Geylang store called out for logo resembling Sheng Siong, owner insists they’re ‘totally different’
A supermarket bearing a logo similar to Sheng Siong has opened along Lorong 22 Geylang, with netizens pointing out that its blue logo and green tick resembled the well-known local chain’s logo.
Facebook user Douglas Chow shared a photo of the store on April 25, with the caption:”You know u are successful when copycats take inspiration from you!”
An attached photo showed a sign featuring the logo, with the shop’s name — “Hui Sheng Supermarket” — written below it.
The Chinese character, “Hui” (辉), had a green tick embedded in it, similar to the one on Sheng Siong’s logo.
Another netizen mistook it for a Sheng Siong outlet, commenting that “looks can be deceiving”.
“Nevertheless the boss is friendly. He didn’t realise his shop is now viral,” the netizen added.
Most commenters were amused by the similarities, while others questioned if it was an “infringement of copyright”.
‘They’re totally different’: Hui Sheng owner responds
When Stomp visited Hui Sheng on April 28 at around 12.30pm, the store had just opened.
The small space housed shelves of packaged food, with several refrigerators storing drinks. Most prices were not displayed, except for cans of beer, which were going for $3.50 each. Shelves of alcohol were also displayed behind the counter.
Calvin, the store owner, said neither his customers nor those of Sheng Siong have raised any concerns about similarities between the two brands.
“It’s not an infringement of copyright, they’re totally different,” the man in his 40s said in Mandarin, noting that his prices were “reasonable”.
When asked how he came up with the logo, Calvin said he designed it himself, and it was based on his Chinese name.
“I just used whatever I thought of,” he said.
According to Calvin, the shop’s customers largely consist of tourists. He added that the store operates from noon to midnight, and that business has been “manageable” in the three months since it opened.
Sheng Siong aware of store
In response to Stomp’s queries, a Sheng Siong spokesperson said the company is aware of the store, and that it is not affiliated with it.
Just over 400 metres away from Hui Sheng is a Sheng Siong outlet, located along Lorong 15 Geylang.
Most employees from the Sheng Siong outlet told Stomp that they did not know of Hui Sheng, and claimed it had not affected their business.
One employee, who said she had seen the store down the street, commented that customers might “mistake it for our business”.
An employee at a durian stall next to Hui Sheng said that he would buy from the store occasionally.
“It probably won’t affect Sheng Siong’s business, it’s such a well-known brand,” the durian stall employee added.
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