Supermarket and minimart chain Hao Mart faces fifth High Court lawsuit

Supermarket and minimart chain Hao Mart is facing a fifth High Court lawsuit, with hair and scalp care company Bio Organicare Scalp suing the retailer in what court records describe as a landlord-tenant dispute.

The matter has been fixed for a case conference on July 16. Department store operator OG has been named as a third party in the proceedings, according to the court hearing list. The hearing list does not state why OG is involved.

According to the statement of claim filed by Bio Organicare Scalp’s lawyers and seen by The Straits Times, the company entered into a three-year tenancy agreement with Hao Mart in November 2024 to lease premises at Taste Orchard #04-12. The company began operating its hair salon there in or around January 2025.

In the statement of claim, Bio Organicare Scalp is seeking $186,666.61 in relocation expenses allegedly incurred after moving its hair salon from Taste Orchard to Plaza Singapura following Hao Mart’s notification that landlord OG had discontinued the head lease.

It is also seeking the return of the $29,614.10 security deposit it paid to Hao Mart in November 2024 after signing the tenancy agreement, $2,128 in stamp duty paid for its new tenancy at Plaza Singapura, as well as damages for loss of profits and additional rent, with both to be assessed by the court.

In Bio Organicare Scalp’s Instagram posts from Jan 11 to Dec 31, 2025, the company listed its Taste Orchard branch as one of its four outlets.

From Jan 1, 2026, however, the address was removed and replaced with a note saying that its Orchard branch was relocating in the first quarter of the year.

The other four lawsuits comprise OG’s lawsuit against Hao Mart over the Taste Orchard lease; a lawsuit by Hao Mart, its founder Tan Kim Yong and his wife against OG and one of its lawyers; beauty salon operator Belovie’s lawsuit against Hao Mart over an alleged breach of contract; and Hao Mart’s lawsuit against PropNex Realty and one of its agents over the leasing of the Taste Orchard premises.

Hao Mart has also been grappling with widening losses and a shrinking store network. The home-grown chain recorded a loss of $49.6 million for the financial year ended March 31, 2025. This amount is up from $32.8 million in the preceding year and $23.2 million in the year before.

Checks by ST showed that only seven of Hao Mart’s outlets were in operation as at March 30. However, there are still 20 store locations listed on its official website as at July 8.

According to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority’s records retrieved by ST on July 8, Bio Organicare Scalp was incorporated in October 2018 and its primary business activity was listed as hairdressing salons/shops.

Hao Mart is represented in the latest proceedings by Vita Law, while Bio Organicare Scalp is represented by Nine Yards Chambers. OG, the third party in this case, is represented by Dentons Rodyk & Davidson, according to the court hearing list.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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