Malaysia Retailer|Vol 5|No 3|2017|Dato CM Vignaesvaran HRDF

Vol 5 No 3 2017

HR Training & Development: A National Agenda Awarding Excellence & Value Creators

FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 Dato’ Vignaesvaran Jeyandran, Chief Executive of HRDF

WM RM9 / EM RM11

HRDF PAVING THE WAY

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CONTENTS / VOL. 5 NO. 3

10 DEPARTMENTS 41 Member Updates

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IN FOCUS 4 HRDF Paves the Way for Industry 4.0

Event Calendar

48 MRCA In The News

Chief Executive Dato’ CM Vignaesvaran Jeyandran shares his thoughts on how HRDF is equipping the local workforce to face Industry 4.0.

33 Looking Into Expansion

To cater to the young consumers, Focus Point has a new line of eyewear that is affordable and fashionable.

Organisers unveil exciting activities, speakers and exhibitors for this year.

Sunway Malls CEO on the retail space glut and how his brand continue to stay relevant.

16 Nurturing Innovation and Creativity

Encouraging employees to be innovative and creative takes time and effort.

18 Shopping with Machines

The age of robots is here, helping to anticipate consumer spending.

20 Strong Online Spending Among Malaysians

A national survey showed consumer sentiment is high for online retailers.

22 Omni-channel Retailing – Wave Of The Future

How offline retailers can leverage on e-commerce and vice versa.

24 Facing Negative Feedback

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Restaurant expects healthy growth this year despite economic challenges.

34 Pick the Right Outlet with

HRDF Chief Executive Dato’ CM Vignaesvaran Jeyandran

Its Wings

FEATURES 10 MRCA Ramps Up Preparations for Retail Conference and Exhibition

14 Changing Roles of Malls

ON THE COVER

32 Chicken Rice Shop Spreads

On Social Media

How to manage branding and image on popular social platforms.

Feng Shui

It’s all about location for retailers.

36 Achieving Geopathic Balance Countering negative influences in a building or location.

44 Award-winning Clara

Its founder Datin Dr Clara L Chee wins prestigious award while her company extends its presence across the world.

45 Secret To Delectable Tarts

Secret Recipe is the place to go to enjoy tasty Hokkaido cheese tarts.

EVENTS 26 May Meeting

Talk by CLIQTRU CEO 27 MRCA MOU Exchange at MaGIC Meeting with Deputy Director, Economic Division, PM’s Office 28 KKMart GST Campaign CPN Thai Delegation Visit 29 MRCA President’s Whirlwind Year 30 Raya Charity Visit To Pusat Jagaan Nur Hasanah

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In Focus

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HRDF PAVING THE WAY FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 With the advent of industry 4.0, HRDF is hot on the trail of preparing the Malaysian workforce to thrive in an impending industrial revolution.

Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4) is now the latest buzz word representing greater automation in industry and the prospect of eliminating the need for manpower in routine and repetitive jobs.

According to sources, industry 4.0 may result in 65 percent of current jobs being phased out by 2027, which calls for the Malaysian workforce to be equipped to face IR4.

As agency with a mandate to transform the Malaysian workforce for the future through learning and development programmes, HRDF is out to reach out to a greater portion of the 15 million workers in Malaysia. Thus far, only two million are benefitting from HRDF’s training programmes. In its quest to expand its coverage and increase an awareness of its value creations, HRDF conducts dialogues with its list of registered employers, trainers, regulators and industry captains to identify and meet the training needs of the nation.

“With our involvement in Big Data Analytics (BDA), we are looking into enhancing our prediction on the training needs according to the industries covered under the PSMB Act, 2001; giving better profiling on our registered employers and employees, and strategically identifying the demands for skilled local labour according to sectors and geography,” explains Dato’ CM

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Vignaesvaran Jeyandran, Chief Executive of HRDF. In addressing this needs, HRDF established 21 Sectorial Training Committees (STCs) in 2014, to identify relevant programmes needed by Malaysia's key economic sectors..

Following this, HRDF’s STCs have established the Industrial Based Certification Programme (INBASE) under HRDF’s Human Capital Strategic initiatives was created.

Under INBASE, HRDF has identified three key clusters, namely, the Facilitating Special Industry Human Capital Development, Supporting the National Development Corridor and Supporting Industry Development.

With the rapid expansion of the digital economy, the Malaysian business landscape is in dire need of digital talents. In view of this, HRDF is currently mobilising funds for training programmes in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Adoption and Big Data for the workforce, over a period of four years, beginning in 2017 up to 2020. A total of RM203 million will be utilised to deliver three broad programmes which include Data and Data Professional Training; Empowering Women through ICT & Leadership Data Science; and MDEC’s Development Programme on Critical ICT Skills. HRDF is also collaborating with the National Big

Data Association to promote its initiative in the Development of Digital Talent for Industry, and to date, 28 courses have been approved.

“Technological disruption will obtain great insight into employer’s manufacturing systems, knowing how orders of their customers are being processed, what is lagging, what is lacking and predictions of the upcoming actions to be taken in order to keep things going smoothly,” says Dato’ Vicks, as the Chief Executive of HRDF is fondly known.

“We hope that more companies would be empowered to up-skill, re-skill and multi-skill their local labour force; ensuring both employers and employees adapt effectively and efficiently to the rapid changes happening in the world, in order to survive and thrive the next industrial revolution,” he elaborates.

HRDF’s Strategic Collaboration In grooming the Malaysian workforce for 4.0, HRDF is in alignment with the government’s efforts in spearheading 4.0 and in creating “smart factories”.

To achieve this, HRDF acknowledges that the digitalisation of production processes are key, therefore, HRDF has embarked on a collaborative effort with the Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) and Knowledgecom Corporation Sdn Bhd to promote the National

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“We hope that more companies would be empowered to up-skill, reskill and multi-skill their local labour force; ensuring both employers and employees adapt effectively and efficiently to the rapid changes happening in the world, in order to survive and thrive the next industrial revolution.�

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TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT:

A NATIONAL AGENDA

pearheading training and development efforts in Malaysia, HRDF leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that the Malaysian workforce is prepared for the future.

Human capital represents the fundamental building blocks of a nation’s economic growth. Research conducted by various leading global bodies have concluded that skilled human capital is a mission-critical element in driving productivity, particularly in a knowledge-based economy. The “writing on the wall” is clear – investment in education as well as training and development is key to building innovation and spurring longterm competitiveness.

Recognising this, HRDF, an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Human Resources, has evolved from its role as a fund manager for national training funds to a full-fledged onestop centre providing human resource development solutions to more than 19,000 registered employers. Today, HRDF benefits more than two million employees across Malaysia.

Dato’ Vicks explains, “It is our vision to be a catalyst in enabling Malaysia to achieve the status of a high-income nation by the year 2020 by driving training and development efforts among the Malaysian workforce. Our mission is to enhance the knowledge, skills and capabilities of the workforce through the effective management of the funds that HRDF has been entrusted with.”

According to HRDF's Chief Executive, the key to driving the economic growth of any country is by up-skilling the country’s labour force, focusing on grooming talent, building business strategies, creating a healthy organisational culture, as well as driving customer experience and learning technologies. In line

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Empowerment in Certification and Training for Next Generation Workers (NECT-Gen- Industry 4.0) programmes comprising 5 courses, which have been approved.

HRDF has also partnered with the Malaysian Plastic Manufacturers Association (MPMA) in implementing trainings for the development of IR4 for plastic companies in the country. With output, equipment reliability and energy efficiency, as some of the main drivers in the plastic industry in Malaysia, IR4 is expected to address these issues.

To support the development of industries covered under HRDF, the agency has also approved another strategic initiative known as Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is crucial, given the increased proliferation of broadband Internet users and broadband network in the country. With IPv6 being more secure and with a greater capacity which is not easily over-loaded compared to IPv4, more countries are turning to the use of IPv6. HRDF has allocated RM5 million for courses on IPv6 for its registered employers. The agency is also cooperating with Persatuan IPv6 Malaysia to promote its initiative in National Empowerment in Certification, Training for The Next Generation of Internet (IPv6); supported by the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia.

HRDF is constantly striving to keep employers and employees informed on the latest programmes and development opportunities available to them in an effort to keep the Malaysian workforce on par with global standards.

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with this, HRDF has organised the annual HRDF Trainers’ Conference and HRDF Conference & Exhibition, which are avenues for business and thought leaders as well as HR practitioners to converge and explore new trends, learning technologies and the future of human capital development.

HRDF Conferences 2017 In 2017, HRDF's two flagship events are in the pipeline and will be held across three consecutive days – 27 to 29 November 2017. With an anticipated turnout of 2,500 participants, these events are scheduled to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), featuring interactive and content-rich sessions, facilitated by industry leaders, corporate captains and world-class HR thought leaders. These events which are among the country's most sought-after present speakers and panellists as well as moderators who are cognisant of the latest development and innovation in the HR field.

The upcoming HRDF Trainers’ Conference 2017 is themed "Embracing Learning Techs", while the HRDF Conference & Exhibition 2017 is themed "Big Data & Analytics Applications: Impact on Human Capital." These events have been exclusively designed to enhance the level of Malaysia’s human capital development and deliberate the power and potential of Malaysian employers, employees and training providers in the wake of rapid globalisation.

“Malaysia has to take a more aggressive stance in addressing unemployment, and to change the way Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operate, while enabling the Malaysian workforce to move into IR4 – the latest industrial movement with origins from Germany,” explains Dato’ Vignaesvaran.

In emphasising the importance of being prepared for IR4, the visionary

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Chief Executive of the country’s main HR development engine says, “Developing economies such as Malaysia should put in place assertive plans for future growth to keep up with the pace of IR4. To do this, relevant policies affecting investment, data analysis, and information security must be taken into consideration, however priority has to be on human capital policies.”

The million-dollar question is, what types of training and development programmes or solutions are relevant in today’s technology-driven environment?

Dato’ Vicks elaborates, "An organisation’s human resource department needs to evaluate the types of skills that are crucial in driving their business forward and in managing the impact of the latest technological innovations. With this in mind, HRDF intends to educate Malaysian employers on the importance of empowering their workforce, and in turn spurring their workforce towards progress and to stay ahead or abreast with competitors.”

In relation to this, the HRDF Conference 2016 featured more than

20 Malaysian and international industry experts who conference the conferences as speakers, panellists and moderators.

The events saw the participation of more than 2,000 HR professionals from across Asia Pacific and Britain.

Key speakers at last year's event were IBM’s Workforce Science and Analytics APAC Managing Director, Dilip Boury; the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)'s People and Strategy Director, Laura Harrison; Siemens Malaysia Sdn Bhd, President and Chief Executive Officer, Prakash Chandran; and Scentia’s Group CEO, Peter Mobbs.

“Through these events, we hope to reduce Malaysia’s unemployment rate and the country’s dependency on foreign expertise for skilled jobs. At the same time, we hope to empower Malaysia workers with the relevant skills and capabilities that are aligned with the evolution of the various industries,” says Dato’ Vicks.

Dato’ Vignaesvaran emphasised that conferences such as these are important in addressing pressing issues in the

Malaysian workforce such as skills gaps, managing talent mobility and the creation of ample job opportunities for locals.

“We will continue to provide our unwavering support to the national agenda by ensuring employees of our registered employers are equipped with the right certifications and knowledge,” he concluded.

In recent years, Malaysia has achieved tremendous traction in human capital development. However, the country still has room for improvement in view of the highly competitive regional and global markets.

HRD Awards HRDF is committed towards creating a workforce that is performance-oriented.

In view of this, HRDF has introduced the Human Resource Development (HRD) Awards to recognise industry practitioners, experts and leaders in their efforts to accelerate human capital development, as well as their contributions towards people development and management.

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AWARDING EXCELLENCE & VALUE CREATORS ntroduced in 2001, the HRD Awards consist of the Human Resources Minister Award, Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Award, Innovation and Creativity Award, Pearl Award, and Certificate of Excellence. For 2017, HRDF introduced a new category of award – the Data Analytics Award.

Keeping in tandem with the advent of IR4, this Award recognises employers who adopt data and analytics approach in strengthening the human capital development in their organisations.

The HRD Awards, under the auspices of Ministry of Human Resources, is the highest national recognition in human resource development from HRDF. Dato' Vicks says, “It is everybody’s

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responsibility to turn things around through up-skilling and re-skilling efforts. Truth be told, we are the catalyst that will propel our local talent towards their best ability and simultaneously influencing business sustainability.”

The award recipients include exemplary HRDF registered employers and training providers, who with their strategic and concerted efforts, continue to drive world-class training culture within their organisations and circles of influence.

“The Awards reflect the contribution of our stakeholders towards equipping Malaysian employees with the right skills to support the national agenda of a 35 per cent skilled local workforce by the Year 2020,” he said.

SOME OF THE AWARDS AND THEIR MEANING

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THE HRDF INNOVATION & CREATIVITY AWARD: Recognition to employers who introduce creative solutions and innovations in the development of human resources.

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PEARL AWARD: Recognition to employers who practice the best work-life balance for their employees.

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CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE Recognition to employers who have reached a satisfactory level in the development of their organisation's resources during the assessment process.

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WINNERS OF HRD AWARDS 2016 The Human Resources Minister Award • Perodua Manufacturing Sdn Bhd • Tan Chong Ekspres Auto Servis Sdn Bhd • Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (M) Sdn Bhd • Max-Airplay Sdn Bhd • Nevill-Clarke (M) Sdn Bhd The Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad Award • NXP Semiconductors Malaysia Sdn Bhd • Penang Specialist Hospital Sdn Bhd • EPCOSS Sdn Bhd • WSS Sdn Bhd • Peoplelogy Development Sdn Bhd The HRDF Innovation & Creativity Award • CTRM Aero Composites Sdn Bhd The Pearl Award • Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd

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MRCA Ramps Up Preparations For Retail Exhibition And Conference The association’s flagship event is one to look out for, especially for those interested to expand their business horizons beyond Malaysia.

he Malaysia Retail Chain Association is set to drive major economic transformation through Digital Retail Initiatives (DRI) at the second edition of MRCA Retail Conference and the Malaysia International Retail & Franchise (MIRF) exhibition that is held in Kuala Lumpur on July 12-16, 2017.

In a press conference held on June 7 at the St. Giles The Gardens Hotel, the media was introduced to many of the activities lined up for the two main events. One being the opening ceremony

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helmed by Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Dato’ Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

“Our franchise industry have the potential to increase to greater heights because it only contributed of 5% from the retail sales compared to other developed countries which is at 40%.

“With DRI, we are complementing the Prime Minister’s vision for digital transformation in the retail sector as outlined in the Malaysia Productivity Blueprint,” said Dato’ Garry Chua, President of MRCA. Leading the MRCA Retail Conference

is Dato’ Bruce Lim, MRCA Deputy Secretary General. While Dato’ Liew Bin who is the Vice-President of MRCA, is taking the helm for MIRF 2017.

Riding on the theme “Innovation: The Future Is Now”, the MRCA Retail Conference features top notch line-up of speakers including Dato’ Sri Idris Jala, Chief Executive Officer of Performance Management And Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), Dato’ Yasmin Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), and Dato’ Seri Ivan Teh, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director of ADV Fusionex.

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Unveiling the MIRF 2017 and MRCA Retail Conference 2017 banners.

From left: Lyanna Tew of Mah Sing Group, Dato’ Liew Bin, Dato’ Garry Chua, Dato’ Bruce, Dato’ Liaw and Valerie Choo.

The conference aims to strengthening DRI introduced

by MRCA and provide impactful learning experience for latest digital technology and tools. In addition, the conference also seek to promote internationalisation as well address the Gen-Y consumers and workforce.

The conference is on July 12 at Garden Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

“For the past couple of years, the way in which businesses are run are changing and becoming more challenging. We have to adapt to the changes in the right way or our businesses will be disrupted,” said Dato’ Bruce.

“Our consumers are getting smarter and demands will be higher.

“Even retail space – the way a business sells a product or service – has also changed.

“All these can affect logistics, the supply chain, the way we train and hire people and set up systems and processes.”

Lim said to adopt all these changes,

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one cannot just hop on the online bandwagon.

“We need to learn from pioneers, people who have already gone into this; they will be able to share their experiences.”

Following the success of the inaugural MIRF exhibition in 2016, MRCA continues to complement the needs of every professional with various educational features and business networking opportunities.

Aligning with MRCA’s direction for cross-border retail expansion plan, MIRF sets Malaysia as the international retail and franchise hub, to seek potential investors and partners. The exhibition is held from July 13 to 16 at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre.

Reflecting on the first edition of MIRF, this year MRCA aims at 20% increase in total transaction revenue from last year’s RM50 million with 250 exhibitors’ involvement and targeting 20,000 visitors for the four-day event.

Dato’ Liew said although the

franchise industry had a great growth potential in Malaysia, more needed to be done to promote it as it only accounted for 5% of retail sales in the country currently, compared with other developed nations where the industry accounted for 40% of retail sales.

“The Malaysian franchise business has been growing at 15%, annually, from 2008 to 2014, but the growth is still very small compared with the total retail sales business.”

He added aside from local brands, this year’s MIRF would also feature international brands from Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Australia and the United States.

Both MRCA Retail Conference and MIRF 2017 are proudly organised in collaboration with Retail and F&B Productivity Nexus of the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, and Mah Sing Group, with support from MRCA Corporate Patrons – Maxis, Maybank, Mastercard, Fusionex and Quill Automobiles.

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Changing Roles Of Malls After Sunway Velocity’s unveiling last December, we caught up with Sunway Malls & Theme Parks CEO H.C. Chan for a chat.

What’s your opinion on the oversupply of retail space in Klang Valley?

Oversupply in Klang Valley has been on the central theme for quite some time. If we look at the Malaysian Shopping Malls Association figures, of the 550 malls in the nation, 50% are located within the Klang Valley. This gives you an overview how crowded the market is.

The National Property Information Centre 2016 figures showed again Selangor and Federal Territories emerged top with a cumulative Granted 20 years ago H.C. Chan, CEO of Sunway retail space at 68.1 million when we operated our Shopping Malls & square feet, constituting first mall, competition Theme Parks.

43% of retail space nationwide. wasn’t as intense.

Therefore newer malls are Competition today is not not assured of visitors. The growth limited to traditional mall players but in malls has resulted in some form extended to online shopping as well. of homogeneity, unless clearly The advancement in mobile differentiated, there is no compelling technology, growth of smartphones reason for repeat visits. penetration and lower costs of Broad based views aside, there are mobile data have allowed disruptive also some underserved areas in the technologies to enter the market and Klang Valley. Any retail developments re-shape the face of traditional retail should undergo careful market and formats. feasibility studies to identify these According to Euromonitor, online latent potential. Some past notable retail sales increased from RM1 billion examples were IOI City Mall in Putrajaya in 2011 to RM2.4 billion in 2016 with an and Sunway Velocity Mall in Cheras. The annual growth rate of 18.5%. In contrast, good occupancy rate and steady visitor store based retail sales achieved an figures when these malls first opened annual growth rate of 3.2%. are testament to that.

But against this backdrop, we are still growing. From one, we now have five malls under our portfolio. It is the first Does this issue affect your few malls that you develop and refine organisation’s plans going forward? the process, people and system and Sunway Malls is turning 20 this July.

Sunway Malls’ flagship mall, Sunway Pyramid turns 20 this July. It opened in 1997.

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Sunway Velocity Mall is the 5th mall under Sunway Malls.

now Sunway Malls is at a stage where it can easily scale. This accords us certain strategic advantages especially when we can also leverage on Sunway’s other areas of expertise.

Sunway Malls take cognisance that the industry landscape will be very different from the one we are seeing today and the experiential factor consisting of socialisation, engagement and refreshment elements have to be harnessed in order for the group to expand and move forward.

Socialisation – this is important as it is one of the key drivers in the growth of F&B especially experience, creating outlets like artisanal coffee places, hipster dining outlets and more that allows a high degree of interaction among the patrons.

Engagement – while online offers convenience and price advantages, it’s difficult to make use of the five senses.

Traditional retail outlets are still very apt in harnessing this. The sight, smell,

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Sunway Malls’ flagship mall, Sunway Pyramid turns 20 this July. It opened in 1997.

touch and etc can be curated to amplify a visit to the outlet. And this can be taken further with the incorporation of customer service, which if is done correctly will humanise and personalised the shopping journey.

Refreshment – the need for recharging one’s battery is becoming increasingly important and relevant. There is a huge demand for leisure and entertainment.

We have seen the proliferation of nonshopping offerings expanding relative to shopping offerings over the past few years. For example, leisure and F&B in the early days may constitute single digit percentage of nett lettable area in a mall. Today, it can range from 25% to 30%.

Has the soft economy affected the retail tenants in your malls?

To a large extent, it cannot be denied consumer sentiments are soft which translates to more careful spending at malls. Sentiments had been on downtrend since 2014Q4, according to Malaysian Institute of Economic Research.

The soft economy is also dampening consumer spending, particularly inflation. Statistics Department reported highest inflation in eight years in March – 5.1% – due to higher fuel prices, ahead of Feb 4.5%.

This is an industry wide issue. As with any economic downturn, it tends to be cyclical in nature. And when times are uncertain, more promotional, marketing and branding efforts have to be carried out to attract visitorship and sales conversion.

Ron Kaufman (centre), customer service guru at a specially organised talk for Sunway Malls retailers.

• It had only 4.5 sq ft per capita of retail space. Generally, rule of thumb is 7.5 sq ft per capita. For example, Singapore has 7.1 sq ft per capita (Jones Lang Wotton, Apr 2016) • Population size of 800,000 (Statistics Department Malaysia), 590,000 within 10-minute drive of central Cheras (Focus Malaysia, July 2016) • Lack of 1 mil sq ft mall • Lack of large-scale integrated development With that sizeable market, it was ripe for a large scale development to come in. Of course, Sunway Velocity is an 23-acre integrated development with the mall as one of its components.

The presence of MyTown and IKEA despite the proximity have potential upside to create a new shopping precinct such as Bukit Bintang-KLCC. So far, we have not seen cannibalisation of visitors due to the large market size as well as differentiated offerings by each mall.

What can consumers expect from Sunway Malls in the coming future?

Sustainability – that is the most important aspect Sunway Malls will bring, as not limiting to just customers but various stakeholders as well. This is a broad based approach whereby for customers it means sustainable relevancy and experiences, for business partners it means sustainable returns, for the industry it means sustainable progress. We are looking into expanding into other key markets outside of Klang Valley, studying potential in Johor, Penang and Ipoh.

What is the rationale behind the decision to open Sunway Velocity in close proximity to MyTown and IKEA?

What are your thoughts on the rising e-commerce and its effect on brickand-mortar retailers?

Cheras predominantly was a relative underserved market despite a largely affluent urban market.

There is no denying online retailing and e-commerce are here to stay and in time, grow increasingly substantial.

Retail Group Malaysia reported online retail sales only account less than 2% of total sales in Malaysia.

Besides creatingjobs, the setting up of a logistics hub (operational in 2019) by Alibaba Group will accelerate the maturity of e-commerce ecosystem by having the necessary fulfilment infrastructure in place in a substantial way.

The crux of the issue is online adds virtual space to malls’ physical space accentuating the oversupply situation.

No longer are malls just contending with physical space but virtual space, same goes for retailers.

But I do see the convergence of both online and offline at some point.

Amazon and Alibaba, both pure-play e-commerce companies have made strides to have physical presence. Online is convenient, fast and possibly cheaper while offline offers socialisation and engagement of the five senses.

One trade category that has been able to harness the social aspect well is F&B. Dining while satisfying a basic need also serves to fill a higher need as consumers begin to entertain out of home. Here, we see the shift as close to 25-30% of malls net lettable areas are F&B driven as opposed to 20 years ago which stood at single digit. Another example is the leisure and entertainment category with the likes of cinemas, karaoke and health massage centres are still sustaining their relevance.

Yes, technology disrupts but it can be equally enabling. The advance is technology has also enabled mall to deliver and customise experiences like never before – virtual reality, radio frequency identification, 3D printing have enabled brands to offer unique experiences. Malls that figure a way to work on these and incorporate the social aspect will continue to be successful.

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Malaysian Government urges for innovation to drive the country’s economy to achieve a high-income nation status by 2020.

By Dr Oliver Ho

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Success Rate For New Products And Services

Disruptive innovation is the key to unlock differentiation to stay ahead of the hyper competitive curve. Nintendo’s Wii game console, launched three years ago, is a good example of a product that created new markets, making competition irrelevant. Other disruptive examples are Uber, Airbnb and Huawei.

In Malaysia, we have also disruptive innovators in the retail business such as AirAsia, Jobstreet.com and Grab.

Innovation guru Clayton Christensen, Scott Cook and Toddy Hall said, “30,000 new consumer products are launched every year, over 90% failed despite professionals spending big money trying to understand what customers want.” This means we must be careful to form and nurture a dynamic proactive innovation team if we wish to mitigate barriers and attain sustainable success.

Forming Your Innovation Team

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The most successful companies are those that incorporate innovation into their business plan and not just

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Retail Hit By Disruptive Innovation

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hy are and what is the difference between them?

American economist Theodore Levitt said, “Creativity is thinking new things whilst innovation is doing new things.”

Creativity is the foundation of innovation. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is even more important than knowledge”. In our informationoverloaded internet driven society, the key to success is to harness the power of creative innovation to be the engine of corporate growth.

There are various kinds of innovation – new or improved products/ services; innovative ways of producing, outsourcing or new manufacturing discoveries; new ways of delivering goods and services; and business innovation.

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Nurturing Innovation And Creativity

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Creativity In Your Team On July 19, 2010 issue of Newsweek, authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman wrote that creativity is declining in the US. Are creative people born or bred? It is both nature and nurture.

Some are brimming with ideas on how to invent or improve, while others are careful but can still contribute. The strategy is to get everyone involved.

Innovation needs to be supported and sustained by top management.

Otherwise, it will be a waste of resources.

Recognition or awards are needed to build a passionate team. Recognition comes in many forms, including promotions, prizes, and an increase in allowance or pay, a pat on the back in front of other employees or a letter of appreciation or even a trophy.

We can try to adopt world class multinational 3M’s philosophy of allowing staff to spend 15% of their time on quality creative thinking and out-of-the-box experiments or process improvements.

As such the need to develop and nurture an innovation team is the greatest challenge and as the innovative process is not easy. The author feels that a positive corporate culture for fostering innovation is a critical dimension.

Not all creative ideas spell success and mistakes are to be tolerated.

A common mission statement and team philosophy is needed to nurture innovation. Accountability and leadership by example are paramount.

Always communicate and promote stories of creativity and innovation in your organization.

Late in the 21st century, rewards have moved from individual recognition and monetary incentives to those that are team-centred and celebratory. But

Risk Taking

introduce it as an ad hoc initiative.

Many organisations assign innovation to R&D or analysts. Most these initiatives will fail as they are isolated from reality and the rapid changes in technology and its usage, consumer taste, fashion and trends. There must be a partnership between a dedicated team and the operational group or performance engine.

Innovation

Creativity and Risk Taking (Combined results in innovation)

Creativity

Figure 2 -Creativity and Risk Taking = Innovation then the elusive challenging question remains, how do you form the ideal team to nurture and unlock creativity and innovation in your organisation?

Creatrix – Key To Unlock Innovation Mindset Forty years ago, Dr Richard Byrd began researching the qualities of successful innovators. His findings prompted him to identify two constructs that measure innovation. He came up with the equation: Innovation = Creativity x Risk Taking.

Dr Byrd developed a robust assessment tool called the Creatrix innovation inventory to provide insight into the innovative capacity of individuals, teams and organisations.

Today, it has been successfully used by more than 70,000 executives in every industry worldwide.

The Creatix principles continue to be studied by Dr Byrd’s daughter, Dr Jacqueline Byrd, author of The Innovation Equation. She concluded Creatrix has enabled her organisation to achieve these results: 1. Awareness of the importance of innovation across the organisation has grown significantly.

2. People and teams have gained an understanding of the behaviours that lead to innovation.

3. Employees have realised they all own innovation – it is not just R&D’s job.

4. Barriers that previously inhibited innovation have been removed.

5. Powerful teams have been assembled to work on innovative solutions to the organisation’s most pressing problems.

It can be hard to shift perspectives without compelling analytical in depth

information. Creatrix can serve as a breath of fresh air as an insightful tool.

Figure 2 depicts the powerful formulae to accelerate creativity in any retail organisation.

Inspiring Innovation Par Excellence In a recent IBM study of 1,500 global CEOs, two of the conclusions were: • Creativity should be instilled throughout the organisation because of the highly complex and global business environment we live in today. Every individual need to be made more aware of his or her own creative capacities, and to nurture and leverage these in daily work activities.

• New perspectives are required to develop creative and innovative ways of managing an organisation’s structure, finances, people and strategy. The ability of leaders and managers to operate innovatively, leveraging their creativity and risk-taking within an organisation, is crucial to success.

In 2010, Success magazine lists three factors: encourage experimentation, treat everyone as creative and work together towards a common goal by consensus.

Even Pemandu under the leadership of Datuk Seri Idris Jala, came up with innovative approaches to meet economic targets through establishing innovation laboratories to find fresh perspectives to understand the dynamic positioning – whether political, social or economic – that the Government is facing too.

It means creating an environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves and saying what needs to be done in line with the 1Malaysia conceptual framework.

Dr Oliver Ho is the Principal Consultant for IGM Academy Sdn Bhd. He can be contacted at ohoigma@ yahoo.com or 017-818 8807.

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Shopping With Machines AI technology and its huge potential to provide an immersive retail experience for customers.

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

19 rtificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and augmented reality still carry an air of science fiction about them, as we imagine this to mean intelligent machines which are borderline human. Yet, as technological concepts, these aren’t really so farfetched any more.

Artificial intelligence – a term in use for half a century now – simply means getting computers to be able to do tasks and functions through “learning” rather than through programming in explicit detail. Computers can “learn” through having large amounts of data fed into its systems which it can analyse and improve its responses to different situations.

This sort of machine learning is already in use, such as for improving the results of web searches on the internet or the responses of virtual assistants in smartphones.

In January 2016, AI technology showed its tremendous potential when a computer beat a top South Korean player in an ancient strategy board game called Go. This feat was previously thought to be impossible as Go requires a great deal of prediction, and that was seen as beyond the abilities of even the best computers.

According to a South China Morning Post report in January 2017, the machine has since gone on to win another 60 games in a later online competition of Go. It’s not only in games that AI technology has made strides. Early this year, The Guardian reported 34 workers of an insurance firm in Japan have been replaced by an AI system which took over their functions in calculating payouts to policy holders.

It appears a matter of time before AI becomes mainstream, including in the retail industry.

In an interview published in Forbes in December 2016, IBM’s first chief marketing officer Michelle Peluso said there is now an opportunity for marketers to use AI to improve consumer experience, as the big shift to online shopping in recent years has significantly increased the amount of data available for marketers to understand shoppers.

Experts say AI has the potential to

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“Our new AI-based recommendation feature will differentiate our marketing strategy with that of our competitors.”

transform the retail industry by making operations more efficient and reducing costs, and by improving customer experience.

Next Wave Of Innovation The experiences of early adopters such as the US-based gift store 1-800-Flowers and outdoor apparel firm North Face, have often been quoted to highlight the potential of machine learning in improving customer frontline experience.

Last October, 1-800-Flowers had begun using AI to enhance its gift concierge service by learning about customers and their preferences, and coming up with intelligent gift ideas tailored to their needs.

The North Face, it reported, also began to use AI to smooth the customer’s way towards choosing the best product. Both companies use natural language communication instead keyword inputs, and used a series of question and answers to determine customers’ needs.

In the near future, experts say AI can transform the shopping experience even more through means such as a better image-based search capability that will allow customers to search for the exact or similar items based on photographs.

Augmented reality capability, reported the Harvard Business Review last September, may soon enable customers to test out products without having to actually travel to the store.

Behind the scenes, AI has the potential to help manage inventory, and perhaps even predict hot trends based on data searches. The retail sector is said to be ripe for AI-enhanced technology because it already generates reams of

data through e-commerce sites which can be used to “teach” the machines.

In short, shopping is set to become much more personal, and effective.

Asian retailers are not far behind in getting into the game. The Inside Retail Asia website reported in March 2017 about the Shinsegae Department Store becoming the first South Korean retailer to use AI technology in its marketing strategy.

The store recently launched a personalisation service to analyse each customer’s preferences, based on its database of five million existing customers, taking into account factors like purchasing history, gender, age and location.

Suggested products and shopping information are then sent to the customers, in expectation of boosting sales revenue. The report also said another South Korean department store, Lotte, is also expected to release a similar AI mobile app.

Kim Myeong-gu, who heads omnichannel marketing at Lotte, told the website “with the overload of information today, many customers find it tiresome to make a choice.

“Our new AI-based recommendation feature will differentiate our marketing strategy with that of our competitors.”

If these early experiments prove successful, it’s a matter of time AI becomes part of the mainstream in retail.

Innovation in technology has already transformed the retail sector tremendously in recent years, in particular in online shopping.

Personalised shopping driven by AI technology, can be expected to be part of the next wave of innovation.

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20

Strong

nline

Spending

Among Malaysians

iPay88 found Malaysians racked 38.2 million online transactions in 2016.

nline payment service provider iPay88 Sdn Bhd revealed strong figures of online shopping behaviour having recorded a 161% increase in online transactions last year.

According to its findings on Malaysians’ online buying patterns, the company said in 2016 it recorded 38.2 million online transactions through its payment gateway patterns, a significant increase from 14.6 million in 2015.

The data is derived from real statistics of iPay88 payment gateway systems representing over 70% of the Malaysia’s e-commerce market.

Based on iPay88’s online payment data, there does not seem to be waning of interest in online purchases in the

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first quarter of 2017 despite the sluggish economy.

The company quoted its executive director Lim Kok Hing in a statement stating that, despite the perceived sluggish overall economy, there was solid evidence that Malaysians were buying online more than ever.

“Over the review period, we would have thought that consumers are tightening their belts due to a squeeze in their disposable income in view of the current economic ‘winter’.

“However, iPay88’s payment system shows otherwise as e-commerce and online purchases went up by 210% over the same comparable period,” he said.

Lim said this as a functional motive that was directly related to the

convenience of shopping online as well as the ability to get better deals online.

“Online shoppers do not just shop when they are desktop-bound but using mobile phone is just as easy.

“Apart from that, another factor that would encourage online shopping (is) when (the) government starts to implement the abolishment of tariffs imposed on items being shipped into the country that are priced over RM500,” he said.

Transactional data from iPay88 shows that the volume of marketplace shopping for the first quarter of this year grew by 293%.

Other information gleaned from the study of iPay88 data was that the most popular online purchases were

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for games, general ticketing, fashion and apparel.

Lim said the spike in online transactions to the growing availability of Internet shopping services as well as developments in mobile technology.

Malaysians are among the most avid mobile technology consumers in the world, with an estimated 17.8 million people in the country expected to be smartphone users by the end of 2017.

The country has also saw an increase in online shopping services, ranging from regional ones such as Lazada to homegrown services like Lelong and Mudah.

The e-commerce platform found that the first of two daily peak periods for online shopping in Malaysia is between 11am and 3pm. A second peak takes place from 7pm to 11pm.

Another report from interneteverywhere, stated that the popular days to conduct transactions Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

However, this trend decreases over the weekend; possibly due to the lifestyle fact that Malaysians tend to go offline on Saturday and Sunday, iPay88 said.

“It is indeed good to know that overall consumer confidence is not decreasing.

“iPay88’s payment system shows otherwise as e-commerce and online purchases went up by 210% over the same comparable period.”

– Lim Kok Hing, Executive Director

“Based on our findings, the spending appetite of the online shoppers remains positive and that issues like data security and fraud have become negligible,” he said.

The report noted another trend is that people are spending more online while the type of goods purchased online remains unchanged, and among the popular purchases include apparel and footwear, with a volume of RM25.3 million.

Meanwhile, accessories and jewellery recorded RM1.7 million, electronics at RM5.1 million and sports equipment RM3.3 million.

The data was in line with reports quoting iPay88 executive director Chan Kok Long’s observations, where he noted that even with the turbulent year of 2016, 2017 had better prospects.

“Statistics have proven that mobile commerce growth in 2016 is far outpacing the e-commerce and brick and mortar, whereby savvy retailers are moving to leverage the mCommerce space. This trend is foreseen to continue in 2017,” said Chan.

With the increasing number of mobile payment users since Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay addressed security concerns through tokenisation in the payment infrastructure, supplemented with biometric security for smartphones, virtual payments are looking to become the next big trend.

The Star reported Chan saying “retailers are taking a mobile first approach by adding value to their mobile applications with supporting contents like location-based discounts and rebates”.

He said 2017 and beyond will be influenced by disruptive technology with virtual reality playing a big role in marketplace, biotechnology in payments and the usage of drones in delivery.

Set up in 2006 and headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, iPay88, which is a subsidiary of Japanese company NTT Data, also has a presence in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. iPay88 itself has received numerous awards, including MSC status by the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation in 2007, and also the Merit Award in the Best Financial Application category in Asia Pacific ICT Awards.

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Omni-Channel Retailing – Wave Of The Future Retailers that lose on the opportunity to take advantage of e-commerce will soon find themselves on the losing end.

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ith online shopping having cemented itself as the preferred shopping method for many customers, brick-and-mortar retailers need to seriously look to omnichannel retailing to drive the next wave of growth in their business.

Online stores especially Alibaba and Amazon, and other smaller players which have only cyberstores, have been hugely successful in recent years in making inroads into the retail scene.

According to an article in the Harvard Business Review in January, retail sales through digital channels leapt by 23 per cent in 2015, with most of these going to online retailers. Amazon was, by far, the biggest beneficiary.

While Southeast Asia including Malaysia, is not yet as digital savvy, online shopping has taken off in this region with room to grow. According to a survey by PwC in 2016, about half of the 500 Malaysian respondents said they shop online at least once a month.

Nearly three-quarters use social media to search for promotional offerings, product reviews and prices, as well as to find coupons.

Brick-and-mortar stores have not lagged in introducing online shopping but studies indicate that an omni-channel approach could do much more in driving sales. This means combining in-store and digital shopping options in an entirely seamless way, to make it as easy as possible for customers to make their purchases across all channels.

With omni-channel retailing, customers should be able to begin their shopping experience in one stream, either digital or in-store, and complete it in the other.

For example, they may begin shopping online whether through a store website, social media or other online spaces, and then complete it in-store after obtaining the necessary information online.

Or they may even complete the entire transaction online and come into the store to pick up the purchase.

Or conversely, they can begin shopping in-store by trying out the product, and then completing it online.

Such multi-channel shopping should be as integrated as possible as customers now often switch between the desktop or laptop, mobile device, telephone, and a brick-and-mortar store to do their shopping.

Several studies indicate that omni-channel retailing can boost sales and retain customer loyalty.

According to a study of 46,000 customers of a major US company in 2015/2016, omni-channel

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customers (those that used a mix of sales channels) are more valuable in many ways.

The study showed they spent more both in-store and online. In particular, those who had conducted prior research on products on the retailer’s site spent more in-store, and were often also repeat customers.

While the omni-channel approach is a good strategy to adopt, the winning strategy could be to incentivise customers to make a trip to the physical store.

Following a study on shopping online or in-store, the article noted that customers tended to buy more in store. This is due to impulse buys as well as the purchase of goods like clothing and shoes that are, by nature, more difficult to buy online with confidence.

The research also noted that it’s harder to comparison shop while in the store, and the environment often induces customers to spend more than online shopping which is often a more targeted type of shopping.

It suggested that a good strategy in omnichannel retailing would be to encourage shoppers to begin their shopping online but complete it in-store by methods such as offering coupons redeemable only in stores. It would also be useful if the store’s online site provides information on where the particular item is available at a nearby store with its opening hours and even directions.

Stores may also offer sweeteners such as free shipping for purchases to be sent to the local branch for the customer to pick up rather than home delivery, noted the article.

“Traditional retailers’ strength is the in-store shopping experience, and they need to play that up,” said Xueming Luo, a marketing professor at Temple University in the US, as quoted in the article.

Closer to home, the potential of omni-channel retailing is already a matter of interest in this region.

The Singapore Business Times, last September, quoted experts as saying that physical stores are still important because Singaporeans enjoy shopping as a past time.

People go to shops for the full experience of shopping, and thus, stores like Courts Singapore was quoted as saying that it planned to turn its premises into places where people can try out gadgets, get advice and collect items purchased online. It wanted to make shopping fun again.

With the traditional retail landscape now under pressure from online retailers, it has become imperative to make changes, not just by creating another sales channel but integrating all channels smoothly and seamlessly.

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24 ocial media is such a pervasive force today that no business can afford to ignore it, least of all retailers which deal with customers every day.

Today, brand creation and promotion rely as much on social media as on traditional advertising.

The balance of power has changed significantly, with the customer now playing a big role in creating a company’s branding. Or as it has been described, it’s now about co-creating a brand with customers through social media.

A glance at the job listings on

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employment websites show that many businesses are aware of this change, and now seek to hire employees just to manage social media relations.

Its importance is more than evident.

Customer reviews of a product are often trusted, being regarded as an online version of the word of mouth or a friend’s opinion. Whether the reviews are on social media like Facebook or Twitter or independent review sites like Yelp or TripAdvisor, they are taken seriously by customers.

Good reviews can do much for retailers but conversely, significant damage can be caused by negative

customer reviews made worse by poor handling of the complaint. Complaints can easily be shared widely and repeatedly, and often prompt other complainants to come forward as well.

But negative feedback is bound to happen, it is inevitable. Thus, businesses need to prepare to be proactive about such feedback, and to respond in a speedy manner.

As an article in The Guardian in May 2015 noted, “customers now demand a level of speed, convenience and transparency that is challenging boardrooms and customer service professionals like never before.”

Facing Negative Feedback On Social Media

For a retailer in the digital age, one cannot escape unfavourable reviews or customer outrage on the internet.

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As an article in The Guardian in May 2015 noted, “customers now demand a level of speed, convenience and transparency that is challenging boardrooms and customer service professionals like never before.”

It quoted the UK’s Institute of Customer Service’s survey which found that since January 2014, there had been an eight-fold increase in customer complaints through social media in the country. The cheap and convenient social media platforms make it easy for customers to lodge complaints in a public manner.

It said businesses need to have a broader customer service strategy, ensure their employees know the company’s purpose and values, and be empowered to make quick judgments on customer enquiries and complaints.

With communication with customers moving at a much faster pace now, social media relations cannot be left in the domain of the marketing department alone but be also fully integrated into customer relations and the rest of the company.

Malaysian businesses have been quick to adopt social media, going by the many Facebook pages and Twitter accounts of retailers and other businesses. Many of these channels are used for branding, highlighting promotions to customers, and as a method of communications.

Handling complaints is a crucial

part of social media relations. A badlyhandled complaint can easily escalate and cause reputation damage but a well-managed one may mollify the angry customer and likely to result in a better review in the future.

Many suggestions have been made as to how retailers and other businesses should deal with negative reviews, complaints and poor feedback.

The first thing to do is to be aware of them by actively keeping tabs on social media, and knowing what is being said in cyberspace.

Of course, not every complaint merits a response. Some experts advise against responding to every negative comment, rather each feedback needs to be evaluated to determine if the criticism was a genuine one or a deliberate attempt to be obnoxious without giving adequate information.

Experts also say it’s not good practice to delete negative feedback unless it’s obvious that its intention is to incite a quarrel. It is also suggested that all legitimate complaints receive a response as quickly as possible, even if it’s just an acknowledgement or request for further information. This should,

however, not be a formulaic and robotic response, or sanitised corporate speak that would likely infuriate the customer further.

Ideally, the contact details of an actual person who can handle the complaint should also be provided.

The actual resolution of the complaint can be done offline. This will go a long way in ameliorating the anger, and stop the situation from escalating.

As importantly, the negative feedback should also be treated seriously as valuable input to address problems and improve service or products. Repeated complaints about the same issue from different customers may suggest a structural problem that needs to be resolved.

The Distributed Marketing website noted in an article this March, that while negative feedback is unavoidable, it can be viewed as an opportunity to improve, or even regarded as consumer research that didn’t have to be paid for.

With social media fast overtaking conventional media as a means of social communication, businesses need to adapt even faster. Online reputation management has become more important than ever.

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Events

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Monthly Meetings: MAY

Date: 17 May 2017 Time: 3.30pm-6.30pm Venue: Ruyi Holdings Sdn Bhd HQ

Talk by CLIQTRU CEO Staff of MRCA member companies were treated to an informative talk by AXP Market Expansion Services Sdn Bhd’s Victor Chin on “How to double conversion rates with Cliqtru”.

Held on 30 May 2017, from 10.30am to 12.30pm at MRCA headquarters, Chin was able to introduce Cliqtru, an online engagement marketing tool. It is touted to be a cost-effective online marketing platform, most useful for retailers who are looking to increase branding, awareness and sales online.

It is able to track behaviours of online users, serving them personalised marketing that will prove more effective, converting these to actual sales.

Audience members were also told how its automated functions work.

Overall marketers could see for themselves how an automated system could help with increasing a company’s bottomline, branding and marketing campaigns.

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

MRCA MOU Exchange at MaGIC MRCA signed an MOU on 9th June with MaGIC Malaysia to help spur the entrepreneurial spirit among the young people in the country. MRCA was represented by Deputy President Valerie Choo.

Meeting with the Deputy Director, Economic Division, Prime Minister’s Office MRCA President Dato’ Garry Chua, Deputy Preside Valarie Choo and Aiden Koay (from MRCA Secretariat) met Encik Saiful Bahari, Deputy Director, Economic Division at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya on June 14.

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KKMART GST Campaign The Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin launched the KKMART GST Lucky Draw Campaign on 25th May at Donutes in Kuchai Lama.

CPN Thai Delegation Visit About 30 Thai retailers attended a briefing organised by CPN on requirements to set up retail business in Malaysia at the MRCA office. The event, held on May 26, was officiated by MRCA Deputy President Valerie Choo.

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MRCA President’s Whirlwind Year... So Far

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1,2 &3: Dato’ Garry Chua was invited by MDEC to join the Prime Minister’s entourage to visit Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China.

4: A group of MRCA representatives with Dato’ Garry Chua, MRCA Advisor and Top Glove Corporation Bhd Chairman Tan Sri Lim Wee Chai, MRCA Council member Datin Flora Tan and Transtel Technology (M) Sdn Bhd CEO Dato’ Dr Lim Kee Choon at the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers’ annual dinner.

5: MRCA delegation at a dinner with Sin Chew Media.

6: Dato’ Garry Chua, MRCA Deputy President Valerie Choo and MRCA representatives paid a visit to local startup CO3 Social Office at its headquarters in Puchong. The startup aspires to offer a unique co-working space in the region. CO3 stands for connectivity, collaboration and community, providing a platform for people from different establishments to work together.

7: Dato’ Garry Chua took part in a panel during the Malaysian Entrepreneur Convention that was held on 20 May at Nexus Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur.

8: Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin and Dato’ Garry Chua visited GTC display at the Vietnam International Retail & Franchise Show 2017. Security and surveillance company GTC is part of the exhibitors at the Malaysia Pavilion.

9: Dato’ Garry Chua met with R. Dhinakaran, President the Singapore Retailers Association which has become MRCA’s affliliate member recently.

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A group photo at Pusat Jagaan Nur Hasanah.

Dato’ Garry receiving a token of appreciation from Pusat Jagaan Nur Hasanah.

Raya Charity Visit To Pusat Jagaan Nur Hasanah MRCA’s Branding Education Charity Foundation, tasked with social responsibility, pays visits to charity organisations during festive seasons.

In conjunction with the Hari Raya celebration, MRCA has selected to visit and donate to Pusat Jagaan Nur Hasanah in Beranang to bring some festive joy to the old folk.

This centre was set up by Persatuan Pegawai Pembangunan Masyarakat (Perubatan) Malaysia in August 2006. It was set up for the purpose of providing temporary stay for male patients who are poor, disabled and of old age.

The hospitals were finding a hard time in finding placements for these patients since they don’t have anywhere to go to after being discharged. This centre is able to house up to 30 residents at a time and have so far housed as many as 1,250 people since.

The running and operations of this centre depends very much on donation and support from the public and

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corporate companies. The estimated expenses per month can reach RM32,000.

The foundation donated RM10,000 worth of cash and goods which consists of cash for van repairs, duit raya, wheelchairs, walking frames, new sets of baju raya and groceries.

In addition, the centre also receives generous donations from MRCA members: • Hap Seng Star Sdn Bhd – RM5,000 worth of wheelchairs, walking frames, walking sticks and duit raya • Transtel Technology (M) Sdn Bhd – goodie bags and duit raya • Malaysian Healthcare Sdn Bhd – mattresses, wheelchairs and walking sticks Also present were Dato’ Garry Chua (MRCA President), Datin Flora Tan (Organizing Chairlady), Dato’ Eric Tai (MRCA Deputy Treasurer), Jeff Kong (MRCA Secretary General), Dato’ William Chow (MRCA Council member), Dato’ Alex Wong (MRCA Council member) and MRCA Youth.

It is hoped that with this visit and donation, MRCA can help promote awareness amongst the public about the plight of the less fortunate.

Datin Flora distributing duit raya to the people of Pusat Jagaan Nur Hasanah.

Feature

32

Chicken Rice Shop Spreads Its Wings Restaurant expects healthy growth this year despite economic challenges.

opular brand The Chicken Rice Shop, is expected to record a 19% increase in sales in 2017.

According to a New Straits Times report, The Chicken Rice Shop operator TCRS Restaurants Sdn Bhd, expects this growth from the RM100 million sales recorded last year.

The franchise is also spreading its wings to Myanmar, where a local franchise holder there was expected to set up five outlets by the end of 2017.

To-date, TCRS Restaurants owns the 88 outlets in Malaysia and two outlets in Singapore, and has franchised an outlet at KLIA as well as one in Brunei.

The Chicken Rice Shop also plans to open 10 outlets this year, including two more restaurants in Sarawak and another three in Sabah over the next two to three years.

According to a report from Bernama, Chief Executive Officer Wong Kah Lin said the response to the restaurant from Sarawakians had been very encouraging.

Meanwhile, Daily Express in Sabah reported that the group also managed

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other brands such as Dubu-Dubu and Sweet Chat, and is the co-owner of Pancake House International.

Based on that report, the cost of opening an outlet is between RM500,000 and RM750,000 for The Chicken Rice Shop and about RM400,000 for the other three brands.

In Malaysia, the company’s presence is almost nationwide, with Perlis being the only state where it has yet to open an outlet.

On its business overseas, Wong said it has a presence via franchises in Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines and Brunei but was still searching for the right partner to start its business in Indonesia.

“At the end of the day, in Malaysia, there’s still so much room to grow.

Unless we find the right partners, it’s a bit challenging to go overseas,” she said.

In addition to a revenue growth projection and expansion plans, the retailer had unveiled ‘Ayam Rangup Berapi’, a new item on its menu in conjunction with the Chinese Lunar New Year’s mark of Fire Rooster cycle.

The Star reported restaurant chairman Tunku Datuk Mu’tamir Tunku Tan Sri Mohamed was quoted as saying that “Ayam Rangup Berapi” was set to be a hit with all Malaysians.

“When we were developing this recipe, we kept in mind that TCRS is wellknown as a place where all Malaysians come together to enjoy a wholesome, authentically Malaysian meal.

“Malaysians love a little bit of spiciness in their food to get the appetite going,” he said.

This was the first time in 17 years since its inception that TCRS was collaborating with a snack food manufacturer to create a unique offering in its menu.

The restaurant has halal certification, offering a cosy environment for customers to dine in as well as take away services for those on the go.

Aside from their popular Chicken Rice dishes, the menu features more than 25 other local favourites such as the Hainanese Curry Chicken, Stuffed Fish Balls, Curry Laksa, Assam Fish and Hong Kong Beef Stew, just to name a few.

33 Feature

Looking Into Expansion To cater to the young consumers, Focus Point has a new line of eyewear that is affordable and fashionable.

etail franchise Focus Point Holdings Bhd has unveiled a new collection of eyewear, called Whoosh to attract young and trendy customers.

The name carries the meaning of the “sound of something flying by very quickly” and the act of “rushing past or moving explosively”.

The Whoosh style comes in five series – Trendy, Urban, Vintage, Sunnies and Young designed for children.

The company stated that this brand represents the next generation of eyewear design and eyewear service to those who value style, quality and professional advice on the go.

According to Focus Malaysia news magazine, Focus Point plans on expanding the Whoosh concept store as it has a higher profit margin.

Whoosh’s affordable eyewear is each priced from RM165 to RM265, targeting mostly consumers below the age of 30 and focusing on fast-moving fashion eyewear sourced mainly from South Korea.

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The ACE Market-listed Focus Point operates mainly in malls in the Klang Valley with plans to expand within the upcoming year.

Another marketing strategy for Focus Point is to bring more of its brands onto the online marketplace such as Lazada and 11street.

Focus Point provides sunglasses and other products from brands such as Jaguar, Koali, Morgan, and Poney, just to name a few.

The company began its operations in 1989, with its first outlet set up in Muar, Johor. Back then, its operations consisted of a small counter in a shopping centre, and was known as Focus Vision Care Centre.

Following the establishment of Focus Point Sdn Bhd in 1993, a head office was set up in Johor Baru to provide management and operational support to the growing number of retail branches. But with more opportunities beckoning the company expanded to Kuala Lumpur in 2000.

Their vision and mission statement

notes their aspiration to become a leading brand name in Asia through its focused approach in vision care while provide consumers with the best vision care and eyewear services. This included principles to uphold the highest standards in reliability, quality and professionalism.

The management decided to design a franchise programme to create opportunities for rising young entrepreneurs, that was also extended to Focus Point staff.

This initiative was met with overwhelming response so much so that more than 70 franchise outlets were launched in just seven years. Focus Point’s franchise programme started in 2002 and was available throughout Malaysia and Brunei.

Since then, Focus Point’s successes has been recognised through numerous awards for its franchise programme, including the prestigious Best Homegrown Franchise title from the Malaysian Franchise Association in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

These awards were given under these categories of Franchisee of the Year 2010 (Idaman Sigma Sdn Bhd), Franchise of the Year 2009, Best Homegrown Franchisor 2009, Best Outlet Growth 2009, Most Promising Franchisor 2009, Most Promising Franchisee of the Year 2009 (Formosa Optometrist Sdn Bhd) and Most Promising Franchisee of the Year 2007 (Idaman Sigma Sdn Bhd) Other awards include Ethical Business Excellence Award 2010/2011, Fair Price Award 2010 and Fair Price Award 2007 from the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry.

Focus Point’s annual sales have grown to more than RM150 million over the past 20 years.

For potential franchisees, the overall investment starts from RM390,000, based on the ability to finance, purchase of stock and equipment, and the size and location of the business premises.

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Pick The Right Outlet With Feng Shui By following some simple guidelines, one can get a location that will help a business flourish.

By Henry Fong

ooking out a retail outlet?

Perhaps a shop or a unit within a shopping centre?

In feng shui, a place for business should veer towards “yang” or “busy side”. The requirements for a retail unit must also be “wang” or prosperous. By prosperous, the place should be highly frequented by potential consumers who can help increase business.

You can employ the services of the best feng shui consultant to work their “magic” but if the retail unit is located in the middle of nowhere with hardly any foot traffic, chances of success is very low.

It is easy to find out if the area is “wang”. Simply visit and observe it over the week at different times of day.

But what about a unit in a new area or a yet-to-be completed shopping centre? How can one ascertained if the mall will be “wang”?

In my opinion, visibility is very important. In the case of a mall, it should be next to a busy road and highly visible to passing traffic. For clusters of shophouses, a portion of it should be next to a busy road and highly visible.

Next, look for commercial buildings such as hotels, offices and residential units in the vicinity of your selected retail unit. The more there are, the better as high population density in nearby places will provide the foot traffic you need.

Many years ago, I was asked by a mall management company why business is not as good as expected. After all it is

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located at the intersection of two very busy roads and is highly visible. The population density around it is quite high with offices, hotels, houses and even a bus station.

After having a look around, I observed the problem is with access.

Even though the mall is highly visible to passing traffic, it has only one access route. To make matters worse, there is a railway track running behind it which limits the ability to add access roads.

The mall is also not easy to access by foot which makes driving there a necessity and it lacks an LRT station.

The road system surrounding the mall takes traffic away and if you are new to the area, chances are you won’t find a way in.

Before deciding on a new mall, station yourself at a few different points a few miles away from your proposed retail unit. Try to drive from these points towards the retail unit. If you find it easy to access, potential customers will feel the same. Prospects of the mall becoming prosperous are higher. You should also try to get to the location by foot or train, if possible.

Henry Fong giving his talk.

After the unit has passed these tests, then get a feng shui consultant in. You can then ask about the optimal position of the retail unit, main door and placement within for excellent feng shui that would lead to better luck with wealth, relationship and health.

I would like to share an ancient feng shui technique with you.

A business can be classified according to the five elements theory.

For example, if you own a restaurant, it is classified as a “Fire” element due to the cooking that is going on inside.

In this theory, “Wood Grows Fire”. So, it is beneficial if your have businesses nearby that are of the “Grow” and/or “Wood” element.

“Fire” businesses include restaurants, telephone companies, foundry, beauty salon and advertising companies. “Wood” businesses are furniture, office supplies, schools and colleges.

If you own a restaurant, see if there are other restaurants nearby, schools, beauty salon, mobile phone reseller and advertising companies nearby.

The enemy of fire is water and “Water” businesses cafes and those in trading and logistics.

These are some of the basic rules in picking a beneficial retail unit. For more detailed explanation, seek a feng shui consultant.

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Achieving Geopathic Balance An introduction to what is geopathic stress and how one can manage its adverse effects.

t does not matter if you are a Malaysian retailer, businessperson, an entrepreneur, or a man on the street, you can be a victim of “bad vibrations”, “dark streams” and “distorted magnetic energy”.

Managing the worst effects of these energy imbalances are important as one’s health, wealth and success depends on it.

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Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

WHAT IS GEOPATHIC STRESS? Geopathic stress, also known as geostress or earth radiation, is a form of trauma caused by distortion of geo-electromagnetic energies surrounding Earth, which are supported by the mysterious 7.835Hz – Schumann Resonance or called the planet’s “heartbeat”.

The cause of the disruptions include natural occurrences such as underground water streams, geological fault lines, mineral deposits (such as coal, iron, and oil), man-made structures such as railways, motorway cuttings, bridges, high-voltage power lines, and in more recent decades, as it was discovered, electrical appliances.

More than 4,000 years ago ancient cultures have long discovered this phenomenon and refrained from building their homes over geopathicallystressed areas. In feng shui, geopathic stress is known to Chinese geomancers by many names such as “claws of the dragon” or “dragon lines” (long mai) or “underground demons”.

37

MEASURING GEOPATHIC STRESS

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

In 1929, German dowser and researcher named Baron Gustav von Pohl – after being convinced by his studies on the effects of earth radiation on tree growth, animal behaviour and human health – developed a system for measuring geopathic stress on an ascending scale from 0-16:

•

0

Neutral. (7.385Hz)

1-4

No significant effects. (<10.5Hz)

5-6

Obesity, swollen joints, headaches, insomnia, anxiety

7-8

Mental disorders, paranoia, schizophrenia, addictions, psychosexual disorders, suicides and depression.

9-16

Cancer, leukaemia, multiple sclerosis, motor neuron disease, Down syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease (bowel disease), among other paralysing disorders and congenital genetic disorders etc. (~250Hz)

Further studies have supported such claims concerning the biological effects of geopathic stress, and agreed that it can amplify susceptibility to diseases, environmental pollution, and has been linked to a number of health problems, such as sleeplessness, confusion, and cancer, autoimmunity disorders and decreased fertility.

Disorientation, loss of concentration, and sleep problems

Bodily discomforts such as rashes and tinnitus

VISIBLE SIGNS OF GEOPATHIC STRESS

Accelerated degeneration of man-made structures, for example, increased flammability, emergence of cracks and mould

Divert Geostress can be diverted with the insertion of brass, copper or steel stakes and staples into the earth surrounding the affected areas. This form of “earth acupuncture” is done mostly by specialist practitioners. You can also block geopathic stress lines using brass rings or any wood-based barrier such as cork tiles.

•

Neutralise Wear “energy plates”, or pendants made with crystals, silver or gold as one would wear an attractive piece of jewellery, or install plug-in electronic-cancellation devices capable of clearing electromagnetic interferences such as space harmonisers, geo-resonators in the existing environment for protection against geopathic stress.

•

Prevalence of pest organisms, for example, wasps, snails, and snakes

Pothole formations.

Relocate Reposition your bed, work desk, or living space away away from geopathically-stressed areas and out of harm’s way.

An alternative solution of eliminating (or mitigating the effects of) “black streams” is to consult an experienced dowser or geomancer, who, using his/her techniques and equipment such as an electromagnetic field detector, is able to pinpoint the location of these geopathically-stressed areas and provide recommendations and opinions on remedying the situation.

The list above provides only a brief outline of the more common geopathic stress symptoms. It may be presumptuous to attribute geopathic stress as the direct cause to any of the above mentioned symptoms – a consideration of other factors, and observation over time is necessary for these claims to be conclusive in any way.

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

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MPAY’S PARCELPAY UNVEILED

He said MPay would add more merchants, and with the deployment of more than 3,000 e-Wallet reader terminals to one of the franchises owned by Johor Corp, some 25,000 new MPay Wallet users were expected from the community business arrangement.

From these solutions, MPay is aiming to increase its e-wallet users to a million by 2020.

Since the launch of MPay Wallet in April last year, the app has been updated with major features, with one being ParcelPay, ParcelPay Express is a delivery service solution that uses couriers such as PosLaju, Skynet and Line Clear to provide automated shipping for consumers.

“Customers can send parcels from the comfort of their homes or offices, capitalising the stay-at-home economy,” said MPay Managing Director Dato’ Chew Chee Seng to local media.

ParcelPay is now progressively working to partner more logistics providers to expand locally and internationally.

As Bank Negara aims to centralise all current cardholder verification method by June 30 to “chip and pin”, he said MPay was ready to support the exercise with its latest technology innovation and payment solution, MPay Chip & Pin.

COOKING UP A STORM From its humble beginnings as a family restaurant, Big Onion has spread its wings to becoming a food caterer, promising high food quality and an unforgettable experience.

Aside from its delectable food menu, Big Onion has event management services that will help clients experience a special and unique occasion without a fuss.

On its decision to join MRCA, Chief Executive Officer Liang Foo Kuan said, “We strongly believe a strong organisation such as MRCA will be able to bring the members to next level with its resources and experience.”

He added, “We are equally adept at crafting a child’s birthday party with all the right touches to evoke delightful laughter to managing an elegant wedding with precise timing complete with artful nuances of romance.

“We take pride in what we do, especially our attention to detail. Our selection of delicious and hygienic halal food speak for themselves, in presentation and taste, resulting in many commendations and earning solid reputation among our happy clientele.”

The company’s vision is “to be the leading five-star caterer in Malaysia”.

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

Updates

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Updates

42

CLIQ-ING TO SUCCESS

AXP’s vision is to provide cost-effective marketing technology solutions for companies who want to future-proof their business.

On joining MRCA, co-founder and director Victor Chin said, “MRCA has proven to be an excellent platform for us to connect and exchange ideas with the retail community.

It has also provided us with many opportunities for learning and growth.”

AXP Market Expansion Services Sdn Bhd is a digital marketing agency where it helps its clients expand their businesses through cutting-edge marketing technology and services.

It specialise in behavioural marketing using its software, AXP Cliqtru, which identifies digital behaviour of customers.

With that, AXP will be able to work with the data to create highly targeted campaigns with personalised messages and offers. It allows businesses to market to their target audience with the right content and at the right time.

One of its latest product, AXP Optimate, features an artificial intelligence platform, which automatically optimises Facebook and Google ads by reducing ad cost and increasing return-on-investment at the same time.

The software is able to carry out these optimisation with minimum human intervention. It is capable of learning and evolving to achieve maximum results with minimal costs.

Group CEO David Mah on joining MRCA, “As a member, Super Pharmacy Megastore can have access to a number of value-added benefits, such as legislative updates, retail industry news, information and education (training, seminars and meetings) and a broader business network.”

ONE-STOP SHOP, OFFLINE AND ONLINE

Super Pharmacy Megastore established in March 2015, is the first-of-its-kind hyper-pharmacy in Malaysia.

It is located in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, occupying 18,000 sq ft of retail space, making it the largest retail pharmacy to-date which gained recognition by the Malaysia Book of Records. It is managed and operated by a team with substantial experience in pharmacy as well as other industries.

To keep up with the times, Super Pharmacy is embracing new business models that include omnichannel support and marketing, better known as O2O concept (offline to online), providing a seamless shopping experience to customers across variety of channels, such as mobile apps, online store and its brick and mortar store as well.

Super e-Pharmacy is currently creating an omnipreneur programme which offers individuals to join as leaders to develop a unique and promising omnichannel business.

To establish convenience touchpoints and interesting shopping experience for customers, Super e-Pharmacy will be available at MRT and LRT stations. The programme is also collaborating with Pos Malaysia to leverage on their physical stores nationwide.

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

MALAYSIA’S KING OF CORN GOES PLACES

One of our favourite snacks is the corn in cup and the pioneer in Malaysia is MRCA’s very own Datuk Seri Nelson Kwok. His company, Nelson’s Franchise (M) Sdn Bhd, started in 1985 and now the franchise business has a strong presence across the world.

Datuk Seri Nelson was recently interviewed by TV3 where he shared his humble beginnings, teething issues faced by company and his long-term vision.

Kwok was reported as saying, his brand made the country proud as people across the world can have a taste of Malaysian corn creations. The TV producers also visited his corn plantation and processing factory to get a grasp of the size of his business empire.

Aside from its signature corn in cup, Nelson’s has diversified into ice blended corn smoothies, ice-cream and Belgian waffles.

The company has achieved overwhelming franchise success in ASEAN, Middle East and selected African countries. Nelson’s

CATERING TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Wellings Pharmacy, based in Penang, has a system of servicing designed to fulfil customers’ requirements with the highest quality products according to expectation and demand.

Its outlets provide a wide range of medication and overthe-counter products to suit the needs of a modern clientele.

It also has customised services, providing healthcare information and education for each customer. The staff aspires to recommend the most suitable products based on health conditions, and ready to help customers maintain a holistic and healthy lifestyle.

Wellings Pharmacy strongly believes in team culture, passion and honesty. These qualities are needed for the company to excel in the industry. Over the years, it has catered to the needs for locals and overseas customers in several outlets in Penang.

Recently it joined MRCA and Wellings Pharmacy Chief Executive Officer Mah Choon Leng has this is to say: “MRCA is a great platform to expand business opportunities. By building good relationships, I believe we can help each other achieve a higher level of success in our business endeavours.”

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

Updates

43 has been in a joint venture with the Mozambique government while plans to enter Myanmar are being worked out.

Recently it joined MRCA and Wellings Pharmacy Chief Executive Officer Mah Choon Leng has this is to say: “MRCA is a great platform to expand business opportunities. By building good relationships, I believe we can help each other achieve a higher level of success in our business endeavours.”

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Award-Winning Clara Its founder Datin Dr Clara L Chee wins prestigious award while her company extends its presence across the world.

lara International Beauty Group founder and chairman Datin Dr Clara L Chee has won the prestigious award of Honourable Lifetime Achievement Award in the Beauty Aesthetic Industry under Cosmobeauté Inspiring People Awards 2017.

Cosmobeauté’s inaugural award was held to recognise the achievements of legendary beauty icons who have made the major contributions to the beauty industry since the 1960s.

The organisers wanted to acknowledge the “sweat and tears” of beauty experts invested towards the growth of the industry.

“Many newcomers or the younger generation may not know the difficult path that many pioneers have walked through, especially the ups and downs, and since the time when beauty business is not yet be seen and considered as a career with bright future, hence the birth of Cosmobeauté Inspiring People Awards,” said CP Saw, founder of Cosmobeauté.

Cosmobeaute had organised this inaugural Beauty Unite Gala Dinner and Awards Night at the JW Marriott, Kuala Lumpur to honour and recognise shining stars from the beauty industry.

The event celebrated the legacies of beauty salon businesses in Malaysia and Asia region. It saw the gathering of top and upcoming beauty entrepreneurs, salon owners, aestheticians, beauty practitioners, hair gurus, product distributors, and even aesthetic doctors.

Cosmobeauté strongly believes the importance to acknowledge the growth of beauty industry since 1960’s and through such events contribute back to the industry by encouraging the newcomers and newer generation of beauty leaders to improve the industry.

For award winner Datin Chee, the recognition was an honour to mark her experience in the beauty business.

C

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

She had started her own beauty salon in 1977 in Malaysia, pioneering in the beauty industry with her own brand of treatment and products devised through her own laboratory.

To date, Clara has more than 42 branches worldwide and is present in China, India and the Middle East.

Being passionate about expanding the talent in this field, Datin Chee also set up the Clara International Aesthetic College –the first aesthetic college recognised as a private higher learning institute by the Ministry of Higher Education. To date, the college had trained over 10,000 aestheticians and beauticians.

Earlier this year, she said Clara IBG expected its revenue to increase to 10% this year from RM12 million recorded in 2016, driven by 10 new outlets and launch of their premium Personal brand.

“We plan to add another 10 Clara Beauty Centres and Academy nationwide this year.

“We also aim to enter Indonesia and Vietnam by year-end,” she told Malay Mail Online.

Datin Clara also has plans to bring Persona to markets in the Middle East, starting with Dubai, and followed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The company was the first organisation in the beauty industry to be awarded the Industry Excellence Award 2000 in Malaysia and also the first beauty company to attain a halal certification for its range of herbal based products.

It is also accredited with “Good Manufacturing Practice” status by the Malaysian Health Ministry.

In other developments, Datin Clara also signed a memorandum of understanding with strategy, branding and market entry company AYS Sdn Bhd, to market the Clara Beauty Franchise System in and outside Malaysia towards encouraging entrepreneurship among women.

45

Secret To Delectable Tarts Secret Recipe is the place to go to enjoy tasty Hokkaido cheese tarts.

alaysia’s largest food and beverage restaurant chain has unveiled its venture with Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart kiosk.

Its patrons have the opportunity to enjoy the popular tarts that have a milky cream cheese centre housed within a crunchy pastry baked to golden brown.

Customers can visit the first kiosk in Empire Shopping Gallery in Subang Jaya and other outlets in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. It has also expanded to a handful of malls across Malaysia.

“I believe the cheese tarts will be a big hit with people from all walks of life.

“It’s impossible to resist the sweet aroma of a fresh batch slowly baking in the oven and the unforgettable sensation of your first bite!” said Dato’ Steven Sim, CEO and Founder of Secret Recipe Cakes & Café Sdn Bhd. The tarts are priced at RM5.80 per

M

piece, and customers can take part in an offer where they get a sixth tart free after purchasing five for RM29.

In other news, Secret Recipe has also opened its first outlet in Male’, the capital of Maldives last April.

The launch was attended by President of Maldives, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom accompanied by first lady Fathimath Ibrahim. At this function Lily International Private Limited director Amir Mansoor presented the restaurant menu to the Abdulla.

Based on a report from MV Hotels Online, Lily International, which is a leading business venture in Maldives, is expected to the franchisee. The company also manages a Marrybrown, fast food chain from Malaysia, since 2011.

Founded in 1997, Secret Recipe is renowned for its extensive range of fine quality gourmet cakes.

The restaurants can be found in

strategic urban locations and shopping centres in major cities in the region including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Brunei, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

It currently operates more than 440 outlets, across the region and offers a casual dining lifestyle concept with a wide range of award-winning cakes, as well as an extensive menu of Asian and Western cuisine.

The company has registered an impressive double-digit growth for the past five years. In a short period of 10 years, Secret Recipe has experienced a rapid growth of more than 400 cafes throughout the region.

Secret Recipe has promised a value lifestyle proposition of great variety and quality food at affordable prices.

Secret Recipe has also been awarded halal certification awarded by Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim), and is committed to continue to adhere to the standards of preparation of all food in their restaurants in accordance to the regulatory guidelines.

The cafe chain has won numerous awards, including the Homegrown Franchise of the Year, International Franchisor of the Year, Franchise of the Year Best Sales Growth Award and Best Brand Food and Beverage Café Awards.

Franchising opportunities are available for both Secret Recipe and its sister brand Beyond Veggie, a vegetarian restaurant.

Franchise fees are set at RM150,000 with a five-year term, with an estimated initial capital of between RM600,000 and RM650,000.

Franchisees will be given advertising and promotion support, training and advice, research and development, field agent

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

Updates

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2017

EVENTS CALENDAR

9 JULY

12 JULY

PING PONG TOURNAMENT

MRCA RETAIL CONFERENCE

ONE SHAMELIN

THE GARDENS HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR

13 TO 16 JULY

MIRF 2017

MID VALLEY EXHIBITION CENTRE, KUALA LUMPUR

27 JULY

MONTHLY MEETING ASTRO HQ, BUKIT JALIL

5 OCTOBER

MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

KL HILTON

9 NOVEMBER

25TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER

HILTON KUALA LUMPUR CHARITY GOLF VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED

SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR

19 NOVEMBER

CHARITY RUN ONE CITY, USJ

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 3

7 SEPTEMBER

VISITATIONS: TBA *DEEPAVALI TBA *CHRISTMAS

A

MRCA NEWS THAT APPEARED IN THE MEDIA RECENTLY

Calendar

MRC 48

Malaysia Retailer Vol 5 No 2