Singapore coconut shake shop spends $4,700 on blogger and Telegram promotions for ‘almost…

A coconut shake shop owner in Singapore says he spent more than SGD6,000 (US$4,700) on food bloggers and Telegram advertising, only to see little response.

Pradeep Pannirselvam, 39, who owns Coco Fwens in Serangoon, sought help from food bloggers when business was slow, with some days bringing sales of just four cups.

After opening the shop in March, he paid more than SGD3,000 for blogger promotions but said the publicity gained little traction. He later spent around another SGD3,000 on a single promotional post in a Telegram group.

"Before signing up, they showed impressive results and promised good exposure. But after spending the money, the response was almost zero," read the caption accompanying his post. "Honestly, it hurts. For a small business like ours, SGD6,000 is a lot of money. That money could have helped us survive a little longer."

Pradeep told AsiaOne that the shop’s bestselling coconut shakes include the Original, Oreo and Mango flavors. Its Fizzy Coconut Coolers are also popular.

His experience over the past few months, however, has taught him that a good product does not guarantee a steady flow of customers.

He said he takes no days off and keeps the shop open even when it receives no customers. "I just want to keep the business alive and survive," Mothership quoted him as saying. He remains hopeful because many customers "keep coming back" for his drinks.

Pradeep is now trying other ways to attract business instead of paying bloggers and Telegram channels for publicity.

He sells drinks through Shopee livestreams and offers discounts through the platform’s digital vouchers. He is also exploring product collaborations with other local businesses and has gone door-to-door distributing flyers to nearby homes and offices.

Coco Fwens also offers live drink stations and bulk orders to diversify its revenue, and Pradeep hopes to raise awareness of those services.