Upset by staff's theft, Angel Supermart shuts down business
Angel Supermart has permanently closed the shop after 10 years of business.
The 24-hour supermarket, which has outlets at Block 110 Yishun Ring Road and Block 631 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4, announced the closure on its Facebook page on Sunday (June 18).
"Thank you for a good 10 years," it wrote.
Days earlier on June 14, Angel Supermarket said the business has been sold to new owners, adding: "We have formed many relationships with many of you and it's a sad thing to leave but we shall leave you in better hands. The new owners are sincere, hardworking and will personally be on hand to handle any issue."
When contacted, Angel Supermart owner Daniel Tan told Shin Min Daily News that he decided to shutter his business because he felt disheartened after catching senior staff stealing from the supermarket.
The 43-year-old made headlines last month when he discovered that two of his employees had been stealing from the cash register and revealed their identities — and photos — on social media.
The two employees involved are a 52-year-old part-time cashier who was arrested for theft and a 46-year-old senior staff member who is currently assisting with police investigations.
Mr Tan's decision to shame his employees online was met with controversy, as netizens felt that he should have just let the police handle the matter.
However, Mr Tan refuted the criticism and said "employees are made aware of the consequences of stealing", and if caught doing so, a police report would be made.
He said his policy on the matter was "very clear", adding, "if you steal from me, I will report (you), even if you are my mother".
Mr Tan revealed that he was particularly heartbroken over the incident involving the senior staff, who joined the company in 2017.
She had even helped to watch CCTV camera footage to catch other employees in the act of stealing, said Mr Tan. However, he did not expect this to be a case of 'the thief catching the thief'.
Mr Tan, who believes that the supermarket has incurred about $200,000 in losses, said: "Even when the police came to arrest other employees who had stolen money, she was not scared."
He added: "We have been operating for 10 years and caught about 30 workers stealing money. However, they are usually caught within a month or two. I didn't expect this employee to be discovered only after six years."
Mr Tan said the incident has left him extremely disappointed and unhappy.
He explained: "It feels like being a husband for ten years, only to be cheated on and dumped. Someone happened to offer to buy the supermarket, so I decided to let it go."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
