Long-time customers recall their trips to John Little with a sense of nostalgia.

Mrs Rukmani Gunasegaram, 69, still remembers her trips to John Little's Specialists' Shopping Centre branch in the 1980s.

The housewife said she would spend about four leisurely hours shopping at the department store, which shuttered its final outlet here last month.

"I went there often, twice a week sometimes. I used to get my pots and pans there. I still have them, and they still shine," she said.

Similarly, she has decorative porcelain tiles from the store that are still displayed in her kitchen, and she even remembers that they cost her just $1.50 apiece.

"People who come to my home still ask me where I got them. They still look as good as new," she said.

Madam Christina Lim, 57, who works in the hospitality industry as vice-president of sales and marketing, said that she would visit the store frequently during sales periods.

"So crowded but worth the wait and crush. You were assured it was a genuine sale. You could get great deals - anything from 50 per cent to 70 per cent," she said.

Jalelah Abu Baker