The “Stefanie” of Tom & Stefanie has taken it upon herself to save her parents’ ailing business after going through multiple store closures.
The homegrown brand has been selling toys, children’s clothing and baby products for the past 31 years.
To kickstart her mission, 21-year-old Stefanie Chua began managing the business’ social media accounts and created a Shopee storefront to enhance its digital presence.
One such example is the viral TikTok video she uploaded on Nov 14, where she shared that her family business needs help.
Stefanie explained that she is adopting a more open and honest approach to promoting the brand by sharing their story and documenting her journey to save her family business.
“I want to modernise Tom & Stefanie without losing its soul,” she told AsiaOne.
“I’d love for us to become a place where parents still bring their kids to explore, touch and discover things in person — but supported by a stronger online presence, better use of social media, and maybe even more community-based activities like workshops or events.”
@tomnstefanie Follow along to see if I can save my family business 💛 #fyp #toys #sgparents #supportlocalsg
The first-year business student at the Singapore Management University said that moving forward, she plans to curate products in their stores based on what sells well in each outlet, implement a loyalty programme to reward regular customers and learn how to utilise platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
“I’m still very new at this, so a lot of it is trial and error. But my goal is to bridge the gap between the warm, old-school in-store experience my parents created, and the digital habits of today’s parents,” she explained.
‘Not just any business’
Tom & Stefanie used to operate 10 outlets island-wide but had to shutter six of them over the past 10 years — including the West Mall flagship store that closed in 2023.
According to Stefanie, she decided to step up and help the business this year after watching multiple stores shut down due to rising rent and low footfall.
Their stores were also facing stiff competition from e-commerce platforms, which could afford to sell items at lower prices.
“Seeing something so central to my childhood and family slowly fade was heartbreaking,” she said.
Although the university student had always wanted to build and create value for a business, this situation felt different.
It was not just any business, but one that is an integral part of her family and identity.
“My parents named me after the shop. I grew up in the stores, spending weekends and school holidays there,” Stefanie explained.
She also shared that she does not wish to have regrets in the future.
“There’s a quote I keep close to me: ‘If not me, then who? If not now, then when?’ It reminded me that taking responsibility — even if I don’t have all the answers yet – is better than doing nothing at all,” the student told AsiaOne.
As for whether she’d take over the reins in future, Stefanie said that she is open to the possibility, but it’d require a conversation with her parents in the years to come.
“At this stage, my focus is on learning every aspect of the business and gaining as much experience as I can.”
Reactions to viral video ‘overwhelming’
Her efforts appear to have borne fruit as the abovementioned TikTok clip has garnered over 265,000 views as of Friday (Nov 21).
“When I made the video, it wasn’t just to promote the store — it was to share the story behind Tom & Stefanie,” Stefanie told AsiaOne.
“Many assumed we were an overseas brand, so the video became my way of putting a face to the name and showing that we are a homegrown business striving to provide affordable, quality options for families.”
Stefanie described the online response to her now viral video as “overwhelming in the best way”.
“There were so many comments from people who remembered visiting our stores when they were young, or who recognised the logo from malls they used to frequent,” she said.
Even those who had never heard of the brand before offered words of encouragement and promised to visit, she added.
Some netizens also offered practical suggestions such as product ideas and social media tips.
Stefanie said that it was “very heartwarming” to show these comments and messages to her parents, who are not very social media savvy.
“I think it was the first time they really saw how much the brand meant to different generations of families.”
For its 31st anniversary, Tom & Stefanie is giving existing members 20 per cent off items storewide and offering a discounted lifetime membership fee of $10 to newcomers.
A lifetime membership would allow customers to enjoy discounts every time they visit.
The brand has a total of four outlets at Hillion Mall, Paya Lebar Quarter Mall, Woodlands Civic Centre and Eastpoint Mall.
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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
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