One man’s “cheap” is another man’s “overpriced”, as the proverb goes (sort of). That said, I’ve discovered this heartland store that I think EVERYONE can agree is definitely cheap, confirm guarantee chop. It’s called Tian Ma Group and the only way I can describe it is… it’s like the lovechild of ValuDollar and Miniso.
Located in Bedok, Bishan and Jurong West, this little heartland budget store isn’t your typical auntie barang barang shop. Although it has the typical loud “OPENING SALE!!!” signs outside and the usual toiletries and snacks selection, similar to ValuDollar, it also has really nice lifestyle goods, just like Miniso. Except cheaper. Much cheaper.
Here are my favourite finds. Photos and prices taken from the [email protected] outlet.
Mobile phone accessories from $2.50
Phone accessories are the fastest-moving products at Tian Ma, and it’s easy to see why. Everything is nicely packaged and so cheap.
Although you can definitely buy similarly-priced (or even cheaper) accessories online, the ones here are from Hoco and Remax. These brands are available on Lazada and Shopee, but most are still cheaper at Tian Ma, quite an impressive feat in this day and age.
It is more worth it to get the newest product though. For example, the Hoco Z1 car charger costs $6.80 at Tian Ma but you can find it cheaper online. The Z3, on the other hand, is a little more expensive at $8.80 but no one else sells it at this price.
| Item | Price at Tian Ma | Price elsewhere |
| Hoco X6 charging cable | $2.50 | $3.95 (Lazada) |
| Remax T9 bluetooth headset | $15.80 | $25 (Lazada) |
| Remax E5 power bank 5000mAh | $8.80 | $8.90 (Shopee) |
| Remax Proda power bank 10000mAh | $15.80 | $17.90 (Shopee) |
| Remax headphones | $18.80 | $16.90 (Shopee) |
| Hoco M3 universal earphones | $7.80 | $7.90 (Lazada) |
| Hoco Z3 car charger | $8.80 | $11 (Lazada) |
Home & workspace accessories from $10.80
I love going to the aroma diffuser section in Muji. I like to stand there and feel the gentle mist on my face until someone calls security on me.
So I was glad I found cheap humidifiers at Miniso and online, making it possible for me to recreate that feeling at home. But guess what, they’re even cheaper at Tian Ma!!! You can pick up a set of humidifier + aroma essence for under $16, pretty much what you pay for the humidifier ALONE at Miniso.
Other nice additions to your workspace or home are the sleek LED desk clock ($13.80) and the Sonos Play-lookalike round wireless speaker ($15.80). (But don’t buy the Magic Karaoke or mini speaker at Tian Ma as they’re cheaper online.)
| Item | Price at Tian Ma | Price elsewhere |
| Penguin humidifier | $10.80 | $12 (Lazada) |
| Eyun aroma essence 30ml | $3.30 to $5 | $6.90 for essential oil 10ml (Qoo10) |
| LED desk clock | $13.80 | $15.39 (Lazada) |
| Wireless speaker | $15.80 | $18.99 for similar Xiaomi speaker (Lazada) |
Beauty products for $stupid cheap
I’m no makeup expert, but even I know that these beauty tools at Tian Ma are really cheap, with most basic tools and makeup sponges going for $1 to $1.50. There are even knockoff Kylie Jenner beauty blender-style makeup sponges for $2!
Two interesting beauty gadgets I found are the pocket sized hair straightener (at the ridiculous price of $3.80!) and the makeup brush cleaner and dryer, which is even cheaper here than the cheapest one I found online.
| Item | Price at Tian Ma | Price elsewhere |
| Eyelash curler | $1.50 | $1.94 (Lazada) |
| Fake Kylie makeup sponge | $2 | $5.90 (Shopee) |
| Portable hair straightener | $3.80 | $8.20 (Qoo10) |
| Makeup brush cleaning machine | $18.80 | $21.90 (Qoo10) |
Water bottles & kitchen items starting from $1
Here’s where things start to get eerily Miniso-ish. You can find near-duplicated of Miniso products at Tian Ma for way cheaper.
For example, the exact same glass bottle with silicone handle retails at Miniso (and Japan Home) for a few bucks each. You might buy them thinking you’ve snagged a bargain, but you’ll kick yourself when you see them for $1 here.
What makes Tian Ma different from typical budget homeware shops is that you can find nice designs here, like leaf-shaped, pastel serving spoons ($1.20 each), in addition to the usual plain chopping boards and kitchen knives.
| Item | Price at Tian Ma | Price elsewhere |
| Vacuum flask | $3.90 to $5.90 | $11.90 (Miniso) |
| Glass water bottle | $1 | $3.90 (Miniso) |
| Personal cutlery set | $2.50 | From $3.50 (Miniso) |
| Assorted kitchen items | From $1 | From $1 (Shopee) |
Fashion accessories from $1
For a heartland shop, Tian Ma has some surprisingly tasteful fashion accessories for women, like these Muji-lookalike ankle/no-show socks and decent quality faux suede crossbody bags.
| Item | Price at Tian Ma | Price elsewhere |
| Ankle socks | $1 | $2 (Daiso) |
| Cloth organiser | $1.90 | $2 (Daiso) |
| Faux leather crossbody bag | $5.80 | $6 (Shopee) |
Some random items that made me go WTF
I dunno why there are mic stands among the common household goods here, but… OK. I guess you never know when you might need one?
That value pack of 10 lighters makes a great gift for that smoker friend who’s always losing her lighter, by the way.
| Item | Price at Tian Ma | Price elsewhere |
| Microphone stand | $28 | $29.81 (Aliexpress) |
| Lighter | $1 for 10 | $0.50 (7-11) |
And finally, in case you’re still on the fence about going…
THEY HAVE HIRO CHOCOLATE CAKE ($1 for pack of 5).
Tian Ma Group outlets
There are only 3 Tian Ma outlets in Singapore at the moment,
[email protected]
11 Bedok North Street 1
#01-17/19
Singapore 469662
BISHAN CENTRAL
Blk 513 Bishan Street 13
#01-512
Singapore 570513
JURONG WEST
Blk 495 Jurong West St 41
#01-100
Singapore 640495
Opening hours:
Mon to Fri – 8am to 10:30pm
Sat, Sun and PH – 7:30am to 10:30pm
What do you think – is Tian Ma worth visiting? Let us know in the comments!
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