Hawkernomics

Hawkernomics began with an exploration of the persistent narrative that hawker food prices are going up, and that food that’s meant to be ‘cheap and accessible’ is becoming less so. The result is an interactive game to help Singaporeans better understand the financial strains and challenges our hawkers face.

Play the game here: https://go.gov.sg/hawkernomics

Background

As Singaporeans, we take great pride in our hawkers, but how deeply do we understand the realities of their daily struggles? Rising costs of ingredients, labour, and overheads make it harder to stay afloat, let alone turn a profit.

In recent years, the financial sustainability of Singapore’s hawker trade has become a pressing concern. 

• Cost pressures: Monthly operating costs can run above S$10,000. Struggling hawkers can earn less than $2000 a month.

• The perception that hawker food should be cheap: Affordability has long been a highlight of hawker food, but should these small business owners be absorbing the financial burden? 

• Lack of understanding where costs accumulate: Interviews with Singaporeans showed that they grossly overstated the profit margins some hawkers earn from each dish. Singaporeans who don’t cook don’t realise how much more expensive things that go into their favourite dishes, especially ingredients, have become.

Our goal

• Make the day-to-day struggles of hawkers more visible.

• Build a greater understanding and empathy for the effort hawkers put into running their businesses.

• Spend time on the ground talking to and connecting with hawkers (while indulging our love for our favourite foods).

Our approach

Phase 1: Research

The team spent a lot of time at hawker centres and coffee shops, interviewing stall owners to understand their day-to-day challenges. We covered hawkers in different parts of Singapore (heartlands, CBD, and new estates) to get a broader perspective, and understand the different kind of challenges they face based on their location, and the kind of food they serve.

We also dove deep into the extensive media coverage that this topic has received in recent years, and even interviewed the authors of some of these pieces to get their perspectives and insights.

Additionally, we referenced publicly available data sources (e.g. NEA's Tender Notices) to supplement and validate research findings.

Phase 2: Building the game mechanics

We felt a game was a great way to immerse players in the tough decisions hawkers make every day. From balancing quality and quantity, to cutting manpower costs, and enduring gruelling 12-14 hour days, every decision comes with a trade-off. Hawking is more art than science, but we’ve sought to distill its key dilemmas into a format that mirrors the difficult choices real hawkers face.

Phase 3: Testing and feedback

Given the compact format of the game, we wanted to make sure people could understand the mechanics, and – more importantly – the message. We put the game in the hands of as many people as we could (including friends and family members at CNY reunions), to collect feedback on the user experience and content.

Outcome

Over the past month, we've built Hawkernomics with the goal of shedding some light on the lives of our nation's hawkers. For our team, it was an opportunity to engage with hawkers beyond brief, transactional conversations, and step into their world. We got to hear their stories, frustrations, and hopes. We learned of the consequences of even the slightest increases in the prices of food. Most of all, we have a renewed appreciation for the work that goes into ever bowl of laksa, every plate of chicken rice.

As you reflect on your experience in this game, think about how we, as individuals and a society, can support our hawkers. Paying fairly for meals, showing appreciation for their work, and advocating for policies that reduce their challenges are all meaningful steps. 

The future of hawker culture depends on the choices we make every day. Choices that affirm its value in our lives. What will you do?