titles they never knew existed. During an afternoon of browsing, we stumbled upon a current affairs magazine dedicated to only positive news, as well as niche ones focusing on menopause, diabetic eating, skateboarding, guitar-playing…
“Look at this. Taylor Swift,” Sam suddenly says to us. He lovingly picks up something called a Taylor Swift Election Pack, featuring the singer as a US presidential candidate. Unusually enough, it was still wrapped in plastic, because it came with loose gifts like “12 Tay-America Stickers” and a “Double-Sided Campaign Poster”.
6of11
Sam has no clue about Taylor Swift songs, and the only Blank Space he knows is used to display magazines. “But I had her fans coming in asking for this, and I was like ‘what’s that’? They were begging me to bring it in, but I found out that it was already sold out. They said ‘please’, and I was like, ‘Even if you want me to, I can’t. It’s sold out,” he recounts.
7of11
But still, Sam made a note in his mind to fulfil his customers’ desires. We will always remember how he once took a few days to hunt down an old issue of a magazine for us, even though he initially said he had already sent the excess copies back to his supplier. We gave up hope, only to get a call from him a few days later: “Found your magazine.”
Once stock came in for the Taylor Swift Election Pack, he promptly ordered a stack. We also found a single well-thumbed copy of A Complete Fun Guide To Every Moment of The Eras Tour.
8of11
What happens when people crumple your magazines while browsing, we ask. Do they become unsellable? Sam shrugs. “We just slot those copies under other copies, and the weight will smoothen the pages,” he grins.
After his store closure, Sam will return unsold stock — spanning over 1,000 magazine titles — to his supplier. “They will sell the magazines at a cheaper price to third-world countries as reading material. We call it the secondhand market,” he explains. In the meantime, he will continue to work as a newspaper vendor where he personally delivers newspapers to subscribers.
9of11
Looking for new spot to reopen
But it’s not the end of the road for Thambi Magazine Store, as Sam is looking for another shop unit to reopen. Unsurprisingly, his criteria is that it must be a) in Holland Village b) outdoors and c) have adequate space to display his wares. Basically, a Thambi Magazine Store 2.0.
“It can only be Holland V. It’s the heritage part [of my shop] and I must retain it. I can’t take a shop unit without heritage, even if it’s at Orchard Road,” he declares.
10of11
Customers flocked down to his store
Upon hearing news of his store’s closure, Sam’s customers flocked down to his shop. One afternoon, we saw a young chap reverently handing a chilled bottle of water to Sam, who was sweaty from delivering newspapers in the hot weather.
There were other customers of all ages too, some grabbing their usual weekly magazine, others a newspaper. Many fought to shake Sam’s hand and wish him well. We tease him for his celebrity status, and he laughs embarrassedly.
11of11
The Holland Drive resident says he does not plan to appeal to the authorities — like his neighbourhood MP — to preserve his current shop as a heritage site. He explains: “This issue with the display area is going to pop up every now and then. I hope the public can ask [for help instead]. It’s more reasonable coming from them [to save a heritage spot]. If I approach [an MP], it’s more business.”
Thambi Magazine Store is at #01-K4 Holland Road Shopping Centre, 211 Holland Ave, S278967.
I consent to the use of my personal data by Mediacorp and the Mediacorp group of companies (collectively “Mediacorp”) to send me notices, information, promotions and updates including marketing and advertising materials in relation to Mediacorp’s goods and services and those of third party organisations selected by Mediacorp, and for research and analysis, including surveys and polls.
Some say one of the owners, 23-year-old Max, looks like HK actor Nicholas Tse! 👀 Link in bio to read more
📍The BeefFellas,
Chinatown Complex, #B1-43,
335 Smith Street,
Singapore 050335
https://tinyurl.com/4ye32vy6
He runs the ngoh hiang biz with his mum! Link in bio to read more
📍Mum’s Ngoh Hiang Cafe
BIk 154, #01-442,
Serangoon North Ave 1,
Singapore 550154
https://tinyurl.com/pshd3yme
The couple‘s Xiao San Mian dish comprises 3 small bowls of lor mee, prawn noodles and laksa! Link in bio to read more
📍 Nanyang Spice
Sim Lim Square, #02-02
1 Rochor Canal Road
Singapore 188504
https://tinyurl.com/2w9fvfp9
Sonia Chew's fiancé had planned a different proposal Link in bio to read more
@soniachew @joakimgomez @averyaloysius @ohyushi #justswipelah #buzzswipe
https://tinyurl.com/4rtp4tjw
According to the hawker, there are multiple benefits to putting earthworms in laksa. “It lowers cholesterol and improves blood circulation,” he says. Link in bio to read more
📍 Nanyang Spice
Sim Lim Square, #02-02
1 Rochor Canal Road
Singapore 188504
https://tinyurl.com/2w9fvfp9
Their new stall sells bakes like shio pan and shokupan 🤤
📍 Dough
Bukit Timah Interim Market & Food Centre, #01-027
2A Jalan Seh Chuan
Singapore 599213
https://tinyurl.com/494uxd3h
Can we get a labubu too? 🤗
Link in our bio to read the full story.
https://www.8days.sg/entertainment/local/987-germaine-tan-labubu-christmas-tree-838256
Looks like she will be skipping such rides in the future.
To read the full story, click the link in our bio.
https://www.8days.sg/entertainment/asian/girl-stunned-scary-rollercoaster-ride-838056
The hawker complains of poorer biz since moving to his new temporary stall location at Bukit Timah Interim Food Centre. Link in bio to read more
📍 Dough
Bukit Timah Interim Market & Food Centre, #01-027
2A Jalan Seh Chuan
Singapore 599213
https://tinyurl.com/494uxd3h
He sells very limited portions of fancy pastas like tagliatelle and gnocchi at night. Link in bio to read more
📍 Eightisfy Western
Maddox Canteen Bar
3752 Bukit Merah Central
Singapore 159848
https://tinyurl.com/yck6a5kx
You May Also Like
Content is loading...
This browser is no longer supported
We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with 8 Days to be fast, secure and the best it can possibly be.