Feature
14
MRCA: Voice of the Retail Industry ato’ Eddie Choon, the visionary Malaysian chain retailer and Executive Chairman of Poh Kong Holdings, founded the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), previously known as Retailers Chain Affiliation (RCA). Dato’ Eddie Choon firmly believed that the local retail industry could grow stronger with mutual support rather than competition. He believed in networking, training and education. He intended to create a networking platform to give the main retail chain players in the country opportunities to learn from each other and share ideas pertaining to their trade. MRCA’s humble beginnings saw less than 10 business leaders, joining together to regroup and support Malaysian retailers. These numbers grew to 30 visionary members within the association’s first year, and more members willing to exchange ideas with fellow retailers and government agencies had to be persuaded. The MRCA’s main aim is to support its members in their efforts to network, share resources, pool ideas and tap into industry-specific opportunities as well as to promote healthy expansion in Malaysia and abroad. It is also recognised as one of the most influential retail bodies in the country,
D
Malaysia Retailer Vol 8 No 3
with over 530 members who operate more than 30,000 outlets and support more than 200,000 job opportunities. It also benefits from the constant support of members in the banking as well as the media industries. This renders networking more important than ever, but also a lot more complex. Considering the rapidly changing business landscape, members need a greater variety of events in order to receive the support they need from a professional association. Therefore, the MRCA has expanded its purpose considerably. It focuses not only on business matters, but also on providing its members with relevant training and industry updates. The association represents its members when dealing with other organizations, the industry, governmental and public agencies as well as the media and the public. Relationships with the business community at large are also maintained and further developed in a bid to maximise the awareness of the association’s value. With government policies catering to the local as well as global marketplace today, the association has an obligation to ensure further that members are kept informed of the latest such policies and best practices introduced by the relevant agencies. These efforts will ensure that
members are well equipped with the knowledge required to prevail in today’s and tomorrow’s business environment. In addition, MRCA is one of the most active institutions in Malaysia, which gives the association substantial pull for its members and significant weight within the industry. Another fixture in the association’s social calendar is the biennial Council Installation Night, with well-known guests of honour. This is confirmation that the MRCA has not only become one of the largest and more influential associations in Malaysia, but also one of the government’s key driving forces in shaping Malaysia’s retail industry and a significant contributor to the country’s economy. It also shows how the collaboration between high-level members of the government and the Malaysian retail industry proves mutually beneficial. Over the years, many MRCA members have successfully expanded into overseas markets. In support of its members’ international growth, the
