Did You Know? Supermarket Life, 1957 Style

Long before apps, online carts, and same-day delivery, folks in Malaya were already getting a taste of “modern shopping”. Really!

Back in 1957, Cold Storage in Singapore rolled out a price list that felt pretty futuristic for its time. We’re talking credit accounts, ordering by telephone (yes, telephone), and even home delivery.


And get this -- it wasn’t just a Singapore thing. Cold Storage already had branches across Malaya, including Kuala Lumpur, Klang, Malacca and Seremban -- making it a go-to spot for the more “atas” crowd of the day.

The food? Not your typical kedai runcit selection. They had imported goodies like Scotch kippers, fresh salmon, and Arbroath smokies -- basically atas-level groceries before “atas” was even a word we used.

Even their “makan kechil” section sounded fancy: sandwiches, curry puffs, lobster patties… plus some mysteriously named items like “Angels on Horseback” and “Frankfurters in Hospital” (no one really explained those 😅).

Different times, slower pace -- but in its own way, already a glimpse of the modern supermarket life we take for granted today.

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