Voice of the Retail Industry

MRCA: Voice of the Retail Industry

ato’ Eddie Choon, the D 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, 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

association has launched The Malaysia International Retail, Franchise and Licensing Fair (MIRF).

With its doors opening to more than 230 booths for the show’s first instalment in 2016, it is now the biggest showcase of domestic and international retail and franchise exhibitors in 2019 with 380 booths held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. A testament, indeed, to the association’s dedication and support of its members’ success.

The many milestones reached and accolades awarded to numerous MRCA members are a measure of their deep and extensive involvement with their businesses as well as a tribute to their commitment toward helping to shape the future of the retail industry in Malaysia.

Realising that a new generation of professionals will be at the helm of both the retail industry, MRCA encourages and prepares these young and keen entrepreneurs through its Youth Chapter. The Chapter has its own programs and projects, overseen by the division’s own chief. The very active, positively assertive group of young executives is making excellent use of this grooming and training platform, as they are very much in tune with up and coming business practices such as e-commerce and social media marketing.

A Women’s Chapter was also recently set up with the aim to elevate and uplift women entrepreneurs in enhancing their business opportunities by providing the platform for exchanging business ideas. This is in line with the government’s directive to have more women playing significant and active roles in all sectors, including the Cabinet.

MRCA has also set up a Food & Beverage Chapter to deal with related issues and provide a more conducive environment of opportunities. F&B is arguably the fastest growing sector in retail and will make up about 50% of mall tenants in the future.

As the MRCA has been growing in numbers as well as influence over the past years, it also focuses on promoting a healthy lifestyle and CSR activities for members. The MRCA charity foundation actively supports the less fortunate

and events such as the charity golf tournament and the annual charity run enjoy great popularity among the members and their guests. Both numbers of participants as well as funds pledged grow substantially every year.

The future of Malaysia’s retail chain landscape will be demanding, as the region faces new economic challenges. It is therefore more crucial than ever for the MRCA to focus on assisting its members and help them seize new opportunities. The governing council is committed to enhancing participating members’ future prospects, to equip them with current and bold know-how and to help them embrace innovation. With the MRCA’s support, the Malaysian retail industry will, no doubt, be creative, resilient and forward-looking.