Cornerstore shops like Lee Sun & Son, which closed at the weekend after almost a century of trade, are also part of a different socio-economic order.
While the hustle and bustle of bargain price, made-in-China goods at malls is the new form of hard international trade in the city, reaction to the closure of Soon Fong Lee and Chiu-Lan Lee’s general dealership at 89 Currie Street in Quigney revealed a local wealth of love for time-tested integrated community stores.
“Lee Sun & Son was an anchor business for 95 years, contributing to the economy," Quigney Ratepayers and Residents Association chair Satish Nair said.
"This strong, genuine business will be totally missed by the local community.
"The owner, Mr Lee, has contributed a lot to the local community. He and his family are loved by Quigney.”
On Saturday, as auctioneer Kim Schwarz waded her way through boxes of wildly mixed items — from a tambourine to grease guns, socks and peanut butter selling at around R300 a box to a crowd of 60 — a well-heeled couple arrived.
Erwin Botha, 76, a retired engineer and his wife Salome, approached, with Erwin telling Lee how they loved the store and how sorry they were to see it go.
Botha, whose father worked for SA Railways and lived around the corner in Caxton Street, said: “I was five. We would run around the shop. It was like a playground. They were so nice and treated us very well.
“We were a railway family. Money was tight. We were good friends.”
Salome said: “Whenever we drive past, we always talk about the shop.”
One descendant of this historic Chinese immigrant community is Daily Dispatch photojournalist Alan Eason, who said: “End of an era, the last historic Chinese general dealer in the city.
"Fun fact — Kim's Corner was once TC Eason & Co where my dad's family had a general dealer and sold tropical fish.”
He confirmed that the city’s old Chinese immigrant community was "an inquisitive bunch”.
His parents had attended the Chinese School for a bit but never finished school and went straight into work.
Some of the Eason family attended a local convent and the boys went to De La Salle College.
“Not many schools accepted Chinese kids. Hudson did. My first headmaster was Ted Allen in 1976.”
Kevin Harris, a young beach-loving feral pre-teen of the '70s, said the shop was like a mini-fairground where cents spent on sweets on the high shelf went farther.
The toys were amazing but the good stuff was behind glass.
“Progress brought franchises and supply chains which had a less personal, more alienating feel when compared to what we received at the corner store.
“Soon Fong Lee is 91. He has outlasted the shop, a building from another era and books where accounts were written up.
“As a young boy, it was like our Disneyland.
"A beat-up bicycle, Casa Persa flats at 22 Goldschmidt Street, Friesland Milkbar, and Lee Son & Son on the way back from Eastern Beach. The beat of the old Quigney.”
