34 minute read
A Passion for Home Fragrance
A connoisseur of style and finesse, Dato’ CC Julie Lim, owner of Jubilant Prestige Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor of Maison Berger Paris in Malaysia, has an exceptional story of sweet scents.
reaching about exquisite P French scents under the banner of Maison Berger Paris, Dato’ Julie Lim has taken a quantum leap in advocating a total air purifying and fragrancing solution that is safe and healthy for Malaysians. Having been in the fashion industry for 25 years with her own boutique House of Tatiana, Dato’ Julie caught a whiff of the scent of opportunity when she discovered Maison Berger Paris (formerly known as Lampe Berger) through a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme. As the MLM contract ended in 2012, Dato’ Julie decided to embark on the distributorship of the brand 8 years ago. Today, her company Jubilant Prestige Sdn Bhd is the sole distributor of the brand in Malaysia.
Talking about her early years, Dato’ Julie explains, “I had to start work at a young age and was in the property business, selling property in United States and investing in property in Malaysia. I then ventured into the fashion business, and ran my boutique, I went from having a 1,200 sq. ft. outlet in Mid Valley, Megamall to my own 3-storey building in Bangsar,” she beams.
She adds that her moment of truth in embarking into the fragrance business started with her recognition of the then Lampe Berger as a fantastic brand with amazing products. Today, she is an advocate and ambassador of the brand with a strong passion for unrivalled purifying and fragrancing power.
MAISON BERGER – 122 YEARS OF HISTORY
Designed in 1898 by pharmacy dispenser Maurice Berger, to purify the air in hospitals, Lampe Berger’s signature catalytic lamp rapidly gained popularity among the public. Lampe Berger has stood the
test of time with its 122 years in the market. The first essence was without fragrance and was branded as a hygienic lamp for air purification and sanitisation. After being reshaped by famous designers and embraced by leading figures from the arts community such as Coco Chanel, Picasso, Colette and Jean Cocteau, the lamp was fitted with a perfuming function, thus becoming a style icon with sleek silhouettes and delicate fragrances.
Colette, the famous French novelist is said to have had a Lampe Berger on her desk while Jean Cocteau, a writer, artist and filmmaker, used Lampe Berger fragrances to eliminate the odours of the opium he smoked, and according to Picasso, “Lampe Berger is the smartest aroma”.
In the 1950s, the supremacy of ceramics saw beautiful and artistic Maison Berger Paris catalytic lamps take shape, giving it a subtle personality for decoration. As time passed, the lamps took on more attractive shapes and sizes to add a touch of elegance to contemporary homes. In view of its popularity, Maurice Berger’s successors decided to continue to embellish indoor air and developed new rituals with candles, scented bouquets and many more exquisite products.
REBRANDING TO MAISON BERGER PARIS
With the brand’s image and stature growing in distinction and variety, the name Lampe Berger was changed to reflect the diversity of the brand’s creations – rebranding it to Maison Berger Paris in honour of its unique, creative and inspirational reflection of art and fragrances.
Today, Maison Berger Paris, headquartered in Normandy, France, has made a distinct global footprint with a network of over 7,000 outlets in 70 countries across the world. With an annual turnover of about Euro 100 million, Maison Berger Paris sells over 800,000 lamps and over 5 million litres of fragrances worldwide each year. The company has a technical centre in Limoges, France, which conducts research and development activities and files numerous patents.
Two years ago, to celebrate Maison Berger Paris’s 120th anniversary on the theme of Parisian Elegance, the company collaborated with the renowned French perfume designer Lolita Lempicka, to offer a range of exciting fragrances and catalytic lamps.
REFINEMENT AND CHARACTER
Dato’ Julie shares that Maison Berger Paris today stands for je ne sais quoi, (French for “I don’t know what”, which is an expression of a quality that makes something attractive, distinctive, or special in some way, but is hard to put into words) describing the combination of refinement and character, prestige and modernity, making it a popular choice among celebrities.
Promising exclusivity which was once embraced by Parisian high society, Dato’ Julie has put Maison Berger Paris products into Malaysian homes.
UNIQUE STATE-OF-THEART CATALYTIC LAMP
Maison Berger Paris’s unique state-of-the-art catalytic lamps
operate with simultaneous dualaction features, destroying odours and diffusing fragrance within the home. The heat produced by the catalytic burner attracts and oxidizes bad-smelling molecules such as tobacco, cooking odours and pets, among others. The burner’s titanium catalyser prevents the recombination of these molecules, while the rim acts on the destruction of odours, and the centre diffuses the fragrance. As the air is purified, the fragrance remains in the atmosphere for hours, from just 20 minutes of the lamp’s operation.
Dato’ Julie elaborates that the creation of lamps takes arduous work, requiring about 18 months to create a single lamp; while the birth of fragrances requires 9 months. Maison Berger Paris works with top French glassmakers such as Saint Gobain and Saverglass, among others, to guarantee the best quality of glass used in lamps.
“Since the beginning, Lampe Berger has always worked with many designers, from different backgrounds, so as to continually renew the collection of lamps. We are the only brand offering a variety of ready-to-use fragrances with unique olfactory compositions, enhanced with the right dose of perfumes,” she adds.
Expounding on the science behind the fragrances, Dato’ Julie explains, “Cosmetic quality isopropyl alcohol, in compliance with European and American pharmacopoeias, is used in the creation of Maison Berger Paris fragrances, combined with reverse osmosis water and essential oils. This type of alcohol offers the best-performing Catalytic combustion and is frequently used as a pharmaceutical solvent, in body fragrance and cosmetics.”
SPREADING DISTINCT SCENTS IN MALAYSIA
Dato’ Julie launched her first outlet in Malaysia in 2012 in the presence of Lampe Berger Paris’ then Chief Executive Officer, Richard Mamez and the then-Ambassador of France to Malaysia, Her Excellency Martine Dorance. In 2018, Dato’ Julie was given sole distributorship rights in Malaysia by Lampe Berger on account of her excellent business performance and contributions to the growth of the brand in the country. Today, Dato’ Julie helms 18 flagship stores with a prominent presence in major retail malls across Malaysia.
A CRUCIAL ROLE AMIDST THE PANDEMIC
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages across Malaysia and the rest of the world, Dato’ Julie shares that Maison Berger Paris’s catalytic lamps are ideal for sanitising and purifying the air of all types of allergens, germs and mould. “The lamps offer tremendous health benefits by keeping the air clean and hygienic while fighting allergens, viruses and mould. In fact, with lamps and fragrances constantly in the air in all my outlets, my staff rarely catch the common flu,” she notes.
On her company’s performance during the pandemic, Dato’ Julie says that “30% of sales were online, although people mostly responded well to brick-and-mortar shops. Although sales at physical outlets declined during the pandemic, online sales have picked up. Post-MCO, sales has returned to normal with a slight 10% variance”. As more consumers recognise the benefits of Maison Berger Paris lamps, Dato’ Julie says the market in Malaysia has excellent prospects for further growth. She explains that considering the increase in demand for healthy and safe fragrances, she has made her products available on multiple e-commerce channels such as Shopee, Lazada and their own official website.
Amidst her successes in the fragrances business, Dato’ Julie acknowledges that there are challenges in the industry. In view of
that, Maison Berger Paris focuses on quality than quantity with engaging stories that connect customers with the company’s products. “With consumers’ rising interest in safety and transparency, Maison Berger Paris focuses on neuroscience and how fragrances connect with the senses. R&D is a priority, with 3% of the company’s turnover invested into R&D. Products are subjected to stringent quality checks and approvals, while ensuring compliance to rigorous merican and European Pharmacopoeias standards as well as the International Fragrance Association,” elaborates Dato’ Julie.
Recognising that fragrances are an integral part of life, Maison Berger will continue to focus on health benefits and address the growing trends of pet care. The company is also creating anti-animal odour scents.
On the latest developments in her outlets, Dato’ Julie beams, “Next year, every outlet will have a perfume bar for testing perfumes. There will be samples for customers to experience the fragrances. Customers will also be able to read about every ingredient used in our fragrances.”
TURNKEY INNOVATION
In addition to that, Maison Berger Paris will be introducing a new turnkey product in 2021 that is 100% biodegradable and environmentally friendly – the Night & Day Diffuser themed the “Sleep Partner”, which helps users to fall asleep within 5 minutes of its diffusion. What is even more amazing is that the “Day Diffuser” is able to wake up the user after just 5 minutes of diffusion – all set with a timer, just like an alarm clock except that this stimulates the neural activities of users with the right combination of fragrances. With 35% of French and American consumers experiencing sleep problems, this revolutionary Night & Day Diffuser is set to provide a natural and safe solution for a good night’s sleep.
Committed to delivering only the best to consumers, Maison Berger Paris continues to fascinate consumers with its unique offerings – living up to its centennial track record of quality, distinction and safety.
Maison Berger Paris Stores in Malaysia
Head Office
Unit 3-1, Level 3, Oval Damansara, KL • Lot P5-07, Level 5, Pavilion Kuala
Lumpur • Lot S036, Level 2, Mid Valley
Megamall, KL • Lot FK 102, Level 1, One Utama
Shopping Centre, KL • Lot 24G2, Level G2, Publika
Shopping Gallery, KL • Lot 1-12, Level 1, Sunway
Velocity, Cheras, KL • Lot LG-K7, Level LG, IOI Citymall,
Putrajaya. • Lot F116, Level 1, Bangsar
Shopping Centre, KL • Lot 1.23, Sunway Pyramid,
Petaling Jaya. • Lot F-K4, Level 1, Sunway
Carnival Mall, Pulau Pinang • Lot 2F-132, Level 2, Queensbay
Mall, Pulau Pinang • Lot G-K002, Level G, Vivacity
Megamall, Kuching, Sarawak • Lot SPK-G08, Level G, Imago
KK Time Square, Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah • Lot G-015, Level G, The Mall, Mid
Valley Southkey, Johor Bahru. • Lot GF-57, Level G, East Coast
Mall, Kuantan, Pahang • Unit 1, Level G, Weil Hotel, Ipoh,
Perak • B2-1, Lot 114, Jalan PPM 13, Plaza
Pandan Malim Business Park,
Melaka • Unit 2.30, Level 2, The Mall,
Gadong, BE3519, Brunei • Lot 3.30, Level 3, Pavilion
Damansara Heights, KL (Opening 2022)
B2B Partnerships
• Maju Home Concepts - Setapak - Subang - CittaMall - Kota Kemuning • Cellini Design Center - Kayu Ara • Aman Suria Damansara Beauty
Retreat, Tropicana
MRCA through its ‘Love Touches Lives’ charity project initiated by President, Shirley Tay, successfully raised RM100,000 to aid single mothers in Malaysia.
he Association recently T donated the funds to 170 single mothers from six charity organisations – Great Heart Charity Association, Kassim Chin Humanity Foundation, Love Eternal Charity Association Sel & KL, Association of Social Services and Community Development of Gombak District,Selangor (PSPK), Persatuan Wanita & Ibu Tunggal Nur Iman KL & Selangor (WITUS) and Women of Will.
MRCA started the charity project to soften the blow that COVID-19 pandemic had left on single mothers as many lost their jobs and must continue to support and fend for their children on their own. This project was aimed at helping single mothers regardless of race, ethnicity, and religion.
The selected single mothers all have different stories to tell. Many are daily wage earners who struggle to make ends meet while some suffer from terminal illness or have disabled children. There are also those who are forced to work despite old age to fend for their grandchildren as their parents have passed away.
“We feel the strong need to lend a hand to these single mothers and it is our social responsibility as an association to give back to society. We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has contributed to this noble cause,” said Shirley Tay who is also the Organising Chairperson of the project and also the Southeast Asia Regional Corporate Director of Sunrider International (M) Sdn Bhd. She also acknowledged all the top donors to this project.
Over the past five years, MRCA, through its Branding Education Charity Foundation, has contributed over RM1 million to many charitable causes.
PLATINUM DONORS (Donations of RM5,000 & above)
• Dragon-i Restaurant Sdn Bhd • Fusionex International • MyMilan Milan Enterprise • Sunrider International (Malaysia)
Sdn Bhd • Supermax Foundation • Urban Idea Sdn Bhd • Wellous Sdn Bhd
GOLD DONORS (Donations of RM3,000-RM4,999)
• Big Bath Sdn Bhd • Datin Jane Yeo • Focus Point Holdings Bhd • Paradise F&B Malaysia Sdn Bhd • Quill Holdings Sdn Bhd
SILVER DONORS (Donations of RM1,000-RM2,999)
• Bannerking Sdn Bhd • Bentley Music Sdn Bhd • Crystal Lee • Datin Hii Lu Yeng • Dato’ Alex Wong • E Beauty Group Sdn Bhd • Frederick Ng • Fiffy Sdn Bhd • Kenny Bee • Kevin Lee • KK Supermart & Superstore
Sdn Bhd • Kuuvancha (M) Sdn Bhd • Lim Yoke Bee • Malaysian Gifts & Premium
Association (MGPA) • MBA Crew Sdn Bhd • Milestone Production Sdn Bhd • Puan Sri Lee • Rotol Food-Chain (M) Sdn Bhd • Senheng Electric (KL) Sdn Bhd • Sharan Valiram • Steffanie Chua • TMG Mart Sdn Bhd • Ultimate Agenda Sdn Bhd • U-One Marketing Sdn Bhd • Vincent Chew • Watatime (M) Sdn Bhd • Yayasan Ekonomi Kewangan
Antarabangsa
MRCA Women’s Division Hosts Inaugural CEO Sharing Session on Remaining Resilient during a Pandemic
Successful entrepreneur, Founder and Managing Director of Marrybrown Sdn Bhd, Datin Nancy Liew, bucked the trend by opening more franchise restaurants in 2020 amidst the doom and gloom of a pandemic-stricken economy. Outlet sales bounce back to normal 3 months after the MCO in Malaysia.
peaking to about 50 S members of MRCA’s Women Division, including women members of MRCA Youth and MRCA Southern Chapter during a virtual session recently, Datin Nancy said that Marrybrown set up a crisis team and implemented a 5-pronged strategy to remain resilient during the pandemic. The quick response yielded good results as outlet sales went back to normal 3 months after the MCO.
“Our first order of business was to protect employees and customers’ safety. In terms of physical outlets, we were able to follow the stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs) by the relevant government authorities. More importantly, we kept staff morale up. We prioritised communications with our franchise owners, and even waived 3 months of royalty fees, to show our empathy and commitment to them, to grow together for the long term.
While embarking on urgent costcutting measures across the board, “the company had to defend against revenue decline. We had to sell the idea of shifting our marketing plan instead of quieting down, to our franchise holders,” shared Datin Nancy whose company is first local fast-food chain to franchise its business in Malaysia.
She acknowledged that it was not all smooth sailing. “In Malaysia, we were able to stabilise operations. At a time where some of our suppliers may face logistic or steady supply issues, we had to ensure that all our outlets have stock. It is unthinkable for any outlet to run out of a menu item. The same cannot be said for all 16 countries where we have Marrybrown franchises,” she said.
She cited Maldives and Sweden as examples. “Maldives imports almost everything to supplement their economy. For our Marrybrown restaurant, we had to bring renovation materials, equipment, cooking raw materials, and even manpower. They were particularly hard-hit as the country’s income relies largely on tourism. Another international latest entrant, Sweden, had just started its first outlet before the pandemic hit. We had to do a lot of coaching, mentoring and business advisory for these franchise holders.”
Datin Nancy concluded the sharing session stating that Marrybrown’s ability to bounce back fast and ensure brand trust to its customers was due to the management’s ability to quickly “ACT on the execution of business plans, ADAPT to the situation and find the relevant business channels, and ADOPT strategy to sustain and even expand the franchise business during this crisis”.
Women Division Chief, Dato’ Winnie Lim, who is also MRCA Treasurer General, said the sharing personified Women Division’s aim to promote and advance the personal and professional development of women in MRCA. “Our first speaker, Datin Nancy, is a great role model who has generously shared her wealth of experience to benefit all of us,” she said.
MRCA President Shirley Tay said the sharing session was an initiative where corporate entrepreneurs would share their expertise and knowledge with one another. “We received overwhelming positive feedback and comments from our participants. With this encouraging response, we shall certainly host more sessions like this in the future.”
The sharing session was sponsored by Allianz General which recently launched a new product called Smart Retail Shield which offers COVID-19 cover for SMEs. Smart Retail Shield is a flexible fire insurance policy which offers customisable coverage, including Inconvenience Relief Benefit, in which Allianz General would pay a benefit to policyholders up to 14 days in the event the insured or insured’s employees contract an infectious or contagious disease such as COVID-19 while in the premise which directly results in the restriction of use of the premise by order of the relevant public authority.
Striking a Balance in the Midst of COVID-19
Five MRCA’s Past Presidents, at a recent webinar entitled Tea Talk with MRCA Honorary Presidents, shared the threats and opportunities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, helping audiences find their own equilibrium in personal life, business, and the products they sell.
he five Past T Presidents were Datuk Albert Chiang (Bonia Corporation Berhad); Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng, (Zhonghe Huaxing Development (M) Sdn Bhd); Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, OSIM (M) Sdn Bhd); Datuk Seri Nelson Kwok JP, (Nelson’s Franchise Sdn Bhd) and Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang JP, (Focus Point Holdings Berhad)
MRCA President Shirley Tay and MRCA Deputy President Dato’ Liew Bin were also in attendance to deliver their opening remarks at the event held in December and organised by MRCA. Moderating the “Tea Talk” was Melody FM DJ Mr Wang Chun Pin.
Shirley Tay.
Dato’ Liew Bin.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PANEL DISCUSSION
• COVID-19 HAS AFFECTED BUSINESSES AND THE WIDER ECONOMY AT AN
UNPRECEDENTED SCALE While healthcare and PPE enterprises have prospered, Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng highlighted that not-solucky businesses of the other walks wrestled for their lives over the cash flow concerns, collection problems, tenant-landlord disputes, and retrenchment issues piled high over the past 11 months.
• FIRST RESPONSE
At the onset of the movement control order, Datuk Liaw held emergency meetings with industry peers and internal management, with plenty of impromptus plays quickly adopted (e.g. restructuring, work-from-home arrangements, online business migrations).
• RESTRUCTURING
For many retailers and exporters, it’s back to looking inwards again at expenses and productivity, irrespective of whether their businesses were ever “lean” before. The forum identified the following hierarchy of business restructuring cues:
1Profitability – Unprofitable business units and branches would have to be terminated. Even if it means losing foothold in prized locations and bruising company pride in the short run, businesses owe it to their employees and dependents to spend wisely and survive.
2Working capital management
– Smart minimization of inventory and a disciplined treasury function should maintain company reserves in a position to meet obligations for an extended period.
3Human resources – Revising operation schedules, enriching employee job scopes to include multi-tasking and team-based collaboration, etc. Companies need to be prepared to deal with potential competition from enterprises set-up by resignees.
4Digitalization • Building an omni-channel
In the past 2 years, Malaysian businesses have increasingly moved online, and physical retailers know they’d either have to embrace e-commerce, or risk losing sales income – the latter not being an option in view that most products are capable of being sold off-site. The omni-channel concept remains relatively new in Malaysia. However, Datuk Seri Nelson pointed out, “clicks and bricks” in China, the EU, and USA have been drawing online customers to their physical outlets with promotions and discount vouchers – simple yet effective.
Dato’ Liaw cited several omnichannelling strategies adopted by his Focus Point brand: a Leveraging on existing customer data to maximize remote client service opportunities b Introducing a “Virtual Try On” augmented reality (“AR”) app that allows online shoppers to digitally “wear” its products, and c Redirected its advertising and marketing budget to social media advertising
“’New retail’ does not distinguish between online and offline. Instead, omni-channels (O2O) improve customer experience holistically, owing to the fact that customers still need to feel and experience a product or service before committing to a purchase,” suggested Dato’ Liaw. He also explained that F&B (as well as certain niche businesses)
are profiting from an “order online, self-pickup” model, because both merchants and customers can save on deliveries and commissions.
Having invested in proprietary e-commerce platforms and experienced some measure of success, the general consensus from the panellists is that merchants must be patient with the financial outcomes of the transformation (estimated payback period – circa. 4 years), and “to not give up on physical retail” – i.e. click and brick operations must operate in parallel. Emphasizing the latter, Datuk Seri Nelson pointed out that not all products are O2O-compatible, especially low-margin perishables, such as fruits and vegetables, which could be “more optimallydistributed” through supermarkets.
Merchants lacking capital to start-up their own unique platforms could capitalize on existing e-marketplaces such as Shopee and Lazada. Besides, social media sites offer new entrants a free, unencumbered access to their target market. A merchant who plays his cards right could potentially receive favourable response and sales leads on Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc. and then decide where to move on from there.
• PRODUCT STRATEGY
There are entire red oceans of notso-special products crowding the e-commerce theatre, with some decimating revenues of fabled retailers by as much as tenfold in 30 years. Prevailing above the price war requires a recipe of determinants – product quality, branding, and “listening to the market”.
“Knowledge is crucial for any industry, but there also needs to be space for innovation and creativity. We should refrain from copying others wholesale, lest there be oversupply, just like what’s happening now with the face-mask
market,” remarks Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng.
Also discussed was the inception and rise of Dato’ Tay’s Ammolite Furniture and Goldenhome Kitchen that was driven by a demand gap in Malaysia for imported, ecofriendly, healthy furnishings. This differentiation soon translated into a competitive edge over other generic brands in the land.
Datuk Albert Chiang also brought up the importance of utilizing business frameworks such as the 5P’s of Marketing (Product, Price, Promotion, Place, People) and SWOT analysis in evaluating new product choices.
• NEGOTIATING WITH LANDLORDS
The panellists recommend that business owners reassess the feasibility of maintaining their present premise(s). The process usually entails a dialogue with the respective landlord(s), and it was also estimated that 90% of negotiations usually end with a rebate. Should both parties be unable to arrive at a win-win situation, tenants could consider closing down a particularly unprofitable branch, freeing up resources which could then be redirected to other money-making locations.
• NEGOTIATING WITH PARTNERS
On F&B, food delivery companies such as Foodpanda, Grab typically charge a 25-30% handling fee on menu items sold on their platforms. While the partnership promises more orders and higher throughput, it presents a minimum-profit scenario for the seller. Datuk Lee predicted that delivery industries will l be here to stay, and that the omni-channel and “order online, self-pickup” model will continue to gain prominence. Either way, consumers have more choices now than ever before.
• EXPECTATIONS FOR 2021 AND POST COVID-19. SHIFTS IN ATTITUDES
For Dato’ Tay, the post-MCO period was a fixation on restarting promotional activities, and handling the unexpected rebound of queues at these events. He stated, “Even during the pandemic, business can still be done, we just have to be different.”
These differences include introducing new products and features, e.g. stress detection systems in armchairs, antimicrobial furniture, small additions in general, but with compounded returns because they have correctly anticipated the change of attitudes towards health and disease prevention, for instance.
Confident about breakthroughs in vaccine development and an expansionary Budget 2021, the Honorary Presidents were optimistic about 2021 being a good year for the whole of Malaysia and its business community.
MRCA Partners With Vettons to Bring Their Businesses Online
As the pandemic continues, retailers seek online assistance.
he Malaysian Retail Chain T Association (MRCA), which represents more than 450 leading retail chain store operators and franchisors in Malaysia, is partnering with Vettons to bring retail businesses onto their online shopping platform.
As a new wave of COVID-19 plagues the country, MRCA hopes the strategic partnership with Vettons will expand their reach towards more digital-savvy consumers, and leverage on Vettons’ online assets, expertise and features.
One of the features of the partnership is Vettons’ guarantee to sell only original brands and products. This will benefit local retailers and the country’s economic ecosystem, as well as boost consumer confidence in the online shopping environment. Vettons also offers timely deliveries, with an option for same-day delivery
About Vettons
Vettons is an e-commerce company based in Bukit Lanjan, which aims to revolutionise the e-commerce landscape of Malaysia by offering only original products, timely deliveries, and smarter, more personalised shopping experiences. It’s app, called Vettons, was launched in July 2020, and is available for download on
Google Play Store and the Apple
App Store. depending on area and availability, dubbed Vettons Now.
Vettons is also introducing many industry firsts, including Augmented Reality to help consumers visualise their purchases in their living spaces, as well as leveraging technology, such as artificial intelligence to assist in the shopping experience.
The partnership entails monthly webinar workshops, conducted by Vettons, to promote e-marketplace services and recruit MRCA members. Vettons shall utilise MRCA’s online assets for its campaigns, and conversely, Vettons will collaborate with MRCA as an e-marketplace partner for offline events.
MRCA members are waived for 0% commission fee for three months upon signing up with Vettons. Vettons will also coorganise the MRCA CEO Networking
Offline Event in 2021.
Members Meeting
fter the Association’s A AGM in August, MRCA’s first Members’ meeting was organised on 18th November 2020, in the spirit of getting together in sociallydistanced times, on Zoom. Members were briefed on membership updates, and the latest developments from the government, as well as perspectives and outlook on retail. The highlights are as follows:
1MRCA President Shirley Tay affirms the Association’s
support to members, helping upwards of the “80% [impacted by COVID-19 one way or another]” work through the economic situation collectively: i) effective strategies and business downturn prevention initiatives, ii) collaboration with tech companies, media and government, iii) rollout of training courses to inspire and educate members, iv) providing members with a “buddy” system for mutual assistance.
2Confirmation of minutes by Council members Ken Phua and Datuk Liew Bin.
354 events were held in 2020.
Favouring online conferences, webinars, and expos, the format of large-scale events and networking parties were transformed in compliance with safety guidelines.
4Division leaders’ updates – past and ongoing activities and events in the pipeline, etc: (See Chart)
5Despite the hardships brought on by the multiple MCOs, Treasurer General Chief Dato’ Winnie Lim assures the Association has managed to stay in positive financial health by working on tight budgets.
6Head of Membership, Valerie Choo, announced that the Association currently has 480
members, made up of 3 registrant categories: Ordinary (260), Associate (201), and Affiliate (19). Around 29 Ordinary, 32 Associate and 1 Affiliate member were instated into the MRCA over its 8 intakes between December 2019 and November 2020. 3 prospective applicants were also introduced on that day.
7MRCA Secretary-General Stan Singh informed members of news in advocacy in November
involving the Association and several others voicing out for music copyrights/royalties, government intervention on par with Budget 2021, standard operating procedures (SOP) for the retail industry, among others.
8“Over the next few months we are revamping the look and feel of the magazine to make it more informative for all our retailers to use as a resource and
guide,” said Vice President Sharan Valiram, also the person-in-charge of the Association’s official Malaysia Retailer magazine.
Division / Portfolio
MRCA F&B Division
MRCA Women’s Division
MRCA Southern Chapter
MRCA Youth
MRCA Academy
MRCA CEO Get-Together
MRCA Charity
MRCA Digitalisation / e-commerce
Facilitation of Members’ Affairs
Malaysia International Retail and Franchise Exhibition (MIRF)
Media Relations
Chief / Advisor / Organising Chair
Datuk Seri Garry Chua
Dato’ Winnie Lim
Michael Liew
Alex Chong
Dato’ Liew Bin
Jordan Ng
Stan Singh
Seak Thean Pow
Raymond Woo
Ken Phua
Criteria to join / Details
• Businesses involved in F&B • Company has to be a MRCA Member first • No outstanding dues with MRCA
• Any female employee of MRCA Members (written consent required from company) • No outstanding payments with MRCA
• MRCA Members based in the southern region of Malaysia
• Individuals 40 years old and below • Company has to be a MRCA Member first • No outstanding dues with MRCA
• Upcoming workshop (19-20 November 2020, 14-15 December 2020): Strategies To Detect and Prevent Workplace Dishonesty and Unique Solutions
• 70 CEOs from MRCA Member Companies (8th September 2020) at Fusionex Office, PJ
• MRCA Single Mother Charity Project (Love Touches Lives) raised RM100,000 from 14th Aug to 30th Sept 2020 for 165 single mothers from 6 selected NGOs
• Committee Meetings: 19th October 2020, 12th November 2020
• Memorials: 24th August 2020, and 26th October 2020
• Malaysia International Retail & Franchise Exhibition to be held from 22nd-24th July 2021 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
• Courtesy Visits: Media Prima (3rd September 2020), Star Media (10th September 2020), Sin Chew Daily (29th September 2020)
* as of 18-11-2020. Parties interested in joining can contact: mrca.secretariat@gmail.com
MRCA Christmas Charity Donation 2020
he MRCA Branding T Education Charity Foundation donated a total of RM10,000 worth of cash, groceries, gift sets, masks, sanitizers, stationeries and children workbooks to SAFE Community, KL and Pusat Pembangunan HOPE Selangor in conjunction with the Christmas celebration.
The MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation was founded in 2010 by then- President, Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, with RM1 million funds raised. With the set-up of this Foundation, the MRCA started to work on giving back to the society through visitations and donations to Charitable Homes during Malaysia’s main festive seasons such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali and Christmas.
Through these donations, MRCA aims to promote awareness amongst the community on the importance of reaching out and helping the less fortunate and underprivileged by giving back to the community from time to time to show support towards society.
1. Datuk Lee Hwa Cheng, Chairman of MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation 2018-2020 2. Dato’ Eddie Choon 3. Datuk Albert Chiang 4. Dato’ Tay Sim Kim 5. Datuk Seri Nelson Kwok JP 6. Dato’ Liaw Choon Liang JP 7. Datuk Seri Garry Chua
Southern Chapter
Some members are aggressively opening up new outlets locally and internationally.
everal members of the
SSouthern Chapter have been aggressively expanding their business both locally and abroad over the past few months this year. Sedan Corner opened its 8th outlet in Eco Business Park 3, Kota Masai in Pasir Gudang on 28th October 2020.
Folks in Pasir Gudang can now conveniently enjoy to Sedap Corner’s popular range of local Kuih Muih, Johor Delicacies and other Malaysian favourite dishes.
Diners can enjoy a taste of nostalgia in the comfortable and spacious dining environment. It has also created an interactive wall art murals as interesting photo backdrops of a bygone era.
MuzArt International, an art education franchise, opened a centre each in USJ 10 (Taipan), Petaling Jaya; Raja Uda, Butterworth; Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur; Jurong West, Singapore and Sengkang, Singapore. Another centre is expected to be opened soon in Bintulu, Sarawak. MuzArt’s “5 Unique DNA” approach uses a combination of “Traditional” and “Creative” art to stimulate students and bring out their natural talent. The teaching methods make use of creativity, intellectual development, and psychological elements to ensure that every child can unleash their imagination and creativity without any restraints.
Liang Sandwich Bar (LSB) / Liang Crispy Roll (LCR) in Malaysia opened its LCR outlets in Suria KLCC, Tropicana Gardens Mall and Vivacity Megamall, Kuching. The company also introduced its pop up food truck concept in Southkey Mid Valley and various locations in Johor Bahru, Ipoh, Penang and Butterworth, among others. It also introduced its signature frozen parathas into FMCG channels, livestreams, e-commerce platforms since April and in December, it ventured into supplying parathas to F&B chains.
LCR Philippines opened its first outlet in the Philippines at SM Aura while LCR South Korea opened its first outlet in Gangnam, Seoul, and LCR Vietnam welcomed its customers at its first outlet in Danag.
Indonesia currently has 57 LSB outlets throughout the country. It also obtained the MUI Halal Certifications for its existing outlets and in October, Liang Crispy Roll officially opened its first outlet in AEON Mall Sentul City.
KuuVanCha restaurant opened its new outlet in early November at Taman Molek, Johor Bahru, The restaurant also hosted a lunch gathering with Datuk Henry Yip, MRCA Council member, on 13th November. Both the events were attended by the Southern Chapter committee members led by its head, Michael Liew.
AUTO COUNT SDN BHD
AutoCount Sdn Bhd is a leading home-grown business software developer that delivers high-quality accounting and business applications that meets the unique needs of SMEs across different industry verticals.
Auto Count possesses more than 25 years of software development experience, and we are an MSC status company. The company is 100% Malaysian-owned and its head office is located at Oasis Corporate Park, Ara Damansara, Selangor.
Currently, AutoCount Accounting, AutoCount Point of Sale, AutoCount Payroll and AOTG Dashboard are the preferred choices of most SMEs in Malaysia and its surrounding countries. There are more than 200,000 companies and 600,000 users from various industries/ sectors relying on AutoCount Business applications in their daily operations.
On joining the association, Alex Ng, Sales & Marketing Director of AutoCount Sdn Bhd said that MRCA
MAH SING GROUP BERHAD
Mah Sing Group Berhad was listed on Bursa Malaysia in 1992 and ventured into property development in 1994. Currently, Mah Sing has 50 projects in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Klang Valley, Penang, Johor, as well as Sabah. Mah Sing is one of Malaysia’s fully integrated developer with residential, commercial, hospitality and industrial developments.
A leading property developer in Malaysia its diverse portfolio includes masterplanned townships, integrated development, Grade A office building, retail projects, SoHo and Industrial Developments.
For over two decades, Mah Sing has continuously created iconic developments that have won over 300 domestic and global awards for company performance, corporate governance, product design, concept, innovation and quality.
As a market-driven developer, the Group’s key focus is a well-established retail association with long history in Malaysia. “It is an excellent networking platform for retail related businesses to engage with industry peers. It’s also an avenue to exchange ideas, share resources and together expand the retail industry in Malaysia and
explore opportunities abroad. is to enhance life by inventing fit-for-purpose quality product offerings in prime locations with easy access to amenities, connectivity, and ready infrastructures. Upholding its tagline, “Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life”, Mah Sing continues to build affordably-priced products that suit current market demand.
Datuk Ho Hon Sang, Mah Sing’s CEO, said, “We are deeply honoured to be part of MRCA. Through this platform, Mah Sing believes that with MRCA’s reputation through its lengthy experience and established network, will be able to enrich businesses and resources, completing Mah Sing’s ultimate goal towards enhancing the lives of many.”
HEALTH LANE FAMILY PHARMACY SDN BHD
Health Lane Family Pharmacy is a growing chain with more than 30 years of experience in the retail pharmacy business. It currently has 100 outlets in the Klang Valley, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Sarawak, and is still expanding.
Health Lane believes that “GREAT HEALTH BEGINS HERE”, and its goal is to establish a strong bond and long term relationship with its customers, treating them as family by providing personalised service, caring advice and recommending wholesome solutions to help them achieve great health.
To achieve its goal, Health Lane employs a dedicated team of licensed and experienced pharmacists, well trained nutritionists, dietitians and health advisors to provide the best service and consultation for its customers. Throughout the journey of over three decades,
INNITY SDN BHD
Innity is Asia’s leading digital media company and provider of digital advertising, marketing and social commerce technologies for brands, agencies, advertisers and publishers.
The REVO Rewards Platform, the latest Social Commerce Solution from Innity, is an innovative rewards platform and the first in Malaysia to integrate CardLinked Offers technology. Over 80 merchants offering a wide range of cash back reward options are now available on REVO.
Made possible by technologies from partners, Mastercard and Visa, the REVO Rewards Platform seamlessly enables merchants to track and reward customers’ spend using a credit or prepaid card without any technical integration, QR codes or the use of apps. Customers pay as usual through existing merchant card terminals (in-store customers) or through an existing payment gateway (online customers). The REVO platform Health Lane has built a base of more than 500,000 loyal customers who appreciate the company’s practice and professionalism.
Health Lane strives to be one of the most trusted pharmacy brands by offering a wide variety of genuine products, professional service and a convenient shopping experience. The company aims to expand its presence in Malaysia in order to serve the community and enhance the quality of life of every customer we serve
Juliana Jamaludin, Assistant Marketing Manager, said, “With more than 30 years of experience in the retail business and with 100 outlets nationwide, we are honoured to finally be part of the MRCA.”
“We hope to learn from our peers in the retail industry and at the same time contribute ideas to help grow the retail industry, in line with our company motto, ‘Together
We Grow Beyond Excellence’.” takes care of tracking transactions and rewarding customers with cash back or e-vouchers.
REVO is available on the web, Apple and Google App Stores.
CEO of Innity, Phang Chee Leong, said,”This is the time for businesses from every industry to be bold, to experiment and to level up. We have teamed up with Mastercard and Visa to create a platform that is highly relevant to retailers of the MRCA who wish to drive incremental in-store or online sales in a risk-free, pay-for-performance manner, especially in these challenging times.
