Forum Home Appliances
豐林家庭電器中心
Siblings Tracy To and Ross Lam are the proprietors of Forum Home Appliances. Originally focusing on Asian appliances, their store now offers quality merchandise from across the globe. Located in the heart of Chinatown, a devoted clientele keeps returning to this family business for its personalized service, a rare find in today’s retail landscape.
林頌明和杜林翠詩兄妹是豐林家庭電器中心的東主。他們的店鋪最初專門售賣亞洲電器，但現在已擴展至提供來自全球各地的優質商品。豐林電器座落於華埠的中心地帶，他們有一群忠心的顧客經常光顧這家家族企業，店內提供的個人化服務在當今零售行業中已十分罕見。
Layers of Time
A walk through the store interiors reveals many layers of time. Vintage signage hints at the roots of the company as a plumbing and electrical retailer, founded by Tracy and Ross’ father in 1988. Since these early days, the store has evolved into an acclaimed specialist in appliances for Asian cuisines. The upper floors have moved with the times as well, and now serve as the HQ for online sales and marketing. Amidst the transformations, Forum Home Appliances still evokes a sense of home and familiarity to those who have shopped with them for many years.
層疊的歲月
我們走進店的內部，便會感受到層層疊疊的歲月時光。從古老的招牌就可看到這公司原本是一家於1988年由林頌明和杜林翠詩父親創立的水喉和電器零售商。公司目前已發展成為一家從事亞洲煮食電器業務的專業名店。上層的閣樓也隨著時代出現了變化，這裏現在已成為了公司進行網上銷售和市場營銷的總部。然而在這些變革中，豐林家庭電器中心仍然為那些多年來經常到此購物的老主顧帶來一種家的熟悉感覺。
[Tracy To and brother Ross Lam; photo by Rob Kruyt | 杜林翠詩及兄長林頌明; Rob Kruyt 圖片]
Half our customers are the Chinese people who have shopped with us for 20, 30, 40 years. That is so heartwarming.
我們有一半的顧客是在這裏購物已有20、30、40年的華裔人士。這真是令人感到窩心。
Tracy To 杜林翠詩
A Supportive Community
Chinatown is a place where businesses find support among each other. When Forum Home Appliances was still in its early days, it was challenging to convince large electronics brands to work with them. A neighbouring business, recognizing their potential, championed Forum Home Appliances to Panasonic, laying the foundation for a lasting alliance. Ross and Tracy remember very well how much this meant to their parents. In turn, they reciprocate this support by becoming champions of fellow Chinatown businesses, continuing a tradition of communal empowerment.
一個互相支持的社區
華埠是一個商戶之間互相扶持的地方。當豐林家電剛起步時，要說服大型電子品牌與他們合作並不容易。但是一家鄰近的商戶認識到這店舖的潛力，於是向松下電器(Panasonic) 推薦了豐林家電，從此奠定了他們持久合作的基礎。林頌明和杜林翠詩非常清楚地記得這對他們父母的幫忙有多大。作為回報，他們亦成為華埠其他企業的支持者，延續了商戶間彼此幫忙賦予力量的傳統。
In Chinatown, everyone is helping everyone. For a lot of us, that’s what the community is about.
在華埠，每個人都會互相幫忙。對我們許多人來說，這就是社區的意義所在。
Tracy To 杜林翠詩
Workmanship Upheld
Contrasting today’s throw-away culture, Forum Home Appliances offers a hopeful alternative. Tracy and Ross were quick to recognize that repair services are a good way to build up trust with customers, and can turn people into patrons for life. Their skilled technicians offer repairs of even the most obscure appliances, and have kept thousands of devices away from the landfill. The combination of technical workmanship and customer engagement in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, offers a tangible community benefit that so many have come to appreciate.
堅持精湛技術的延續
與現今的即棄式文化相比之下，豐林家庭電器中心提供了一種樂觀的替代方案。林頌明和杜林翠詩很早就意識到，維修服務是與顧客建立信任的最佳方法，同時可使人們成為店舖的終身顧客。他們技術熟練的維修人員，可為顧客修理甚至是最不尋常的電器，令數以千計電器設備免被棄置於垃圾填填區內。店內職員可用粵語、普通話和英語和顧客互動交流，加上他們提供技術上的專業服務，為社區帶來了令許多人欣賞的實質利益。
We are the only repair shop left in Metro Vancouver that still repairs all these random, weird appliances.
我們是大溫地區唯一一家仍然修復所有這些零星和奇形怪狀電器的修理店。
Ross Lam 林頌明
Organic Succession
Succession within family-run businesses can be a difficult topic to navigate. The parents of Tracy and Ross were always very laid back and never pressured them to take over the shop. This allowed them to organically grow into the day-to-day operations, without there ever being expectations or grand plans. The result is that Forum Home Appliances today really suits the duo’s strengths and interests, and embodies their personal vision. They proudly build on their parents’ legacy, knowing they have the familial support to walk their own path.
有機承接
家族企業的繼承可以是個不容易處理的議題。杜林翠詩和林頌明的父母一直非常隨和，他們從不施加壓力要求子女接手管理店舖，亦從未有設下甚麼期望或宏願，這做法讓他們有機會自然地融入業務的日常運營中。結果是，如今的豐林家庭電器中心真正能夠配合這對兄妹的長處和興趣，並讓他們體現了個人的願景。他們自豪地延續父母的事業，及明白到有家庭的支持，他們可以放心走上自己的道路。
[The Lam family: (from left to right) Tracy To, Tony Lam, Avis Lam and Ross Lam; photo by Rob Kruyt | 林氏家族:(由左至右) 杜林翠詩、林華澤、Avis Lam 及林頌明; Rob Kruyt 圖片]
Taking over the business was very organic to us. It wasn’t really the plan, but we grew up with it and just made it our own.
接管生意對我們來說是非常自然的。雖然這並非是在計劃之內，但我們和店舖一起成長，最後將它變成了我們自己的事業。
Ross Lam 林頌明
About This Series 關於本系列
Vancouver Chinatown’s legacy businesses are stewards of the neighbourhood’s cultural significance. With this storytelling series, we uncover the – often hidden – histories and intangible heritage that these businesses hold and offer.
Through short portraits, we hope to build support for the preservation of our community. It is an opportunity to get to know Chinatown’s merchants in a more personal way, and learn how they contribute to oral histories, food traditions and more.
溫哥華華埠的傳統及特色商店是社區文化意義的守護者。我們希望通過這個故事系列，展示這些企業所擁有和代表(而往往是被隱藏)的歷史和非物質文化遺產。
通過這些短篇描述，我們希望增強對保留社區的支持。並藉此機會以更個人化的方式介紹華埠的商戶，從而了解他們如何為口述歷史、飲食傳統等作出的貢獻。
COLOFON | Created by Dunefield | Wilco van Bemmel, Susan Ma, Albert Lam | Photo and videography: Brenda Xiong | Additional images: Jim Wong-Chu, Wilco van Bemmel, Susan Ma, Rob Kruyt and René Pierre | This work was made possible by funding contributions of the City of Vancouver through the Special Enterprise Program, and of Heritage BC through the Heritage Legacy Fund.
由 Dunefield 創作 | Wilco van Bemmel、Susan Ma、Albert Lam | 攝影和錄像：Brenda Xiong | 額外圖片：朱藹信、Wilco van Bemmel、Susan Ma、Rob Kruyt、Ben Geisberg、Haeccity、Kayla Isomura 和 René Pierre | 這個項目是由溫哥華市政府通過特殊企業計劃，和卑詩文化遺產協會轄下的文化遺產基金提供資助而得以完成。