Stamford Tyres' Dawn Wee found healing in setting up an upscale thrift shop with a social mission

CNA

23-05-2025

Antique and furniture hunting at a tyre mart seems a rather strange proposition – the two aren't exactly complementary businesses. Yet Dawn Wee, executive chairman of Stamford Tyres may have stumbled on something with The Discovery Shop, her charity-focused thrift store that 'sells one-of-a-kind things collected from all over the world, exclusive items that have been donated, they are pre-loved, and in mint condition or slightly aged with patina.'
She has situated it on the expansive second floor of Stamford Tyres at Lok Yang Way, launching it in January 2025 when the company unveiled its revamped flagship tyre retail showroom and service centre that now has more modern facilities and ample parking to elevate the Stamford Tyre customer experience.
It helps that she has a captured audience. After all, when folks come in to get their tyres aligned and rotated or cars serviced, these jobs can easily take several hours. Where do you send them to wait? Upstairs to visit her upscale thrift shop. They can have some tea and browse. There's no obligation to buy, but if they happen to do some antique shopping, those full proceeds go to helping the sick or underprivileged. Good deed done for the day.
It seems to be working out well. More people are returning, specifically for the thrifting.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The thing that immediately strikes you, as you enter The Discovery Shop: It's a treasure trove of pre-loved collectibles and heirloom pieces, furniture and artwork, and home decor pieces. These items have been generously donated by Dawn, her late husband, Wee Kok Wah, and her friends.
'No one shops like me,' she chuckled. Those things that she's collected over the years, now have greater purpose. Many pieces also come from her friends. Some are getting on in age and are looking to downsize their homes. Donating their dinnerware, collectibles and furnishings makes a lot of sense. It's a much eco-friendlier option when things can be re-purposed and not discarded.
The curated selection is eclectic – you'll find retro vintage furnishings but also traditional rosewood furniture and antique blackwood opium beds. Looking for a beautiful vase, an intricately carved privacy screen or an antique wedding basket (we spotted both Peranakan and Chinese styles)? Check, check and check. There are full sets of dinnerware, Lalique glassware and various silverware. There are quirky knick-knacks and novel trinkets from all over the world. There is also a small collection of bags for sale. We saw some beaded purses and minaudieres and even found a vintage Valentino leather document clutch on our second visit.
It is a maximalist's dream, but it never gets overwhelming because everything is artfully displayed and styled to give you a better idea of how the items might look in a home. That's done by one of Dawn's besties, Chan Mei Lin. They've been friends for over 50 years, and she swings by regularly to help.
Mei is one of those friends who have generously donated items to the store, from her private collection. 'In my old age, I always thought I'd have a stall at Portobello (market). But that didn't happen, so this comes close,' she said with a laugh. By helping with The Discovery Shop, she still gets to appreciate the things she's collected, although at times, she's tempted to re-purchase the things she's donated to the thrift shop.
HIGH QUALITY AT FAIR PRICES
Prices are another lure to venture this far, west. Pick up some beaded eyeglass or mask chains for S$3 apiece; a beautiful Chinese vase for S$120; or a near-mint condition rosewood sofa set (three-seater plus two armchairs) for S$888. A retro vintage sofa set complete with a Formica coffee table is bundled for only S$200 – practically a steal.
That uneasy feeling (read bad jujus) that you might sometimes get in an antique or second-hand furniture store, you don't get that here. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in a lot of light. It almost feels like you've wandered into someone's home. It's cosy, positive, and inviting.
That's because it is an extension of Dawn's charismatic and warm personality. The spritely septuagenarian makes you feel welcomed, fussing over customers with tea and snacks, much like a favourite aunt would. She's ever so happy to sit down for a friendly natter or show you around the store and share interesting anecdotes about the items on display.
THRIFTING FOR GOOD
Full proceeds from the sale of items are given to charity. Stamford Tyres does not take a cut from any of the items sold, even though the additional costs of running the charity shop are absorbed into its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives whose past beneficiaries include St Luke's Eldercare and the Singapore Red Cross.
The inaugural beneficiary (until September 2025) of The Discovery Shop, is Singapore General Hospital's (SGH) ARK (Advancing Resources for Kidney Diseases) fund, that helps kidney patients in Singapore.
The fund focuses on providing comprehensive and holistic care – from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and research – with the goal of improving patient outcomes and advancing medical knowledge in this area.
Singapore has one of the world's highest End-stage Renal Failure Disease (ESRD) rates, with four new dialysis patients, daily. This number will rise with our ageing population. Dawn has chosen to support the cause because both her late husband and her son suffered renal disease and underwent kidney transplants.
THE GENESIS OF DISCOVERY
The Discovery Shop isn't just a thrift store. It's a living legacy of an enduring love story between Dawn and her late husband. He was her soul mate for 57 years. They met when she was only 18 and were university sweethearts, getting married after three years. They built a family (they have three children, and three grandchildren) and business, experiencing great trials but also tribulations. Together in health, but also through sickness, as he suffered from chronic kidney disease and battled cancers.
It was during a six-month stay in Palo Alto, US, where her late husband was undergoing kidney and medical treatments, that Dawn got the idea for the charity thrift shop. She recalled that his dialysis could take four hours each session; while waiting, she and her daughter, Li Lin, would often spend time at The Discovery Shop in Menlo Park. The upscale thrift shop is run by the American Cancer Society (ACS), selling gently used, high-quality merchandise – from clothing to accessories, antique furniture, collectibles and other household items – that are donated. Sale proceeds are then used to fund advocacy, research and patient support programmes for cancer patients and their families.
She wondered if she could start a similar charity initiative in Singapore and discussed it with her husband. He was fully behind the idea and offered her the space on the second floor at Stamford Tyre's Jurong flagship, to start her passion project. Dawn clarifies that while her charity shop shares the same name, it is not affiliated to the thrift shops run by the ACS in the US.
Unfortunately, cancer took her husband in 2024 (it's not uncommon for kidney recipients to develop cancer primarily due to the immunosuppressant medications needed to prevent organ rejection – it weakens the body's ability to fight the disease).
She got a little teary-eyed as she recalled how working on the thrift shop idea then became 'a cathartic journey, bringing solace after his death.' Gradually as the store started to take shape, she started to heal from her grief and came out of her shell again.
EARLY CHALLENGES
It was important for her to get things right. 'I had to convince people that the store is a long-term plan.'
There were initial hiccups. Most people have been generous and given their things with heart, but a few, she shared, 'have used the shop as a dumping ground. We ended up having to dispose a few things, and the costs were borne by us.'
They are now more selective with the curation. Wherever possible, some heirloom items and collectibles are professionally appraised. Close friends who are collectors themselves sometimes volunteer their stringent scrutiny.
The Discovery Shop also does not have Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status, which means it cannot issue you a tax-deductible receipt for your buys, although Dawn shared that in the case of the ARK fund, the donations are matched by the government, dollar-for-dollar.
The store doesn't take cash or credit cards, and payment is only made through bank app or PayNow. The money goes directly to the charity (we noted that the Singhealth fund is reflected on the transaction), and the store is unable to refund you once payment has been made. Do check your bill before making payment.
HOPE FLOATS
It's been an organic growth with good learning curves, and Dawn doesn't take it for granted that she's in a fortunate position to be able to do this. There's 'no rental (she has it for three years) for the space, and she has the staff, storage and logistics support from the holdings company.
She's greatly appreciative for all the love and support for her passion project, often crediting her friends and her Stamford Tyres team for helping make it happen. Some even chip in during their break to spruce up the donated items for sale, whether it's a coat of varnish, or making minor repairs. 'It's all a team effort,' she said, beaming proudly.
'The Dawn Wee of the past was busy raising a family, helping her husband grow a business, there was less time to focus on her interests much. But if I hadn't been that Dawn Wee then, I wouldn't have been able to do this now, to contribute to society this way,' she shared.
'These days, I am very much trying to be close to my religion or what God wants me to be.' Dawn became a Christian in early 2000. But if you think that means a life of solitude and only prayer, think again.
'I have another 10 years hopefully, and I am going to still stay productive while I can – I ain't got much time to waste,' she laughed, heartily. And that's a promise, you can expect more to come.