John Little’s was founded in 1845 by three Scottish brothers and catered to the needs of a growing European community in Singapore. The firm ran a motor garage, made and sold furniture and operated a café, a beauty salon and a general store. According to an entry in ‘Twentieth Century Impressions of British Malaya’, John Little’s was “one of the foremost retail establishments in the East. Its magnitude can be gauged by its numerous departments, among them tinned foods, athletic outfitting, books and stationery, arms and ammunition, gentleman’s outfitting, tailoring, ladies’ outfitting, curios and saddlery, each of which has a complete and attractive stock.”The replica of the facade of the John Little’s building, destroyed in a huge fire in 1972, can still be seen today at the entrances of the MRT station at Raffles Place.
