The key ingredients are water, egg shell powder (12.8%), ethanol for food (10.4%), thickening agent and natural lemon flavour.
It provides at least 450 mg of calcium per 10ml sachet of egg shell calcium sauce. The product is available in 100ml pack (10ml x 10 sachets) at VND 37,900 (USD 1.66) and 1 litre PET bottle (VND 252,000).
By cooking 300g of rice with 10ml of egg shell calcium sauce, it gives one bowl of rice (150g) 100mg of calcium. This product is ideal for the elderly to improve their bone health.
The following chart shows the merit of consuming eggshell calcium versus calcium carbonate by a female over the course of 12 months.
The egg shell calcium sauce can be added in other dishes including egg to provide the additional calcium benefit.
Quaker oat for rice
In Malaysia, also a rice eating nation, we have seen PepsiCo introducing Quaker Oat for Rice. The product is described as a convenient way to add wholegrain goodness to your rice. The oat is rice in beta glucan to reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
Placed next to rice
In Vietnam, the egg shell calcium sauce is conveniently displayed next to rice.
Photographed by the author at Aeon
What Mini Me Thinks
Brands such as Kewpie and Quaker are exploring ways to add the additional nutrient to rice to capitalise on the fact that rice is a staple in most parts of Asia.
In Malaysia, Milo has come under flak from a social media activist Vishen Lakhiani, CEO of Mindvalley, who insisted Milo is high in sugar and is bad for health. The seriousness of the allegation has prompted Nestle to convene a press conference on 6 February 2018 to refute the claim that Milo contains 40% of sugar is actually incorrect.
At Minime Insights, we feel the Milo saga resonates with Malaysian consumers because there is a growing distrust of the marketing message of big brands when it comes to health particularly on the topic of sugar.
The incident also reveals consumer growing interest to understand the product ingredients on pack. They are also becoming more wary of strange sounding ingredients like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and maltodextrin and are going online to research themselves of the ingredient’s implication for health.
The implication for Malaysian food manufacturers from the Milo saga is to clean up their label with all-natural and no artificial ingredients and start thinking about sugar and lowering the use of it in their products.
Marketing General Manager of 7-Eleven Malaysia, Ronan Lee (centre); Founder of Pusat Jagaan Asnaf Barakh, Haji Yusof Noor (2nd from top left); volunteers from 7-Eleven Malaysia and NGOHub Asia with children from Pusat Jagaan Asnaf Barakh.
Ampang, 29 January 2018 ā In conjunction with International Creativity Month, 7-Eleven Malaysia and NGOHub Asia conducted an arts and crafts activity for the children at Pusat Jagaan Asnaf Barakh (Rumah Amal Asnaf Barakh), at Ampang, Selangor.
The activity was led by 7-Eleven representatives, and the children were taught how to construct a wind chime using cupcake paper cups decorated with colourful beads and embroidery thread. Volunteers from NGOHub Asia also took part to facilitate the activity by guiding the participants with their creations.
Pusat Jagaan Asnaf Barakh (Rumah Amal Asnaf Barakh) is a non-profit organization that houses children from low-income families. Founder Haji Yusof Noor has actively supported the underprivileged, and was inspired to extend his efforts further of helping families who were struggling financially after learning about their circumstances. āI offered to rent a space for the children to stay and care for them so that it would ease the burden of families who are unable to fully support their entire household,ā he said.
Since 2010, the community has shifted to different locations as they were unable to sustain their tenancy with past landlords. Their current location in Ampang, Selangor, is the longest theyāve stayed and they seek aid for their rent and new furniture to replace the ones that are damaged. āWe also hope that we can receive support for necessities such as milo, diapers, milk powder, poultry and fish as these items are costly. Currently, we have 54 children with us, and we would like to provide them with the best that we can to ensure that they stay comfortably,ā he added.
The day was concluded by 7-Elevenās distribution of goodie bags to the children, consisting of various snacks and beverages; and provisions to help alleviate the communityās operational expenses, namely eggs, Milo and diapers.
7-Eleven Malaysia Marketing General Manager Ronan Lee expressed his delight to partake in the creative project. āWe are happy to be spending time with the children here, and feel contented to see their brightened expressions from this activity. Through it, we hope that it would help develop their creative thinking skills, as constructing the wind chime is quite challenging though we kept in mind to add in a dash of fun as well.ā
He further added, āWe strongly believe in uplifting the lives of those who need us, and knowing the difference we can make for the community here inspires us to continue our endeavours of being āAlways There For Youā.ā
About 7-Eleven Malaysia
Ā 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Berhad through its subsidiary 7-Eleven Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is the owner and operator of 7-Eleven stores in Malaysia. Incorporated on 4 June 1984, 7-Eleven Malaysia has made its mark in the retailing scene and have been a prominent icon for over 33 years. 7-Eleven Malaysia is the pioneer and largest 24-hours standalone convenience store operator in Malaysia with over 2,200 outlets nationwide and serves more than 900,000 customers daily. 7-Eleven stores can be found across bustling commercial districts to serene suburban residential compounds throughout Malaysia, from petrol stations and LRT stations to shopping malls and medical institutions. 7-Eleven is Always There For You.
In the mood for love? TAP Group, the maker and distributor ofĀ Heineken, Tiger, and Cheers in Thailand, has introducedĀ Cheers Selection: Northern Strawberry to coincide with Valentine’s Day in February 2018.
The pink-coloured, European-style fruit beer is made withĀ northern strawberries. It is available at 7-Eleven and leading stores in Thailand in a 490ml can format for THB 52 (USD 1.64). The drink will be available for six months.
In the past years, Cheers has created special flavours under the Cheers Selection sub-brand offering riceberry and shogun orange beer, according to the press release.
SAM’s Groceria, the premium grocery chain ofĀ Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd, is said to be offloaded to stem further losses, reported The Edge Financial Daily on 8 January 2017.
Loss-making entity
The business daily revealed, citingĀ the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) data, that the loss-making SAM’s Groceria Sdn Bhd reported total accumulated losses of RM 42.05 million as of 31 March 2016. Revenue in FY 16 stood at RM 63.16 million but net loss reached a staggering RM 27.49 million.
Not meeting customer expectation
In an explanation toĀ The Edge Financial Daily,Ā Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd Managing Director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin said “we decided to sellĀ SAM’s GroceriaĀ after realising that the stores’ patrons are mainly local Chinese andĀ expatriates. (However,) we do not sell liquor, wine, beer or pork at our stores and thus, we have been unable to meet our customers’ needs.”
Datuk Ameer was very frank in his explanation why SAM’s Groceria was not able to meet the expectation of expatriates and local Chinese consumers.
Could this serve as a warning to premium grocery chains not to exclude liquor, wine, beer or pork.
Changing retail scene
However, there is an underlying trend in the Malaysian and Indonesian retail scene to focus on selling halal-only products taking into consideration the sensitivity of Muslim consumers towards alcohol and non-halal foodstuff.
Abu Dhabi-based LuLu Hypermarket, which opened its first store in Malaysia in 2016, is expanding in Kota Baru (Kelantan), Shah Alam (Selangor), Johor Baru, Bangi, Ipoh (Perak), Malacca, Penang and Kuala Terengganu. LuLu Hypermarket does not sell alcoholic drinks and non-halal foodstuffs.
Another chain is theĀ Az-Zain Halal Mart, which sells exclusively halal products. The grocery chain is run byĀ Mumtaz Meat & Marine Foods. The company aims to open 500 outlets by the end of 2018, reported Sinar Harian. At the moment, the company has 260 branches but not all are operating under the Az-Zain Halal Mart label.
In Indonesia,Ā Podjok Halal, a unit of the toll road operator PT Citra Marga Nusaphala Persada Tbk, entered the convenience store market in September 2017, reported Tirto.id. The new chain is occupying the former 7-Eleven premises in Jakarta.
Podjok Halal sells only halal foodstuffs with the tagline “halal, cepat, hemat” or “halal, fast and saving.”
What Mini Me thinks
The halal trend is unstoppable but it is imperative not to neglect consumer demand for non-halal products especially if the location has a lot of local Chinese and expatriates.
Hiroyuki Kotera, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD.; Fong Kee Ken, MaxValu Prime Bangsar South Store Manager; and Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD., posing together in front of AEONās third MaxValu Prime outlet at The Sphere, Bangsar South.
New outlets aim to offer convenience as MaxValu Prime establishes itself as a one-stop centre for urbanites
KUALA LUMPUR, 5 February 2018 ā Set to bring convenience to the Bangsar South community and its high-density workforce, AEON CO. (M) BHD. today opens its third MaxValu Prime outlet together with its Wellness pharmacy at The Sphere. MaxValu Prime endeavours to redefine the shopping experience of consumers in Bangsar South by creating heightened shopping and dining ambience.
Offering an extensive range of locally and globally sourced fresh and quality products as well as tasty food, MaxValu Prime also offers a health and personal care option Wellness Pharmacy, which is located next to the establishment.
The conceptualisation of MaxValu Prime and Wellness is anchored upon AEONās promise to provide all customers with an array of products, food and beverage, at the same time, personify convenience at its best.
Fong Kee Ken, MaxValu Prime Bangsar South Store Manager; Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD.; Ahmad Fazli Abu Bakar, General Manager of AEON CO. (M) BHD.; and Hiroyuki Kotera, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD., showing some samples of the products that are available in MaxValu Primeās outlet in Bangsar South.
Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD. said: āMaxValu Prime in Bangsar South represents our third outlet conceptualised with all our shoppersā needs in mind. We are set to cater to the Bangsar South community, namely those who are working or living in the vicinity, to become their neighbourhood retailer of choice.ā
Convenience for the Community and Office Workers
The rise of Bangsar South into a high-density area raised values around its vicinity, adding easy access to urban amenities, inclusive of convenient commuting options. Poh elaborated: āConscious of the growing population and working urbanites in Bangsar South, we see this in positive light as we are ready to serve the community by providing all offerings under one roof, thus creating heightened accessibility for consumers. With the boom in the development of residences and office towers in Bangsar South, we hope MaxValu Prime and Wellness will enhance the needs of surrounding community and provide them with a shopping and dining moment that they will never forget.ā
MaxValu Primeās key differentiator lies in its commitment to present shoppers with an unparalleled shopping and dining experience, through fresh ingredients and delicious meal options.
One-Stop Dining Experience
A unique element of MaxValu Prime in Bangsar South is its food and beverage selection, in the form of DELICA and two new concepts ā the āCook for Uā station and āReady-to-Cookā.
DELICA ā a one-stop deli boasts a section selling ready-to-eat food and easy preparation meals such as cooked meats, hot snacks, sandwiches, salads and other similar items. This concept caters to the working crowd who wishes to grab their meals on-the-go or dine in.
Also available is a āCook for Uā station, whereby consumers have the option to pick fresh food items with a corresponding sticker, make payment, proceed to the āCook for Uā station, choose a preferred cooking style, and wait 15 minutes for a freshly-cooked meal. Consumers need to pay RM6 (including GST) for the āCook for Uā service.
Last but not least, MaxValu Prime introduces the āReady-to-Cookā concept to bring out the inner chef in everyone. There are several pre-packed assortments to choose from such as Acar Vegetables, Ayam Masak Sambal, Mixed Curry Vegetables, Kangkung with Belacan, Pucuk Paku with Belacan and many more that they can cook at home.
AEONās Motivation for MaxValu Prime
The first Maxvalu Prime is located at Sunway Velocity, while the second outlet opened on 19 January 2018 at Evo Bangi, which has similar offerings with the one at Bangsar South.
The opening of MaxValu Prime Bangsar South marks the third MaxValu Prime outlet operated by AEON CO. (M) BHD., with plans to expand the brand to other areas in the near future.
The new AEON online store on Honestbee marks the first time the general merchandise store retailer has an online presence in Malaysia. It also gives us the opportunity to analyse the private label strategy of AEON in the online marketplace.
Private label accounts for 6% of online SKU
On AEON’s outlet on the Honestbee site, AEON TopValu private label range accounts for 6.4% of the total stock keeping unit (SKU). The figure is smaller than Tesco Online’s 10.5% but still high considering Tesco is the market leader in grocery private label in Malaysia.Ā Tesco Online’s website is at eshop.tesco.com.my.
Focusing on food segment
AEON-Honestbee is focusing on the food segment with food accounting for 84% of total SKUs including private label. As a comparison, Tesco is more matured as it has been operating its online store since April 2013 with an even split between food and non-food.
Non-food private label still key trust for AEON-Honestbee
Looking at the share of private label in food and non-food, AEON-Honestbee is focusing more on non-food. Non-food is usually where consumers find it less risky and more willing to switch to store’s private label offerings influenced mainly by price.
Over time, Tesco has educated consumers on the merits of its store brand food products and this is reflected in a higher share of private label food at 65% versus non-food at 35%.
Tea has largest number of SKU in private label food
On AEON-Honestbee, tea has the largest number of SKU in the private label food category, while cooking ingredients has the biggest SKU in non-food. Convenience food is second in food and comprises frozen food such as frankfurter, nuggets and fish balls.
Houseekeeping top penetrationĀ
In terms of penetration, we are see TopValu accounts for the biggest share of housekeeping (eg. sponge, garbage bag and wet tissue), followed by party needs (eg. paper plates, chili sauce container and serviette) and skin care (eg. cotton buds, wet wipes and sanitising wipes). This is not surprising to see as consumers usually opt for the cheapest products.
What Mini Me thinks
With AEON embracing e-commerce grocery, it can become a useful platform to educate and promote private label like what Tesco has been aggressively doing on its Tesco Online portal.
Sugar cane companies are not just the sugar company of the olden days focusing on extracting sugar out of cane juice. Instead, they have evolved into producing other higher value added products such as paper,Ā sugar cane juice and electricity generation etc.
Vietnam’s TTC Group, a sugar, energy, real estate and tourism conglomerate, introduced Miaqua water made from sugarcane in mid-2017. The water was made available to 2,000 domestic and international delegations who attended the APEC Economic Leadersā Week 2017 in November 2017 as well as in other international conference and meetings.
Miaqua is the by-product of sugar manufacturing. The water is collected and treated before being packaged in a PET bottle and sold in selected retail outlets. The uniqueness of this packaged water is it is unsweetened and has the fragrant smell of sugarcane.
The production process ensures the water is not wasted and ties in with the current global focus on reducing food waste and sustainability.
Miaqua is available at Lotte, Aeon Citi, Big C and other retailers. It is a product of ThĆ nh ThĆ nh CĆ“ng TĆ¢y Ninh in Tan Chau District, Tay Ninh province.
The key ingredients are distilled water from cane sugar processing production treated with reverse osmosis ozone technology and UV light. A 500ml bottle is priced at VND 3,800 (USD 0.17).
A major draw of the show was the competition area. Supporters of the contestants were enthralled as they witnessed the countryās top baristas compete for the coveted titles at three national coffee championships ā the Malaysia Barista Championship, the Malaysia Brewers Cup, and the Malaysia Latte Art Championship. Top winners from all three championships will represent Malaysia at the world stage this year in Netherlands, Amsterdam; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Belo Horizonte, Brazil; respectively.
Mr Shinobu Washizawa, Managing Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD (third from left) and Ms Marianne Chuo, Country General Manager of honestbee Malaysia (second from right) exchanging handshakes after the official signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) witnessed by Mr Hiroyuki Kotera, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD. (first from left), Mr Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD (second from left) and Mr Kunimasa Nakamura, Deputy General Manager, honestbee Japan (first from right).
Kuala Lumpur, 24 January 2018 ā AEON CO. (M) BHD. and honestbee have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form a business alliance.Ā This alliance will enable both parties to develop and formulate new services that better match the rapidly changing customer demand, by establishing a framework of cooperation to merge their unique strengths. The collaboration stems from the growing trend of online purchase pattern and a desire to innovate its offering to enhance value for Malaysians.
Shinobu Washizawa, Managing Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD. said: āOwing to decades of support from our customers, we have established a nationwide presence.Ā We believe our strength lies not only in the wide-range of products and services, but also in the customersā trust in our reputable brand.Ā In order to enhance the value for our customers by moving towards an omni-channel retailer, we want to combine our strengths with honestbeeās expertise to digitalise our customerās shopping experience.
Adding Value to An Established Grocer
Honestbee is an online concierge and delivery service with presence in eight countries.Ā According to Marianne Chuo, Country General Manager of honestbee Malaysia, the way Malaysians consume shopping today differ greatly from how it was a decade ago. āOne of the key drivers for the success of the online retail sector is convenience. As a trusted online concierge, we are always evolving with time to offer our customers a whole new level of committed reliability. We curate our logistics in a way in the most efficient and effective way when delivering products, ranging from fresh produce to dry goods. We look forward to a successful collaboration with AEON CO. (M) BHD.ā
As the pilot project of this alliance, AEON Mid Valley store will initiate honestbeeās personal shopper service.Ā Customer who live within 17 km radius from the store will enjoy a minimum 1-hour delivery service for the purchase of listed grocery products (subject to availability of the timeslot).
(L ā R) Honestbee mascot, Mr Hiroyuki Kotera, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD., Mr Shinobu Washizawa, Managing Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD., Ms Marianne Chuo, Country General Manager of honestbee Malaysia, Mr Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD. and Mr Kunimasa Nakamura, Deputy General Manager, honestbee Japan posing with some of the products which can be purchased from AEON MidValley through honestbeeās online platform.
Washizawa added: āWe are proud to launch this new service at our flagship store, AEON Mid Valley.Ā We will closely monitor the feedback and demands from our customers, and consider to expand this service both in terms of regional and in merchandise offering. I am delighted to share that AEON CO. (M) BHD. will have more of such innovations in the pipeline.ā
āAt honestbee, our expertise lies in ensuring that our customers receive their purchases almost as soon as they have put in their order. As such, we are extremely proud to be appointed as AEON CO. (M) BHD.ās partner in their endeavour to venture into on-demand delivery service,ā Chuo added.
As an introductory offer, every new customer will get to enjoy a RM50 discount with a minimum spend of RM120. To enjoy this benefit, new customers need to key in the promotional code of āAEON50HBā to redeem any time before 1 March 2018.
About AEON CO. (M) BHD
AEON CO. (M) BHD. is a leading General Merchandise Stores (GMS) cum supermarket chain in Malaysia, with 26 AEON Malls, 33 AEON Outlets 2 MaxValu and 2 Maxvalu Prime Supermarkets across the country. In the spirit of the name AEON, which means eternity in Latin, AEONās goal is to work together endlessly with its customers, suppliers, business partners, shareholders and the community to create a future of limitless promises. Incorporated in 1984 in response to the Malaysian Governmentās invitation to help modernize the countryās retailing industry, AEONās chain of stores strive to satisfy the ever changing needs and desires of consumers. Guided by its āCustomer Firstā philosophy, the companyās acute understanding of the target market needs, aided by optimal product-mix, AEON surpasses consumer expectations and enhances their experience every time they shop. All this is encapsulated in the tagline āAEON Enriching Your Lifestyleā.
AEON also strongly supports environmental sustainability by championing various recycling, energy conservation and tree planting causes, by engaging and encouraging various parties, including staff, customers, NGOs, government agencies and the community at large to participate.
In 2015, AEON introduced the āDo Mallā initiative as part of its rebranding exercise to rebrand AEON Shopping Centres to AEON Mall. The initiative marks a next step in product innovation whilst maintaining customersā favourites, year-long activities to enhance shopping experience and a new refreshed AEON Mall with more offerings from food and entertainment to fashion and community events.
AEON has been awarded the Gold in Retail category by Putra Brand Award for 7 consecutive years since 2011. AEON was also awarded Green Leadership by Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards in 2010 and 2011. In recognitionās of AEONās CSR initiative, the Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA) awarded AEON the Regional Award for āBest Efforts in Social Responsibilityā in 2017.
Introduces Online Initiative To Listen To Hair & skin concern, and Reward with Matching Products
Kuala Lumpur, March 29, 2019 ā Havenāt found the right hair...
