“It’s not an elitist hobby”

On any given day, World Farm, a garden centre that sits on a 2.4 ha parcel of land along one of the rare agricultural areas in Singapore, receives shipments of plants and accoutrements from all over the world.
The company is the island-state's largest garden centre but also supplies wholesale to resellers and boutique plant shops and services institutions such as the Changi International Airport, zoos, places of attractions, country clubs, hotels and schools. It receives new stocks on a daily basis from local and international sources.
China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Taiwan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Chile, Lithuania, and Germany are regular suppliers, while a few other countries supply "less regularly", Jesse Chua, business development point person at Hua Hng Trading Co. Pte Ltd., parent company of Farm World Co. Pte Ltd, says.
"We have a team of purchasers who will source for new products from existing and new suppliers and determine their suitability to be brought in for our market based on whether the plants will survive shipping and local weather conditions, price points, competition, market trends etc.," he says.
The daily stock shipment is aligned with World Farm's positioning as a value-for-money garden centre. Its business model revolves around fast turnovers at lower margins and price points, allowing it to sell its products at more attractive prices to the public.
"The high turnover ensures that our stocks are fresh, and that there is always something new even for our regular customers," Chua notes. "In fact, some of our regular customers come in a few times every week." The company primarily targets all plant lovers aged 24 to 35 years, followed by those who are 35 to 54 years old, who reside in both landed properties and apartments.
Acquired by Hua Hng in 1991, World Farm enjoys the rare privilege of not only having ample space that allows the garden centre to carry a vast inventory of plants and accessories, but also a lease term on the property that allows for stability and greater investment returns.
"In Singapore, nursery and garden centre land is extremely hard to come by, and we are restricted by specific land uses for each land parcel. These sorts of lands come with a long list of restrictions such as limited lease tenure - typically only three years plus three years plus three years - before they will be taken and put up for retender," Chua explains.
Hua Hng had been needing to move because its lease for the land that its…