Landmark Group SEA

InFood Asia

STAYING AHEAD OF FASHION

We speak to Anil Konidena, CEO of Landmark Group SEA, regarding Southeast Asia’s retail industry and the company’s latest developments in the space

Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

For the next 10 years, Southeast Asia (SEA) will be the driver of global retail.”

The words of Anil Konidena, CEO of Landmark Group SEA, set in stone the size and reality of the retail industry across the region.

Landmark Group SEA stands as a giant within the sector, as one of the largest retail and hospitality organisations in the Middle East and North African (MENA) and India regions, and since 1973 has built on its strong partnerships to pioneer leading homegrown brands that exist as market leaders in their categories through Asia today, including China and Japan.

“The market is ripe with a consumption surge in value space rising across resource rich markets in SEA based on the current pandemicexit mood,” Konidena continues. “When you look at retail in SEA you must always look at not just at country level, but also individual city level. For example, in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, consumption is larger than places such as Singapore. In Jakarta, future, then the Philippines, and we are seeing green shoots of this country-level growth right now.”

In light of this prospect, Landmark Group SEA plans to be at the centre of this country- and city-level expansion into the retail sphere, led by its reputation for delivering exceptional value to its customers throughout its operating markets.

fashion is a critical component, a statement of success and alone is a larger opportunity than many smaller countries in emerging markets.

“Indonesia itself will be the one to drive branded retail consumption at a higher level in the region for the next seven to 10 years. At the same time, due to China going upstream and driving local consumption, Vietnam will also become a key driver in the

Anil Konidena, CEO of Landmark Group SEA

LANDMARK GROUP – VALUES AND AWARDS

L.E.A.D VALUES:

- Listen to customers and teams. - Empower teams to succeed. - Adapt to stay ahead of the market and competition. - Deliver the best that is possible.

RECENT AWARDS:

- Brandon Hall Group Excellence

Awards 2021 - GPTW Asia July 2021 - July 2022 - GPTW March 2021 - March 2022 - GPTW Best Workplace for

Millennials – GCC 2020 – 2021 - Brandon Hall Group Excellence

Awards 2019 - MEPRA Best Internal

Communications Award - Daman Corporate Health &

Wellness Award - British Safety Council 2020

International Safety Award - Sports Imprint award - The Dubai Chamber CSR label pillogistics

PIL Logistics is a wholly owned subsidiary of PIL Group. Established in 2000 as a third-party logistics service provider, our operations are spread over major cities across China and Southeast Asia.

We are glad to partner with Landmark Group SEA to expand their footprints in the region. Malaysia serves as the Regional Distribution Center for Southeast Asia.

A Local Distributing Center currently fulfil orders for both their retail shops and eCommerce orders. PIL Logistics is ready to serve our customer needs across China and Southeast Asia. We do this by Driving Connectivity.

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INTERNATIONAL GROWTH

Landmark Group SEA began its journey with one store in Bahrain 48 years ago, and in the last five years the group has employed 55,000 directly and tens of thousands more through partnerships, operating more than 2,300 outlets, in excess of 30 million square-feet across 22 countries.

“In just 36 months since the launch, 24 of which were during the pandemic, we were already operational across the Indonesian archipelago including in Sulawesi and Papua, as well as nationally across Malaysia,” Konidena tells us. “We started up in these locations a year or so before the COVID-19 pandemic hit us, we have over five million units of our merchandise worn by happy customers in just the current financial year in these two countries.

“Overall, our initial focus is on value fashion, clothing, footwear and baby products. We have launched two of our flagship brands, Max Fashions and Babyshop, to initiate our group in SEA. Max is a dominating value fashion and apparel brand in the Middle East and in India, and centres around clothing, accessories and footwear for the entire family. It offers shoppers latest global trends at affordable prices and is known for ‘everyday fashion’.

“Babyshop is our very first brand, the one first established by the group in Bahrain, and has grown to be a billion-dollar brand and more recently emerged as market leader in the operating markets of Malaysia. It is the destination for children’s fashion, nursery products, toys and more.”

In only its fourth year since its launch, Babyshop is followed by long established brands as market leader in Malaysia. It’s product width offers a comprehensive range from home developed exclusively designed and developed

DRIVING CONNECTIVITY

T S Teo

ts.teo@sgp.pillogistics.com Sharon Chua

sharon.chua@sgp.pillogistics.com

www.pillogistics.com

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organic fabrics for baby care and global brands such as Avent, Barbie, Disney, Graco, Ferrari, Maclaren, Maui & Sons, Fisher Price, Little Tikes, Peg Perego and other internationally reputed names.

Within the region, Landmark Group SEA continues to evaluate opportunities and push into the market with its multitude of quality and trusted brands through digital and physical channels.

LEADING THE MARKET

Landmark Group’s worldwide reputation for reliability and quality stems partly from its ability to maintain a consumer-focused, almost fanatic appreciation for customers’ comfort, social needs and wallets. Landmark Group’s relentless pursuit of better bang for customer’s buck sets it apart from competition.

“What really sets us apart in the market is our ability to perennially better the supply chain to the benefit of the consumer,” Konidena explains. “So, what does the consumer get from this? They receive the latest fashion. Anything consumers will see on runway shows, on the internet, on social media driven by the leaders of the fashion industry, the latest fashion style will be delivered to them in step with trends through a network of manufacturers developed within SEA.

“The difference is, we make it affordable. A substantial percentage of our clothing makes use of local production in Indonesia, a key driver of retail production and manufacturing, and this gives us the edge to feed the market the fastest whilst keeping up with the latest seasonal trends.”

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND GOVERNANCE

As an organisation, Landmark Group is committed to making positive changes within the company. Landmark Group is deeply aware of its responsibilities towards stakeholders, the environment and society. With this in mind, the company is constantly striving to find new ways to improve the lives of its communities, while reducing the environmental impact of its activities. Landmark Group believes that success requires the highest standards of corporate ethics towards everyone the company works with, the communities it serves, and the environment that it impacts. This is the group’s road to sustainable, profitable growth to create long-term value for its people, business partners, customers and shareholders. “‘Creating exceptional value for all lives we touch’ is the cornerstone of the company’s philosophy. All our efforts steer towards the continued delivery of this exceptional promise to our customers through our products and services. We deal with our customers with the utmost respect, courtesy and care. When in doubt, remember the customer is always right.” - Landmark Group Landmark Group has an active, capable and diligent management and leadership team that understands its role in implementing rigorous financial discipline, risk metrics and corporate governance. Its ongoing efforts encompass financial stewardship in strategic and daily business decisions to ensure accurate financial reporting and effective controls throughout. - The Dubai Chamber CSR label

AUTOMATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Landmark Group is not only answering the demand for speed in the market, but also increasing its technological means to hold the digital advantage in the industry.

“At a global level, we recognise the necessity of being digital, not just for the reach of our consumers, but also for internal company processes,” Konidena elaborates. “We are fully automated when it comes to our state-of-the-art warehouses, which are more advanced than some of the global logistic companies operating in our region. We recognised the importance of the scorching pace of digitalisation around seven or eight years ago and started investing hundreds of millions of dollars into automating our supply chain including warehouse operations.

“Digital payment methods have also become a strategic focus for the group during this period and into the present. We are scaling our loyalty programme, the largest in the MENA region, in line with e-commerce transactions that will benefit both consumers and the company alike. In some of the countries we operate in, more of the population have our ‘Shukran membership’ than passports.

“In terms of our people, we have been investing in local talent, while attracting multi-national talent into the company. Large swathes of locals are international savvy with proliferating internet education, and therefore have a global perspective and great decision-making abilities to help lead Landmark Group SEA.”

It is safe to say that Landmark Group is in a state of perpetual growth and expansion, both in terms of global locations and internal investments. As for the years ahead, the company remains focused on the digital sphere.

“Our priority is to continue investing in and developing our website and e-commerce services,” Konidena says. “Our web-presence is good, but we need to drive acceleration for our online brand store expansion and feed the market moving forward.”