Stamford Tyres Opens Charity Thrift Shop Above Jurong Flagship Store

An Unlikely Retail Pairing

A Rolf Benz leather swivel chair sits on the second floor of an industrial tyre store in Jurong. Below, customers browse Falken tyres and sports rims. Upstairs, vintage rosewood furniture and Burmese alabaster statues occupy a space that once lay unused.

The Discovery Shop opened in early 2025 above Stamford Tyres' flagship store, an unusual retail experiment for a Singapore Exchange-listed automotive company. Dawn Wee, the firm's executive chairman, runs the charity thrift shop herself, curating donations from prominent Singapore families and absorbing all operating costs through the company.

Every dollar from sales flows to ART:DIS, an organization that creates employment and creative pathways for artists with disabilities. The partnership came through Wee's daughter Li Lin, a film director who worked with ART:DIS artists on her productions and suggested her mother support the charity.

From California to Jurong

Wee conceived the idea during her late husband's medical treatment in California. Between his procedures, she visited a local charity thrift shop and wondered if Singapore could sustain something similar.

Wee Kok Wah, founder of Stamford Tyres, approved the concept and offered the mezzanine space. He passed away in 2024 before the shop opened, but several early inventory pieces came from his personal collection of Southeast Asian antiques acquired during business trips.

A Burmese alabaster statue that stood in the family living room for decades now carries a price tag. A carved wooden panel from the Stamford Tyres meeting room hangs among the curated finds. Items start at S$388 for vintage rosewood furniture, with near-new designer pieces priced under S$1,000.

Building the Business That Funds the Charity

The capital behind this generosity accumulated slowly. Wee mortgaged her own home to help her husband buy the tyre business from his family. She supported him through kidney cancer at age 40, a brain tumor a decade later, and a warehouse fire that nearly destroyed the operation.

Stamford Tyres grew from a small family business into a regional company with a public listing. When her husband died in 2024, Wee assumed the executive chairman role he had planned for her.

She describes the transition as evolution rather than reinvention. Tyres remain the core business, but the second-floor shop reflects a principle she has held throughout her career: businesses should operate with purpose beyond profit.

Expanding the Model

Friends who donated inventory also volunteer time staging and styling valuable pieces. ART:DIS artists now appear at Stamford Tyres events and external activations, including pop-ups at Bloomberg's Singapore office and the Pocket Fest at Objectifs.

Stamford Tyres plans to expand the Discovery Shop across the entire second level of the Jurong store, creating a larger platform for ART:DIS and potential future charity partners. The company continues to cover rent, utilities, and operational expenses, ensuring full proceeds reach the beneficiaries.

Through August 8, the Discovery Shop is offering 30 percent off items priced above S$100. On August 1 and 2, a weekend event will feature carnival games, artisanal coffee, live photo magnet stations, and artwork activities led by ART:DIS artists.

The arrangement tests whether an industrial automotive retailer can sustain a high-end charity thrift operation in a low-traffic area. Early donor support suggests the model has found its audience, even if that audience must drive to Jurong to find it.