We Are POPULAR
Because of You
1924
POPULAR's history began in the bustling heart of Singapore as Cheng Hing Company, specialising in the distribution of Chinese storybooks and pictures in the region.
1934
In a bid to curate a robust catalogue of Chinese books to meet the growing regional demand, the World Book Company, POPULAR’s publishing arm, was set up. In the ensuing decades, World Book Company successfully solidified its position as one of the leading Chinese book publishers in the region.
1936
To complement and support its distribution and publishing arm, POPULAR opened its first retail bookstore, POPULAR Bookstore, on North Bridge Road in Singapore, allowing the Company to bring its curated selection of Chinese literature and educational resources directly to consumers. This strategic move catapulted POPULAR into the big leagues, establishing itself as the go-to destination for book lovers. This put POPULAR in prime position to expand into the overseas market, with retail bookstores being set up in Malaysia and Hong Kong, China in the decades that followed.
1949
To complete the expansion of its global footprint, distribution channels and publishing units, including World Publishing Company and Kam Pui Enterprises, were set up in Hong Kong, China. Following World War II, POPULAR had a prescient vision in recognising this critical juncture to publish Chinese books to serve the burgeoning Asian market.
1950
Educational Publishing House (EPH) was established in the vibrant city of Hong Kong, China as a young enterprise with a noble mission — to produce pertinent and engaging educational materials that would nurture young minds across Asia Pacific. Driven by an unwavering commitment to educational excellence, POPULAR emba rked on a series of strategic expansions, staking its claim in Singapore (1996), Malaysia (1998), and Macau, China (2000). These strategic moves cemented EPH’s position in the Asia Pacific Publishing landscape.
1952
In post-war Malaya, new educational policies were being rolled out. With the advocacy of the government, The Commercial Press, Chung Hwa Book Co., Shanghai Book Co., World Book Co., and Nanyang Book Co. collaborated to establish United Publishing House (‘UPH’) in Singapore and Malaysia to publish primary textbooks in accordance with the prescribed curriculum, which were widely adopted in Southeast Asia. UPH Singapore later acquired by EPH in 1996.
1970
Following the second wave of globalisation and with America becoming the world’s largest economy, demand for English books and content in Asia was on the rise. POPULAR acquired HARRIS Bookstore where its first outlet was opened in Hong Kong, China and it was Hong Kong’s premier English bookstore at that time. A new chapter began as HARRIS was introduced in Singapore and Malaysia in 2006. Today, HARRIS continues to be an established English bookstore in Malaysia.
1980
POPULAR Bookstore opened its flagship store at the iconic Bras Basah Complex, which was also endearingly known as City of Books, in Singapore, making it the largest bookstore in Southeast Asia at that time. The store also marked POPULAR’s transformation from a Chinese bookstore into a bilingual bookstore, in line with Singapore’s education policy. Leveraging on this prominent foothold, POPULAR grew its presence in Southeast Asia steadily. Today, POPULAR Bookstore boasts a network of over 100 retail stores across Singapore and Malaysia, a strong testament to the goal of bringing the joy of the written word to an ever-wider audience.
1984
POPULAR Bookstore chose the largest city and the nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, to open its first bookstore in Malaysia. In just over a decade, POPULAR Bookstore has extended its reach to East Malaysia, and then eventually opened its first megastore in Damansara PJ. Today, POPULAR Malaysia has a total of five megastores, all strategically located across Klang Valley, Penang, and Johor Bahru, in response to the rising consumer demand in these areas.
1990
With a growing number of loyal customers and a hope for a sense of community, the POPULAR Loyalty Card programme was introduced across its operations in Singapore and Malaysia to cater exclusively to frequent shoppers. Till date, it remains a cherished brand offering as POPULAR members enjoy the rewards and privileges accorded to them, symbolising a deep and enduring connection with our valued clientele.
1991
POPULAR launched its music and audio entertainment brand ‘CD-RAMA’ in Singapore in view of the booming pop music industry in the 90s. It ventured into POPULAR Bookstore in Malaysia and POPULAR Hong Kong in 1992. The success of ‘CD-RAMA’ launched POPULAR’s pursuit in creating its own labels that allowed full curation of in-demand products. In 2009, UrbanWrite was launched as a lifestyle and premium stationery brand catering to discerning consumers. In 2015, the Gadgets & IT label was established to provide a comprehensive range of technological gadgets and accessories for the whole family.
1994
POPULAR set up publishing units in Toronto, Canada, and has now become one of the most well-loved assessment book publishers in the country.
1997
Popular Holdings Limited was listed on the main board of the Singapore Stock Exchange and subsequently delisted on 5 May 2015.
1998
Pan Lloyds Publishers was set up to focus on supplementary materials for exam preparation and home learning. Today, Pan Lloyds is the market leader in educational supplementary publishing in Hong Kong, China, with a wide range of products serving both the primary and secondary sectors. Pan Lloyds launched its e-commerce platform and its sister brand, JumpStart Publishers, in 2012.
2001
With the commercialisation of the Internet in the 90s and its subsequent incorporation into the services and technologies of modern life, there is a nascent but burgeoning demand for digital learning. POPULAR e-Learning was incorporated to provide content-rich, digital educational products, and online services. In collaboration with government agencies and key industry partners, POPULAR e-Learning provides a variety of digital and multimedia resources to integrate IT into the curriculum.
POPULAR Hong Kong launched an online bookstore, making it a pioneer in the e-commerce business.
2003
POPULAR Taiwan was incorporated following healthy growth.
2004
With a growing demand for diverse educational services in Mainland China, POPULAR Beijing was set up to develop pre-school educational materials for the China market. POPULAR Guangzhou was later established in 2008 to further support the business needs.
2006
POPULAR Bookstore successfully organised the inaugural BookFest@Singapore and BookFest@Malaysia, followed by BookFest@Hong Kong in 2008. Today, the BookFest is a major annual book industry event in Singapore and Malaysia.
2011
POPULAR Holdings was ranked amongst the ‘Singapore International 100 Companies’ by DP Information, the ranking organisation, in collaboration with The Business Times, Singapore Business Federation, and Singapore Management University. It recognises Singapore’s top 100 companies ranked by the highest overseas revenue and top companies with the largest revenue contributions from overseas markets.
2012
Kam Pui’s new imprint, ‘Ichiban’, was launched. Targeting young people, it publishes titles on contemporary topics, achieving excellent sales results.
2013
With growing demand for children education and tuition services in Hong Kong, China, POPULAR leveraged on its educational publishing resources to set up the first EduSmart Learning Centre. As of July 2024, EduSmart has established 40 centres in different districts in Hong Kong to serve the community with quality tutorial education services.
POPULAR Singapore acquired the American multinational book and music retailer, Borders, and renamed it POPULAR Bookstore.
2014
POPULAR finalised a licensing agreement with BBC Worldwide (‘BCCW’) for some BCCW brands and intellectual property to be used in POPULAR-run English language learning centres in Hong Kong and Mainland China. POPULAR Shanghai was established to facilitate its smooth operation in Pudong, Shanghai.
Active & Independent Education published Interactive General Studies in May for primary schools in Hong Kong. It was among the first batch of e-textbooks to be officially incorporated into the Hong Kong Education Bureau’s Recommended e-Textbook List.
POPULAR Taiwan established Polis Press in August 2014, embarking on the journey to disperse the seeds of Chinese culture far and wide.
2015
POPULAR was ranked among the Top 100 Brands in Singapore by Brand Finance for four consecutive years since 2012.
The first CBeebies English Learning Centre was officially opened in September 2015 in Shanghai, which marked a new chapter in the Education business for POPULAR.
POPULAR Malaysia launched its e-commerce platform.
2017
Educational House Publishing Limited launched its e-commerce platform ‘EPH Mall’ in Hong Kong, providing a convenient and quality shopping service to parents and customers.
2018
POPULAR Singapore launched a network of New Generation stores in 15 locations across Singapore. The New Generation stores boast sleek and modern furnishings, unparalleled service, and a rejuvenated range of merchandise. The new POPULAR Bookstore in Singapore Management University kickstarted the launch of self-checkout kiosks across all retail stores.
Pan Lloyds Hong Kong marked its 20th Anniversary with celebrations embracing the theme, ‘Soaring beyond 2.0, Pan Lloyds’ New Milestone’.
2019
POPULAR celebrated its 95th anniversary with the theme ’POPULAR Assures 众望所依’. In commemoration of this milestone, POPULAR kickstarted its year-long celebration with the launch of the POPULAR SG App and the POPULAR MY mobile app.
POPULAR Malaysia opened its 100th store in AEON Mall Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur, in August 2019. As the first ‘AEON Style’ mall in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, the newly-refurbished modern mall is strategically located in an integrated development area with a potential market reach of more than 700,000, alongside an accessible public transport system.
POPULAR USA published its first ‘365 Fun Days’ workbook series. Alongside the evergreen products of POPULAR Canada, POPULAR formally ventured into the US market.
2020
EduSmart was officially renamed Popular Learning. Positioning itself as "Hong Kong's Education Curricula Expert's", Popular Learning offers pre-school and primary Chinese, English, and Mathematics programmes that are closely aligned with Hong Kong’s education curricula.
Smart English launched its e-commerce business, the Very Popular Store, which offers a large variety of children books, ELT readers, and learning tools to bring about a more convenient shopping experience for customers.
Pan Lloyd’s PP Parents Club was incorporated on the website to provide informational articles and tips for members.
2021
POPULAR Singapore launched its wholly-owned e-commerce platform.
2023
Mr Chou Cheng Ngok, son of POPULAR’s founder, Mr Chou Sing Chu, retired officially and stepped down from his positions as Group CEO and Executive Director of Popular Holdings Limited. Mr Yiu Chi Shing succeeded him and was officially appointed as the Chairman and Group CEO.
2024
POPULAR celebrates its 100th Anniversary with the theme, ‘A Century of Wisdom 百年树人’, in commemoration of our history in advocating a love for literature and learning. POPULAR has evolved from a humble Chinese book distribution company to become a cultural and educational symbol, touching the lives of countless and solidifying its status as an enduring icon in the hearts and minds of the community. With a new generation committed to preserving our rich heritage while adapting to the needs of the modern era, POPULAR moves forth with a singular vision to continually expand Retail & Distribution, e-Commerce, Publishing, Education, and e-Learning businesses, while also exploring new educational segments to better serve the evolving needs of the POPULAR community. POPULAR’s illustrious centennial will pave the way for a new century ahead.