SINGAPORE – A Geylang Road laundromat saw such brisk business during the recent wet weather that two of its dryers and a coin changer broke down.
The laundromat, Kaki Laundry, swiftly repaired the machines and put them back into service. The laundry outlet saw a nearly twofold increase in revenue between Jan 10 and Jan 13, compared with the week before, as people flocked there to dry their clothes.
Laundromats are among businesses here that have seen takings go up during the current monsoon season.
A monsoon surge from Jan 10 to 13 broke records for rainfall in January, and resulted in flash floods and fallen trees across Singapore.
The National Environment Agency’s Meteorological Service Singapore had earlier warned that the Republic would experience its second monsoon surge in the month from Jan 17 to 19, with temperatures expected to dip to around 22 deg C.
A monsoon surge refers to bursts of cold air from the north-east, such as Central Asia, which flow over the South China Sea before bringing widespread rainfall, strong winds and cooler weather to Singapore.
Kaki Laundry’s spokeswoman said she thinks the brisk business will continue with the ongoing wet weather. She also pointed out that the Chinese New Year season, “when people will be doing their spring-cleaning”, is coming.
Mr Yong Po King, manager of Dobi Express, said business at its 13 laundromats rose by 15 to 20 per cent from Jan 10 to 13 due to the prolonged rain.
Mr Yong was preparing for another rise in the number of customers during the second monsoon surge, and added that his company has stepped up the frequency of machine inspections and cleaning.
“I would advise customers to come in the early morning, before 7am or 8am, or late at night after 11pm or midnight, to avoid crowds,” he said.
Mr Sam Lim, director of Mister Wash Laundromat, said its 23 outlets saw a 20 per cent increase in demand.
Food delivery platforms too told The Straits Times they have seen an increase in orders as consumers stayed indoors, although they did not go into specifics.
Both Deliveroo and foodpanda said they do not penalise delivery riders if they exceed estimated delivery times in order to ensure that they are safe on the roads.
That said, some businesses have been hard hit by the wet weather.
Mr Ong Bang Jun, business development manager at Wheeler’s Estate and Wheeler’s Tropikana, said the two eateries were “heavily affected” as they are primarily al fresco, or outdoor, restaurants, despite having awnings.
Wheeler’s Estate, a restaurant and bar with terrace seating, is located in Seletar, while Wheeler’s Tropikana restaurant is in Gillman Barracks, an arts cluster off Alexandra Road.
“We experienced a high cancellation rate of about 30 per cent. Footfall definitely took a toll too, and we had a 50 per cent dip, maybe because nobody wanted to go out,” Mr Ong said.
In Chinatown, businesses said their takings were down over the Jan 11 weekend because of the rain, but added that they remain hopeful because the second monsoon surge the following weekend did not seem as severe.
After persistent rain failed to materialise on Jan 18, large crowds were seen in Pagoda Street and Temple Street when ST visited the Chinatown Street Bazaar at 3.30pm.
Large crowds in Temple Street in Chinatown on Jan 18.ST PHOTO: ISABELLE LIEW
Mr Ng Ah Lay, 62, who helps to run his brother’s Chinese New Year decoration shop, said business had dropped by 50 to 60 per cent over the Jan 11 weekend. He said Temple Street was like a “ghost town” due to the heavy rain.
“Business is nearly back to normal today, but it is even more troublesome as we have to move our items in when it rains, and move it back out when it stops,” he said.
A souvenir shop employee who wanted to be known only as Mr Yen said business dipped 60 per cent from Jan 6 to Jan 14 as a result of the rain.
Homemaker Tracy Chung, 45, said she travelled to Chinatown to buy Chinese New Year goodies and decorations as the weather “did not seem too bad today”. “If I don’t come down this weekend, it would be even more crowded next weekend,” she added.
- Isabelle Liew is a journalist at The Straits Times. She covers housing issues in Singapore, with a focus on public housing.
- Elaine Lee is a journalist at The Straits Times. She covers breaking and trending news, as well as current affairs.
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