Mustafa Centre
A large, budget-oriented shopping and services complex in Singapore’s Little India district, known historically for operating around the clock.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Mustafa Centre is a major retail complex on Syed Alwi Road in Singapore’s Little India district. It is associated with Mohamed Mustafa and Samsudin Co, the family business that developed from a small clothing operation into a large department store and a broader retail group. The centre serves a wide customer base, including local residents, migrant workers, tourists and regional shoppers, and is known for an unusually broad assortment spanning groceries, clothing, jewellery, household goods, electronics, books, watches, footwear, toys and personal-care products. The business traces its origins to Haji Mohamed Mustafa, who came to the region from Uttar Pradesh, India, and initially earned a living through itinerant food selling before operating a food stall. His son, Mustaq Ahmad, became involved in commerce at an early age, selling inexpensive handkerchiefs and later helping to develop the family’s clothing trade. During the 1960s, Haji Mohamed Mustafa shifted the business toward children’s and adult garments. In 1971, Ahmad opened a roughly 500-square-foot ready-made-garment shop in Campbell Lane under the Mohamed Mustafa name. In July 1973, Haji Mohamed Mustafa and his cousin Samsuddin established Mohamed Mustafa & Samsuddin Co, initially focused on wholesale ready-made clothing and later adding electronic goods. The operation moved to Serangoon Plaza in 1985. In 1990, Haji Mohamed Mustafa, Mustaq Ahmad and Samsuddin formed Mohamed Mustafa and Samsudin Co Pte Ltd. As the enterprise expanded, it acquired shophouses along Syed Alwi Road and adjoining properties, eventually consolidating them into a larger retail destination. The resulting Mustafa Centre opened in 1995 as a department store complex of approximately 75,000 square feet, alongside a hotel. Its multi-category format and budget positioning helped make it a prominent shopping destination in Little India. The centre later added services such as foreign exchange and travel arrangements, and it has been described as carrying more than 300,000 products, although the exact assortment changes over time. Mustafa Centre’s retail footprint has included separate areas for jewellery, household appliances and supermarket goods, as well as sections devoted to general merchandise. The centre has also incorporated food and hospitality facilities, including the Kebabs ’n Curries rooftop restaurant, which opened in the newer wing in 2011. The wider business pursued overseas opportunities in India, Bangladesh and Indonesia, while a proposed Malaysian expansion has involved plans for a large outlet in Johor Bahru. The centre’s operating model was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, Singapore authorities identified Mustafa Centre as linked to a COVID-19 cluster, including cases associated with foreign-worker accommodation. The premises closed for cleaning and disinfection and reopened partially in May. Its operating schedule was reduced from 24 hours because of changed trading conditions and high operating costs. Hours were extended to 2 a.m. in 2022, and 24-hour operation was restored in September 2024. During the pandemic, the company also announced cost controls affecting some salaries and work permits, while working with unions and government agencies on worker redeployment. The business subsequently moved toward e-commerce, responding to customer demand and the loss of physical footfall during the pandemic. Today, Mustafa Centre remains an active Singapore retail landmark rather than a conventional single-category brand. Its positioning is based on breadth, price accessibility, long operating hours, convenient services and a multicultural assortment. The company’s exact corporate structure, current overseas operating status and future expansion timetable require verification against current corporate and property sources.
History
Mustafa Centre developed from a family retail enterprise established by Haji Mohamed Mustafa and his son, Mustaq Ahmad. Haji Mohamed Mustafa was born into a farming family in Uttar Pradesh and reached the region in 1950. After initially selling food from place to place and operating a stall, he moved into garments during the 1960s. Mustaq Ahmad, who joined his father in Singapore as a child, gained early retail experience selling inexpensive handkerchiefs and helping at the family stall. In 1971, Ahmad opened a small ready-made-clothing shop on Campbell Lane. The business was named Mohamed Mustafa in recognition of his father. Two years later, Haji Mohamed Mustafa and his cousin Samsuddin formalised a wholesale partnership called Mohamed Mustafa & Samsuddin Co. Its Campbell Lane branch sold clothing and subsequently expanded into electronics. Growth led to a move to the ground floor of Serangoon Plaza in 1985. In 1990, Haji Mohamed Mustafa, Mustaq Ahmad and Samsuddin incorporated Mohamed Mustafa and Samsudin Co Pte Ltd. The family business acquired property on Syed Alwi Road and progressively bought neighbouring units. These acquisitions enabled the creation of a purpose-built retail complex in Little India. Mustafa Centre emerged in 1995 as a department store of about 75,000 square feet with a 130-room hotel. Its broad assortment and budget-market orientation made it a distinctive destination in Singapore retail. The centre expanded beyond clothing into groceries, jewellery, electronics, appliances, books, watches, footwear, toys and other general merchandise. It also added service businesses such as foreign exchange and travel arrangements. A newer wing gained the Kebabs ’n Curries rooftop restaurant in 2011. The group also pursued international property and retail projects: a jewellery outlet opened in Chennai in 2000, a Mustafa Mart store was established in Dhaka in 2012, and the company acquired property in Jakarta in 2003. Plans for a Malaysian flagship in Johor Bahru have involved the proposed acquisition and fitting out of extensive retail and ancillary space, but the opening timetable and final operating status require current-source confirmation. The company’s scale and family ownership attracted public attention, including the listing of Mustaq Ahmad among Singapore’s wealthiest individuals in 2008. Corporate financing developments included a public-market transaction involving the operating company in 2011 and the sale of bonds in 2014, although detailed financial information is not included here because a directly verifiable financial source and context are unavailable. The most significant recent disruption was the COVID-19 pandemic. Mustafa Centre was identified in April 2020 as one of several Singapore cluster locations, with cases connected to foreign-worker accommodation. The premises closed for disinfection and partially reopened in May after restrictions were eased. The company reduced opening hours, citing changed demand and high electricity and rental costs. It later extended the schedule and restored 24-hour operation in September 2024. In August 2020, management announced cost reductions affecting some employees and non-renewal of some foreign-worker permits, while coordinating redeployment with unions and public agencies. The company’s later move into online commerce reflected changing shopping habits and requests from customers who could not easily visit the physical centre.
- 2025
Online store launched
[1]The retailer introduced an e-commerce website after years of customer requests.
- 2024
24-hour trading resumes
[1]Mustafa Centre returned to round-the-clock operation.
- 2022
Hours extended to 2 a.m.
[1]The centre lengthened its post-pandemic operating schedule.
- 2020
COVID-19 closure and controlled reopening
[1]The centre closed for disinfection after being linked to a COVID-19 cluster and reopened partially with shorter hours.
- 2012
Dhaka retail expansion
[1]Mustafa Mart opened at Bashundhara City in Dhaka.
- 2011
Kebabs ’n Curries opens
[1]A rooftop restaurant opened in the centre’s newer wing.
- 2003
Jakarta property acquisition
[1]The company acquired a Jakarta property intended to generate rental income.
- 2000
Chennai jewellery expansion
[1]The group expanded to Chennai with the Mustafa Goldmart jewellery outlet.
- 1995
Mustafa Centre opens
[1]The business expanded into a large department-store complex with a hotel in Little India.
- 1990
Mohamed Mustafa and Samsudin Co Pte Ltd formed
[1]The founders incorporated the company that would develop the Syed Alwi Road retail complex.
Products and positioning
A broad-assortment, budget-oriented retail destination serving Singapore’s Little India district and international visitors, differentiated by product variety, accessible pricing, multicultural merchandise and historically extended or 24-hour trading.
Department store · 1995
Mustafa Department Store
The core retail operation combines clothing, footwear, watches, books, toys, electronics, household goods and other general merchandise. Its breadth is central to the centre’s identity: customers can purchase everyday necessities and discretionary goods in the same complex, with an emphasis on accessible prices and a multicultural assortment.
Supermarket · 1995
Mustafa Supermarket
The supermarket operation supplies groceries and household consumables within the wider centre. It contributes to Mustafa’s destination-shopping model by combining routine food shopping with the department store’s non-food categories.
Jewellery retail · 1995
Jewellery and gold retail
Jewellery is one of the centre’s established specialist categories. The group also used this expertise in its Chennai expansion through Mustafa Goldmart, linking the Singapore flagship with an overseas jewellery retail format.
Restaurant · 2011
Kebabs ’n Curries
A rooftop restaurant in the newer wing, Kebabs ’n Curries extends the centre beyond retail into dining and offers Asian dishes during evening and late-night hours.
Online retail · 2025
Mustafa e-commerce website
The online channel was introduced to give customers a digital purchasing option and to respond to the reduced physical footfall experienced during the COVID-19 period.
Controversies
2020
COVID-19 cluster association and temporary closure
Mustafa Centre was identified by Singapore authorities as one of the locations associated with a COVID-19 cluster. The premises closed for cleaning and disinfection before a controlled reopening. The episode also led to changes in opening hours and heightened public scrutiny of the centre’s operating environment.
Brand decisions
2025
Launch of online retailProduct launchBackground
Customers had requested an online shopping option, and the pandemic demonstrated the vulnerability of a model dependent on physical visits.
Action taken
Mustafa rolled out an e-commerce website.
Aftermath
The launch broadened the retailer’s sales channels; the longer-term commercial effect is not established in the available material.
2020
Pandemic cost reduction and workforce redeploymentStrategyBackground
The pandemic reduced customer traffic and created excess staffing needs after the centre closed and reopened with restrictions.
Action taken
Management introduced cost controls affecting some salaries and did not renew some foreign-worker permits. It also worked with unions and government agencies to redeploy affected workers to other employers.
Aftermath
The measures were implemented in place of a broader retrenchment exercise, while the centre continued operating under reduced hours.
2020
Temporary reduction in opening hoursStrategyBackground
After the COVID-19 closure and partial reopening, demand was constrained and the company cited high electricity and rental costs.
Action taken
The centre moved away from its previous 24-hour schedule and operated from morning until late evening.
Aftermath
Hours were progressively extended, reaching 2 a.m. in 2022 and returning to 24-hour operation in September 2024.
Recent events
- 2025
Mustafa launches an online e-commerce channel[1]
Product launch
Mustafa introduced an online shopping website after customers requested a digital purchasing option, particularly following the pandemic-era decline in physical visits.
- 2024
Mustafa Centre resumes 24-hour operation[1]
Other
The centre restored round-the-clock trading after several years of reduced hours.
- 2022
Mustafa Centre extends trading hours to 2 a.m.[1]
Other
After operating on a reduced schedule following the pandemic, the centre extended its daily hours until 2 a.m.
- 2020
Mustafa Centre announces pandemic cost controls and worker redeployment[1]
Other · Regulation
Management announced measures affecting some salaries and foreign-worker permits and worked with unions and government bodies to redeploy excess workers rather than conduct a conventional retrenchment exercise.
Sources2 sources
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