CHAMPAGNE ON WHEELS
New luxury limousine service offering karaoke & 'stewardess' revs up in spite of recession
By Shree Ann Mathavan
May 10, 2009
ALL ABOARD: There's a party going in the Mercedes Sprinter passenger van (above). Ms Faith Lu (below, pouring champagne) is Cosmosine's director. --TNP PICTURES: GAVIN FOO
WITH Singapore suffering one of its worst recessions on record, entrepreneurs Marcus Chiang and Faith Lu did something you would not expect.
They started a limousine company.
In a time where limousine firms have seen their business tank by up to 80 per cent (see report on right), Mr Chiang and Ms Lu started Cosmosine.
Both in their 30s, they forked out $250,000 with a third partner to pimp out a Mercedes Sprinter passenger van with luxuries like a karaoke system, a 29-inch LCD TV and DVD player.
And their faith in party-loving Singaporeans has been rewarded - since they launched their party limousine service last month, they've had 12 bookings and an average of 20 enquires a day.
Ms Lu, the firm's director, said: 'So far, no one has come close to the personalised service we can offer. It's much more than a transport service, so we are pretty positive.'
The company also has requests for trips up to Malaysia.The party limo concept started out initially as a joke between director Ms Lu and another friend last November.
They had dreamt up a way in which men could impress the fairer sex with a truly impressive vehicle.
But Ms Lu soon realised that the concept had real business potential even in these bleak times.
She said: 'It's a good concept - people won't drink drive and can just enjoy themselves.'
Unlike most limousine firms, which basically ferries you from point A to point B in luxury, Cosmosine's party van could be considered a destination in itself.
While plain on the outside, the interior of the van resembles a luxurious VIP lounge.
Conventional seats have been stripped off and replaced with a U-shaped leather sofa that seats eight comfortably.
Decorated in its Party Royale theme (clients can request for different themes), the van also features a gilt-edged bar, furry pillows, black feather trimmings and sparkling silver sequined curtains.
At the moment, this is Cosmosine's only limo, but Ms Lu said the company has plans to add two more larger capacity limos this year.
Charges for the firm's services start at $99. Some packages, such as the Party Royale, come with finger food like caviar, pizza and meatballs, and two bottles of champagne. It costs $588 for two hours with an extension fee of $99 per hour thereafter.
Cosmosine also provides an option of a stewardess to serve guests. While stewardesses normally come togged out in a classy black, gold or silver, customers can request for specific costumes.
For instance, recalled Mr Chiang, who is Cosmosine's general manager, one male customer had asked for his stewardess to be clad in spikes and leather.
He said: 'As long as it's not obscene, we will usually work with the customer.'
CHEERS: Parked under the Singapore Flyer.
Party
So far, Cosmosine's clients seem smitten by the VIP-lounge-on-wheels concept.
Customer Ms Raquel Wong, in her late 20s, who works in a bank said: 'I've sat in a stretch limousine before in Las Vegas and it's great. You feel like a celebrity.
'But this is actually more fun because you've not just travelling from one point to another.'
Affordability was another bonus, especially when the group is big, pointed out Ms Wong.
Her party ride of three hours two weeks ago set her back by about $85 when the final bill was split between her group of eight friends.
As another patron, Mr Albert Chang, 38, who also works in a bank, noted: 'It's not something that you will do every day, but maybe just once a month is pretty cool.'
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Rough ride for other limo firms
MOST other limousine companies we spoke to painted a far bleaker picture.
At Friendly Limousine Service where 60 per cent of their clients are foreigners, business has dropped by about 40 per cent since last November.
The company has been around for eight years.
Said Mr Jamil Ibrahim, a supervisor in his late 50s: 'The recession has been bad enough, but now now with the new (Influenza A H1N1) virus, it will get worse.'
Mr Ibrahim, whose fleet includes six cars that are a mix of Mercedes E Class and MPVs, has had to cut his prices across the board by about 15 per cent.
Things are equally bleak at Singapore Limousine, which was started in 1937, by manager Mr Ahmad Khan's father.
Mr Khan, 62, has seen business drop up to 80 per cent since last November as well.
His firm is suffering a loss, and there are times when his fleet of 20 vehicles - made up of Mercedes E and S Class and BMWs - just sit idle.
For him, however, cutting prices isn't an option. His rental of a Mercedes S Class is $100 per hour, a rate that is already low, he said.
The only thing he can do is to just maintain a 'wait and see' approach and sustain the business on profits the company previously enjoyed.
But Mr Khan is still optimistic. That's because he believes the appeal of limousines is evergreen.
He said: 'Top brass business people want the image, comfort and style that limousines afford.
'I believe such services will eventually pick up once the casinos open and the economy picks up.'
- Shree Ann Mathavan
New luxury limousine service offering karaoke & 'stewardess' revs up in spite of recession
By Shree Ann Mathavan
May 10, 2009
ALL ABOARD: There's a party going in the Mercedes Sprinter passenger van (above). Ms Faith Lu (below, pouring champagne) is Cosmosine's director. --TNP PICTURES: GAVIN FOO
WITH Singapore suffering one of its worst recessions on record, entrepreneurs Marcus Chiang and Faith Lu did something you would not expect.
They started a limousine company.
In a time where limousine firms have seen their business tank by up to 80 per cent (see report on right), Mr Chiang and Ms Lu started Cosmosine.
Both in their 30s, they forked out $250,000 with a third partner to pimp out a Mercedes Sprinter passenger van with luxuries like a karaoke system, a 29-inch LCD TV and DVD player.
And their faith in party-loving Singaporeans has been rewarded - since they launched their party limousine service last month, they've had 12 bookings and an average of 20 enquires a day.
Ms Lu, the firm's director, said: 'So far, no one has come close to the personalised service we can offer. It's much more than a transport service, so we are pretty positive.'
The company also has requests for trips up to Malaysia.The party limo concept started out initially as a joke between director Ms Lu and another friend last November.
They had dreamt up a way in which men could impress the fairer sex with a truly impressive vehicle.
But Ms Lu soon realised that the concept had real business potential even in these bleak times.
She said: 'It's a good concept - people won't drink drive and can just enjoy themselves.'
Unlike most limousine firms, which basically ferries you from point A to point B in luxury, Cosmosine's party van could be considered a destination in itself.
While plain on the outside, the interior of the van resembles a luxurious VIP lounge.
Conventional seats have been stripped off and replaced with a U-shaped leather sofa that seats eight comfortably.
Decorated in its Party Royale theme (clients can request for different themes), the van also features a gilt-edged bar, furry pillows, black feather trimmings and sparkling silver sequined curtains.
At the moment, this is Cosmosine's only limo, but Ms Lu said the company has plans to add two more larger capacity limos this year.
Charges for the firm's services start at $99. Some packages, such as the Party Royale, come with finger food like caviar, pizza and meatballs, and two bottles of champagne. It costs $588 for two hours with an extension fee of $99 per hour thereafter.
Cosmosine also provides an option of a stewardess to serve guests. While stewardesses normally come togged out in a classy black, gold or silver, customers can request for specific costumes.
For instance, recalled Mr Chiang, who is Cosmosine's general manager, one male customer had asked for his stewardess to be clad in spikes and leather.
He said: 'As long as it's not obscene, we will usually work with the customer.'
CHEERS: Parked under the Singapore Flyer.
Party
So far, Cosmosine's clients seem smitten by the VIP-lounge-on-wheels concept.
Customer Ms Raquel Wong, in her late 20s, who works in a bank said: 'I've sat in a stretch limousine before in Las Vegas and it's great. You feel like a celebrity.
'But this is actually more fun because you've not just travelling from one point to another.'
Affordability was another bonus, especially when the group is big, pointed out Ms Wong.
Her party ride of three hours two weeks ago set her back by about $85 when the final bill was split between her group of eight friends.
As another patron, Mr Albert Chang, 38, who also works in a bank, noted: 'It's not something that you will do every day, but maybe just once a month is pretty cool.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rough ride for other limo firms
MOST other limousine companies we spoke to painted a far bleaker picture.
At Friendly Limousine Service where 60 per cent of their clients are foreigners, business has dropped by about 40 per cent since last November.
The company has been around for eight years.
Said Mr Jamil Ibrahim, a supervisor in his late 50s: 'The recession has been bad enough, but now now with the new (Influenza A H1N1) virus, it will get worse.'
Mr Ibrahim, whose fleet includes six cars that are a mix of Mercedes E Class and MPVs, has had to cut his prices across the board by about 15 per cent.
Things are equally bleak at Singapore Limousine, which was started in 1937, by manager Mr Ahmad Khan's father.
Mr Khan, 62, has seen business drop up to 80 per cent since last November as well.
His firm is suffering a loss, and there are times when his fleet of 20 vehicles - made up of Mercedes E and S Class and BMWs - just sit idle.
For him, however, cutting prices isn't an option. His rental of a Mercedes S Class is $100 per hour, a rate that is already low, he said.
The only thing he can do is to just maintain a 'wait and see' approach and sustain the business on profits the company previously enjoyed.
But Mr Khan is still optimistic. That's because he believes the appeal of limousines is evergreen.
He said: 'Top brass business people want the image, comfort and style that limousines afford.
'I believe such services will eventually pick up once the casinos open and the economy picks up.'
- Shree Ann Mathavan
