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77th Street founder Elim Chew launches new YouTube series as retail store shuts

SINGAPORE — As notable local retail store 77th Street prepares to shut down for good at the end of next month, its founder, Ms Elim Chew, has already embarked on a new project for her YouTube channel, ElimChewTV (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUpvNJCz8rou-5snR2OwFCQ).

Elim Chew, the founder of 77th Street has a new series on YouTube that features men and women from different fields around the world who are making a positive impact in society through their work. Photo: Elim Chew

Elim Chew, the founder of 77th Street has a new series on YouTube that features men and women from different fields around the world who are making a positive impact in society through their work. Photo: Elim Chew

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SINGAPORE — As notable local retail store 77th Street prepares to shut down for good at the end of next month, its founder, Ms Elim Chew, has already embarked on a new project for her YouTube channel, ElimChewTV.

Called Changemaker, it’s a new series that she said “features people from different fields around the world who are making a positive impact in society through their work”. The series aims to “speak with these men and women of change, and bring forth the good that is happening in today’s world of chaos”.

Hosted by Ms Chew, the first video will be launched on Friday (July 1) at 7pm, and focus on 62-year old Margaret Nathen, principal of Divinity Kindergarten, which provides not only pre-school education but also therapy services for young children with special needs.

Other people to be featured include Gerald Png, the founder of social enterprise restaurant Soul Food Enterprise; and well-known personalities such as Nick Vujicic or Apl.de.ap. of the Black Eyed Peas.

However, Ms Chew will always be associated with 77th Street, the streetwear retail brand that had its first outlet in Far East Plaza in 1988. At its peak, there were 16 outlets throughout the island. But rising costs have meant 77th Street will be shuttering for good at the end of July.

(The first 77th Street outlet at Far East Plaza, circa 2002. TODAY file photo)

“The rising rental played a role — from S$9 per square feet 20 years ago to S$35 per square feet now,” said Ms Chew. “Other factors include manpower costs; global retail brands coming in and offering lower prices and usually these brands pay a lower rental; a shift in consumer spending behaviours, with people preferring to shop online; and vacant units in shopping malls, which leads to few shoppers.”

She said she knew she didn’t wish to be caught in the high rental of retail business when they had to close their iconic Far East Plaza store in 2012.

“That’s when we decided to cut down the number of stores,” said Ms Chew, adding that the initial intention was to keep the flagship stores at Bugis Junction and Ang Mo Kio Hub.

However, after Funan DigitaLife Mall announced it was closing for three years for redevelopment, the management decided to shift the tenants from Funan to Bugis Junction, “taking over our space", she said.

“Furthermore, our 10-year contract for 77th Street Plaza in Beijing also ended in June this year. All these factors contributed to our decision to retire from retail,” she added.

Ms Chew said there aren’t any plans to go into e-commerce as yet. “An online business is another entire new ball game altogether,” she said. “Many e-commerce platforms sell products at a cheaper rate, which also lowers the profit margins. E-commerce take up a huge bulk of sales, but many sites actually don’t make much profit.”

Still she is keeping busy. Ms Chew is a co-founder of FastFast, an app providing courier delivery services; and she and her family have invested in three F&B restaurants in the last two years: I’m KIM Korean BBQ, Kokomama and GoroGoro Steamboat & Korean Buffet.

She also sits on more than 20 boards and committees of public service, youth and community, providing mentorship to youths and aspiring entrepreneurs. “Moving forward, I will also be doing more speaking engagements, sharing sessions and consultancy to inspire people to be changemakers,” she added.

Nevertheless, Ms Chew said that she and her team are “always open to opportunities”. “We will not completely shut our doors to anything,” said Ms Chew. “Even though we are retiring from retail, as entrepreneurs, we are always looking out for market gaps and opportunities.

“After all, we need to do well to do good.”

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