One told Shin Min he was not concerned, as he could choose to stop drinking coffee and tea, while another said he has already done so, switching to making coffee and tea himself at home instead to save money.       same same, if i order drink it will be not more then 3 or4 times per yr, so i also dont give a F, my advise keep increasing, ppl like me will just drink at home

An increasing number of coffee shops in Singapore have been adjusting the prices of their food and drinks by 10 to 30 cents as the costs of raw materials, shipping, electricity, manpower, and more continue to rise. Sheng Yuan Coffee Shop in MacPherson previously put up a notice informing customers that from Apr. 1, all drinks and some food items sold by its stalls will be priced at 10 to 20 cents higher, Shin Min Daily News reported. Recently, several more establishments have said they will be taking similar action. Most of the price changes will affect drinks such as coffee and tea.   Adjustments are necessary   The owner of FM Coffee Shop in Bedok told Shin Min that he will be raising the prices of some drinks there by at least 10 cents a cup from May 1. He will do the same in April at three other coffee shops he owns, located in migrant worker dormitories. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, he did not increase prices at these three coffee shops, but the current spikes in gas and electricity have forced his hand. "We really cannot bear it anymore," he said. "We have to make adjustments." The manager of a drinks stall at Blk 116 Toa Payoh Lorong 2, which has already increased prices of their drinks in April by 10 cents a cup, felt similarly. They emphasised that it is necessary to adjust prices in order to keep the business going, and sought the understanding of the customers. In late March, Hong Poh Hin, chairman of the Foochow Coffee Restaurant and Bar Merchants Association, said that coffee shop operators have faced a 20 per cent increase in various costs since the start of 2026, and electricity bills are expected to keep rising.   Varies by outlet   Kim San Leng, which operates over 30 coffee shops across the country, will adjust prices at their outlets in phases from Apr. 15, and depending on their location. Its director told Shin Min that as the different outlets will set different prices based on their rent, customer traffic, and competition in the area. Those in better locations may get higher price hikes. Across all the outlets, the hikes will start from 20 cents, but not hit 40 cents.     The recent volatility of global supply chains have added pressure on food operators, exacerbated by competition in the market, the director shared. However, he emphasised that the adjustments will vary by individual outlet, and will not be applied across the board.       Some operators are still monitoring the situation   There are also coffee shop operators that have no plans to increase prices, but have been closely observing the market. The manager of Chang Cheng Holdings said that the 33 drinks stalls at the coffee shops it owns have not made price adjustments for the moment. "It's not easy for customers either, so we hope to maintain prices as much as possible," he said. At the same time, though, he admitted that he will not rule out raising prices in the future if costs continue to go up. As for the customers, some have expressed understanding for the challenges the operators and hawkers face. One told Shin Min he was not concerned, as he could choose to stop drinking coffee and tea, while another said he has already done so, switching to making coffee and tea himself at home instead to save money.

Bodybuilder hires personal trainer for his first competition, coach allegedly ghosts him and takes weeks to respond A bodybuilder in Singapore has spoken out about his “unprofessional” experience with a personal trainer, claiming he did not receive the coaching he paid for ahead of a competition. Dray, a personal risk management consultant, shared in an Instagram post on 20 March that the trainer allegedly stopped responding just two weeks before his competition. Speaking with MS News, he said it was his first time competing, and he relied heavily on the trainer’s expertise. Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram “Joining a bodybuilding competition has always been a bucket list item of mine to achieve for more than ten years, but I always procrastinated it until last year, when I decided to bite the bullet and just do it.” He added that he hired the trainer after seeing him featured frequently by a fitness influencer, believing he was “reliable and trustworthy”. Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram Communication allegedly worsened over time Dray reached out to “Coach X” in Feb 2025 and eventually hired the trainer, paying for three months of services. According to him, guidance in February went smoothly. However, communication began to deteriorate by March 2025. Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram “Requests and questions were repeatedly ignored,” Dray said. He added that when he enquired about posing training, he was told it required additional payment, but did not receive further details after asking for rates.   “The bare minimum of communication became a struggle,” he added. Wife paid for additional training sessions As a surprise, Dray’s wife later contracted Coach X separately to purchase four in-person training sessions for April 2025. “At this point, it’s been two months in, and I’ve yet to meet him in person for form checks and adjustments,” Dray explained. Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram Following his wife’s surprise session payment, Dray finally met Coach X for the first time. However, he claimed responses remained slow, with last-minute updates about the trainer being on leave and no update on when he would return. By June 2025, Dray said Coach X stopped replying for more than two weeks, later saying he had been hospitalised. Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram Around the same time, Dray realised posing practice should have started six to eight weeks before the competition, something he said was never communicated. “The timeline for this was never mentioned, even up to this point,” he said. A month later, Dray said there were still no updates on the trainer’s hospital stay, and he had to repeatedly reach out to arrange a meeting. Last-minute cancellation before competition Just two weeks before the competition, Dray had yet to begin posing practice. On the day they were scheduled to meet, Coach X  allegedly cancelled at the last minute, citing a finger injury. Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram This left Dray frustrated, as he did not understand why the injury prevented the trainer from “verbally instructing”. “Whether it [was] being hospitalised or being on leave, something always seemed to crop up,” he lamented. He eventually decided to terminate the service and requested a refund for unused sessions, but said he received no reply. Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram After encouragement from his friends, he contacted gyms where Coach X freelanced, but they said they were “not liable for his conduct”. Dray later filed a claim with the Small Claims Tribunal, where the trainer allegedly did not appear for scheduled hearings. Two new coaches step in to help With limited time left, Dray managed to engage two new coaches, @brandon.yang and @ch00martin, to help him prepare for the competition. He said they stepped in despite the tight timeline and provided guidance beyond what was expected. “After hearing what I had gone through, [they] decided to take me under their wing for the remainder of the prep despite the short time frame,” he shared. Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram One coach, Brandon Yang, who was hired specifically for posing training, ended up providing additional guidance for the entire remainder of the preparation process. “He didn’t owe me that. And yet, he chose to show up in all the ways [Coach X] didn’t.” Source: hydraytion_ on Instagram Reflecting on the experience, Dray said he learnt not to rely solely on “social proof” when choosing a coach. He added that he would be more cautious in future and ensure clear agreements are in place. “I hope my story can help others avoid going through what I did,” he said.