Some of our SEM Students and Alumni banding together for a quick pic!

NUS Co-op SEM Students and Alumni share about their experiences participating at the Muji Singapore’s Community Market, held on 6-8 Sept and 13-15 Sept 2024.

If you had visited the Muji Plaza Singapura store during the month of September, you might have come across a pop-up market set up in the Open MUJI area…the booths were run by none other than the 9 students and alumni of NUS Co-op’s Student Entrepreneur’s Market (SEM) programme!

In collaboration with Muji Singapore for the second year running, this event was held over a period of 6 days, where our SEM students and Alumni had the chance to sell their products at the physical pop-up booths. This provided them the invaluable opportunity to showcase their uniquely crafted products to the public. To make this year’s event even more memorable, Muji Singapore also worked with two of the participants, Caylee (of Strawberry Champagne Sparkles) and Quan Mei (of Lovecurates Studio) to conduct craft workshops during the event. The overwhelming signups and enthusiastic response to the workshops were really encouraging to them.

We interviewed several participants who have shared their thoughts about the event and what they had learnt during the six days at Muji Plaza Singapura.

Q. Was this your first time interacting with customers in a retail setting? Was this similar to what you have experienced before?

Clarissa (@theclaywagon): This was not the first time I’ve interacted with customers in a retail setting, but I realized that the customer demographics were quite different from what I am used to!

Ens (@howpetalsfall): I’ve had some existing experience at selling my items currently at NUS Co-op. I’ve also had the chance to participate in the Muji’s Pop-Up last year. The publicity for this event was better than ever with the Muji and NUS Co-op team coming down to take photos for us for both weeks, and promoting our booths through Instagram posts and physical posters. What’s more, Muji’s team also created a gallery exhibit to showcase our works!

Every SEM Student and Alumni had their items carefully displayed in these curated gallery booths for customers to learn more about their products. (Photo credit: The Ooctopus) 

Our SEM Students and Alumni had the opportunity to interact with and sell their products to members of the public during this 6-day event. (Pictured: The Ooctopus)

Q. What is your biggest takeaway from this event?

Angel (@kirekoii): (This Pop-up Event at MUJI) has helped me understand what different audiences might want.

Shanon Koh (@_crearte.studio): My biggest takeaway would be learning how to communicate effectively with my customers. 

Ens (@howpetalsfall): I learnt that the same event might not necessarily lead to the same experiences (ex. footfall, customer interacts, etc.) and to just try my best!

Clarissa (@theclaywagon): That customers at different locations would have different preferences and consumption patterns, so it’s also good to account for that when preparing for booths.

The six-day event was split into two parts, 6-8 Sept and 13-15 Sept 2024 (Pictured: YU Cookies)

Q. What is the most memorable incident that happened during this event?

Caylee (@strawberry_champagne_sparkles): One of my customers came down to my booth and it was closed, so they made an extra trip on the last day of my pop-up just to see me! I was so touched, and it also made me realize that I do tend to host pop-ups in certain locations over others, which might be difficult for my customers. It’s something that I should keep in mind. 

Sharon (@theooctopus): The most memorable moment was when a customer came back the very next day just to tell us how much they loved the hand sanitizer! They said it was the first time they found a product that smelled so good yet felt refreshing. It was rewarding to see that kind of appreciation for what we’ve created. 

Shanon Koh (@_crearte.studio): A customer was looking for a birthday gift and she was just browsing around, however, she came back to my booth to tell me that she had decided to go with my merchandise for her gift!

Jessie W(@atypicalrice): A middle-aged aunty was making her way to all the booths to support the SEM students and Alumni! Even though she didn’t buy anything from me (due to her personal preferences for colours and shapes), she did give me encouraging remarks and useful feedback. 

Ens (@howpetalsfall): Someone saw my plush toy from afar and immediately came over and said: “I want it!” I think it’s really endearing whenever a customer is excited about the products I’ve designed. 

Quan Mei (@lovecurates_studio): A family with two daughters dropped by my booth, and one of their daughters also dabbles in art. I was conducting a workshop session when they visited and bought some of the merchandise. They kindly requested to have a photo taken together with their daughters, and I took a look at her daughter’s illustrations (which were really great!). As a self-taught artist, I was glad to be able to inspire and encourage a fellow young art-enthusiast and artist to pursue her passion!

Clarissa (@theclaywagon): One of the most memorable things that happened during the event was when a customer bought a bag from me, and her husband later showed up sporting the exact same bag! They brought their friends over as well and explained that their friends loved the bag so much that they wanted to get one for themselves as well. For me, it was very heartwarming to see my creation being well-loved and appreciated even amongst different age groups!

Q. How was it like holding a workshop in Muji’s store for the first time?

Caylee in the midst of explaining the process of choosing suitable jewels for her Jewellery Wire-Wrapping and Metal Bracelet Workshop. (Pictured: Strawberry_champagne_sparkles, MUJI Workshop Participants)

Caylee (@strawberry_champagne_sparkles): I think it was a really fun first experience! One small drawback about hosting it in such a public space is that you will definitely encounter some disruptive passers-by who might mess up your materials, or even try to take home your workshop content! However, a gentle conversation and explanation usually does the trick, and they might even turn into potential workshop attendees instead. The space itself was ample and comfortable for me to have my workshop there! 

Quan Mei sharing with her participants more about the intricate processes of Monochrome Botanical Illustrations (Pictured: @lovecurates_studio, MUJI Workshop Participants) 

Quan Mei (@lovecurates_studio): It was memorable and unimaginable to be able to hold workshops at MUJI for the first time, and to share my art with the many participants enjoying the session, and that they found the session therapeutic and calming. The ambience at MUJI greatly complemented the nature of my workshops, which encouraged participants to be in the moment, slow down, and to learn art such as Brush Calligraphy and Monochrome Botanical Illustrations.

The Student Entrepreneur’s Market, known as SEM for short, is an initiative by NUS Co-op to support homegrown NUS student entrepreneurs in their product-based businesses.

Participants of SEM can enjoy several perks such as being able to sell their products in NUS Co-op retail stores, on the NUS Co-op web store, as well as the chance to take part in exclusive events such as the Muji x NUS Co-op Community Market.

This is the second time that NUS Co-op has had the amazing opportunity to collaborate with MUJI Singapore, stay updated on future collaborations and events with our SEM Students and Alumni by following us at @nus.coop on Instagram!

Interested in SEM? Do check out our FAQ here!

Registration for the 2024 SEM intake is now closed. For more information on and details on how to join the programme for future intakes, click on the link above to find out more.