![](https://i.imgur.com/CLvY2jA.png")
10-07-2022, 09:27 AM
Joyce Yang
09 Jul 2022 07:09AM
(Updated: 09 Jul 2022 07:09AM)
......
Poh Kim Video, of course, needs no introduction. The store has been selling home entertainment products for 38 years now
......
even in the era of video streaming, Poh Kim Video seems to be going strong as Singapore’s last DVD retailer. What gives?
......
Lim started Poh Kim Video in 1984 as a videotape rental service.
......
Now that a DVD could cost as much as a monthly subscription to Netflix, who is still buying them? The answer is, surprisingly, both the young and old.
“To youngsters, the difference between watching a movie online and on a DVD lies in its quality,” Lim explained. “Those who are particular about audiovisual quality continue to buy from us.”
The customers who purchase Blu-ray and 4K varieties typically own compatible hardware, sometimes spurging up to tens of thousands on their set-ups.
“The 4K experience is even better than what you get in the cinema,” Lim beamed. “The distance between you and the screen is optimised. The Atmos audio is so immersive that you feel like the characters are talking to you.”
......
comic enthusiasts and hobbyists ...... would swing by Poh Kim Video to complete their collections.
The 20-year-old outlet is an outlier for another reason – tourists. According to Lim, Singapore is one of the last countries with a DVD retailer. Visitors from Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand would buy DVDs as gifts, and generally take to shows that aren’t readily available in their home country.
When asked if local drama series are any popular, Lim let us in on their unexpected audience: “Shows like Holland Village and The Little Nyonya are popular among Singaporeans who are living abroad. Probably because they are homesick and miss the local accent.”
......
“Our Korean dramas have also been dubbed in Mandarin. These can’t be found online and we forked out good money for it. We can’t attract youngsters who prefer English subtitles, but the elderly who have a hard time reading subtitles need them.”
......
As major electronics stores retired DVD players, Mr Lim started stocking them. He loans this inventory to customers, gives them away with a minimum spend, and even does one-to-one exchanges with customers whose devices have seen better days.
“Some old customers say: My player is working fine but your disc is faulty! So we give them a DVD player from our store. If they like it, they can buy it. Otherwise, they can return it.”
When asked if customers have been compliant about returning them, he said: “Never mind lah. It doesn’t matter.”
......
Not a single employee was retrenched in the pandemic, or in the store’s history of 38 years, said Mr Lim. Today, more than half his staff are above the age of 50 and many have worked for him for decades.
“They were there when I started Poh Kim,” he recalled. “And they are still here with me at 60 years old. As long as my staff wish to continue working, I will keep the shop going. We have a duty and responsibility to them.”
......
An invisible yet loyal following has single-handedly kept Poh Kim afloat. And for a business built on dated technologies, staying afloat is a victory in its own right. Surviving might well be the best Poh Kim Video can do, but Lim had long come to terms with that.
“We are all retiring soon, so we aren’t after thick profit margins. We’re no longer in our youth where we dream of raking in the big bucks. We have reduced the number of stores along with the decline in customers. Someday, 12 stores will become eight, then five, then maybe one or two.”
Best to read full article at: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com...ore-318576
09 Jul 2022 07:09AM
(Updated: 09 Jul 2022 07:09AM)
......
Poh Kim Video, of course, needs no introduction. The store has been selling home entertainment products for 38 years now
......
even in the era of video streaming, Poh Kim Video seems to be going strong as Singapore’s last DVD retailer. What gives?
......
Lim started Poh Kim Video in 1984 as a videotape rental service.
......
Now that a DVD could cost as much as a monthly subscription to Netflix, who is still buying them? The answer is, surprisingly, both the young and old.
“To youngsters, the difference between watching a movie online and on a DVD lies in its quality,” Lim explained. “Those who are particular about audiovisual quality continue to buy from us.”
The customers who purchase Blu-ray and 4K varieties typically own compatible hardware, sometimes spurging up to tens of thousands on their set-ups.
“The 4K experience is even better than what you get in the cinema,” Lim beamed. “The distance between you and the screen is optimised. The Atmos audio is so immersive that you feel like the characters are talking to you.”
......
comic enthusiasts and hobbyists ...... would swing by Poh Kim Video to complete their collections.
The 20-year-old outlet is an outlier for another reason – tourists. According to Lim, Singapore is one of the last countries with a DVD retailer. Visitors from Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and Thailand would buy DVDs as gifts, and generally take to shows that aren’t readily available in their home country.
When asked if local drama series are any popular, Lim let us in on their unexpected audience: “Shows like Holland Village and The Little Nyonya are popular among Singaporeans who are living abroad. Probably because they are homesick and miss the local accent.”
......
“Our Korean dramas have also been dubbed in Mandarin. These can’t be found online and we forked out good money for it. We can’t attract youngsters who prefer English subtitles, but the elderly who have a hard time reading subtitles need them.”
......
As major electronics stores retired DVD players, Mr Lim started stocking them. He loans this inventory to customers, gives them away with a minimum spend, and even does one-to-one exchanges with customers whose devices have seen better days.
“Some old customers say: My player is working fine but your disc is faulty! So we give them a DVD player from our store. If they like it, they can buy it. Otherwise, they can return it.”
When asked if customers have been compliant about returning them, he said: “Never mind lah. It doesn’t matter.”
......
Not a single employee was retrenched in the pandemic, or in the store’s history of 38 years, said Mr Lim. Today, more than half his staff are above the age of 50 and many have worked for him for decades.
“They were there when I started Poh Kim,” he recalled. “And they are still here with me at 60 years old. As long as my staff wish to continue working, I will keep the shop going. We have a duty and responsibility to them.”
......
An invisible yet loyal following has single-handedly kept Poh Kim afloat. And for a business built on dated technologies, staying afloat is a victory in its own right. Surviving might well be the best Poh Kim Video can do, but Lim had long come to terms with that.
“We are all retiring soon, so we aren’t after thick profit margins. We’re no longer in our youth where we dream of raking in the big bucks. We have reduced the number of stores along with the decline in customers. Someday, 12 stores will become eight, then five, then maybe one or two.”
Best to read full article at: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com...ore-318576
