For companies that have stumbled and yet to recover, some of these challenges were beyond their control and some self-inflicted. A case in point: IEV Holdings. The Singapore-incorporated offshore oil and gas support company was one of many in the energy sector that was hit hard when oil prices collapsed in 2014.
Shares of companies targeting children as their core market have traditionally been seen as safe bets anchored in evergreen demand. After all, parents rarely cut back when it comes to spending on their children. No price is too high, it seems, if it might lead to a medal, a scholarship or a head start in life.
But cashing in on kids is no walk in the park, as some Singapore-listed companies have discovered. Even for a segment regarded as emotionally resilient and economically stable, the lesson for these firms is clear: chasing tiny consumers can come with outsized challenges.
