Kenny Leck runs an iconic store in Singapore called BooksActually that sells a carefully curated motley of books, assorted objects from long ago (i.e. vintage), and odds-and-ends that book lovers universally tend to love: notebooks, tote bags, and sealing wax (after all, isn’t the purest of writing found in a heartfelt letter?) This local bookstore…
Tag: retail
Surviving as a specialist of books
Basheer Graphic Books is an iconic shop in Singapore that began with Abdul Nasser’s father who went from office to office with a travelling luggage stuffed with books for design professionals who, at the time, did not have the benefit of the Internet to power their creative process. This was the 1980s. So, he chose…
Keeping it real
Walking into this shop, you will be delighted with the calming aura of a tropical forest, as though its fragrance was freshly awakened from the rain. The baskets and vases are hand-fashioned out of natural material such as atah roots with designs that leap out for their distinctive style. Rose Ramzan has been in the…
Building an e-commerce business from the ground-up
I had a wonderful opportunity to chat over coffee with Abel Neoh and explore the nuts-and-bolts of his electronics business that started in 2010. The interview was rich, textured, and brimming with insights. His insights came in handy for my PhD research about small businesses, so I decided to capture the key points in this…
Mud & Metal
When you’ve been in the art and jewelry business in Baltimore for almost 20 years like Carol, you witness changes in the way people relate to one another. She observes: “There’s been a shift in what material things mean: we are buying less gifts for one another, and putting more money into learning, and being…
Shopkeeper Stories 