In the mood for love with Cheers Selection: Northern Strawberry beer

By

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6th February 2018

In the mood for love? TAP Group, the maker and distributor of Heineken, Tiger, and Cheers in Thailand, has introduced Cheers Selection: Northern Strawberry to coincide with Valentine’s Day in February 2018.

The pink-coloured, European-style fruit beer is made with 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.

*Images from Cheers Selection Facebook page

SAM’s Groceria attributes losses to product mix

By

Tan Heng Hong

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6th February 2018

SAM’s Groceria, the premium grocery chain of 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, citing 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 to The Edge Financial Daily, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd Managing Director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin said “we decided to sell SAM’s Groceria after realising that the stores’ patrons are mainly local Chinese and 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 the Az-Zain Halal Mart, which sells exclusively halal products. The grocery chain is run by 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, 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.

Aeon opens Maxvalu Prime and Wellness outlets in Bangsar South

By

Tan Heng Hong

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5th February 2018

aeon maxvalu bangsar south — 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 AEON’s 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 – 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 AEON’s 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 Prime’s outlet in Bangsar South.

Poh Ying Loo, Executive Director of AEON CO. (M) BHD. said: “MaxValu Prime in Bangsar South represents our third outlet conceptualised with all our shoppers’ 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.”

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: “Conscious 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.”

MaxValu Prime’s 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 – the ‘Cook for U’ station and ‘Ready-to-Cook’.

DELICA – 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 ‘Cook for U’ station, whereby consumers have the option to pick fresh food items with a corresponding sticker, make payment, proceed to the ‘Cook for U’ station, choose a preferred cooking style, and wait 15 minutes for a freshly-cooked meal. Consumers need to pay RM6 (including GST) for the ‘Cook for U’ service.

Last but not least, MaxValu Prime introduces the ‘Ready-to-Cook’ 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.

AEON’s 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.

AEON private label accounts for 6% of SKU on AEON-Honestbee

By

Tan Heng Hong

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30th January 2018

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. 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 penetration

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.

Miaqua with 100% natural sugarcane taste

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

29th January 2018

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, 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 Leaders’ 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 Thành Thành Công Tây 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).

Café Malaysia 2018 – A Heady Brew of Success

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

28th January 2018

January 27, 2018, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia: The fourth edition of the Café Malaysia series was a rousing success. The show opened by guest-of-honour, Yang Berbahagia Dato. Dr Siew Ka Wei, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia on January 25, 2017 at the MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC), enjoyed a record attendance of more than 12,000 trade and public visitors over a span of three days, among them a business delegation from South Korea.

The Café Malaysia series, first launched in 2015, is the largest gathering of the tea and coffee industries in Malaysia and one of the largest in Southeast Asia. This dynamic B2B platform is sought by key decision makers of the coffee and tea industries as a sourcing destination for their café needs and to explore new collaborations and opportunities in a country where the number of specialty coffee drinkers has mushroomed over the years. 2018 marked the largest outing of the Café Malaysia series since its inception. It hosted 157 international, regional and local exhibitors from 22 countries.

Visitors to Café Malaysia 2018 were treated to a delightful selection of local and international cuisine at the launch of the inaugural Food Truck Show. The Food Truck industry has grown in visibility in recent years. There are now more than 600 food trucks operating across the country serving an increasing appetite for popular mobile food culture. The timely introduction of the Food Truck Show made it the only B2B event dedicated to the industry. Also a first at the show was the Chocolate Pavilion where visitors savoured the many varieties of chocolates and tempting creations.

Apart from the various innovative products and technologies showcased by the exhibitors, visitors to the show also learnt about the latest trends and developments of the industry at a series of talks by key industry professionals at the Café Clinic series of talks and presentations.

A major draw of the show was the competition area. Supporters of the contestants were enthralled as they witnessed the country’s top baristas compete for the coveted titles at three national coffee championships – 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.

The Cafe Malaysia series is organised by CEMS Conference & Exhibition (M) Sdn Bhd, and is hosted by the Malaysia Specialty Coffee Association (MSCA) and the Café Owners Alliance Malaysia. MSCA is a member of the ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF). The show is also endorsed by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), and is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia.

Aeon Advances Towards Omni-Channel Strategy

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

26th January 2018

Aeon Honestbee — 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 – AEON CO. (M) BHD. and honestbee have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form a business alliance. 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: “Owing to decades of support from our customers, we have established a nationwide presence. We believe our strength lies not only in the wide-range of products and services, but also in the customers’ trust in our reputable brand. In order to enhance the value for our customers by moving towards an omni-channel retailer, we want to combine our strengths with honestbee’s expertise to digitalise our customer’s shopping experience.

Adding Value to An Established Grocer

Honestbee is an online concierge and delivery service with presence in eight countries. 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. “One 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.”

As the pilot project of this alliance, AEON Mid Valley store will initiate honestbee’s personal shopper service. 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 – 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 honestbee’s online platform.

Washizawa added: “We are proud to launch this new service at our flagship store, AEON Mid Valley. 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.”

“At 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.’s partner in their endeavour to venture into on-demand delivery service,” 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 “AEON50HB” 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, AEON’s 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 Government’s invitation to help modernize the country’s retailing industry, AEON’s chain of stores strive to satisfy the ever changing needs and desires of consumers. Guided by its “Customer First” philosophy, the company’s 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 “AEON Enriching Your Lifestyle”.

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 ‘Do Mall’ 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 customers’ 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 recognition’s of AEON’s CSR initiative, the Federation of Asia-Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA) awarded AEON the Regional Award for “Best Efforts in Social Responsibility” in 2017.

For more information, please visit: www.aeonretail.com.my or www.facebook/aeonretail.com

Kuala Lumpur hosts the Largest Gathering of the Coffee Industry to date

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

25th January 2018

Opening Ceremony of Cafe Malaysia 2018 — Photo by CEMS

Café Malaysia 2018 opens its doors to Malaysia’s Largest Gathering

· of the Coffee and Tea Industry players

· of artisan baristas and latte artists

· Malaysia Café Owners Alliance from across East and West Malaysia

2 showcases, 3 national coffee championships, 12,000 trade and public visitors including 157 exhibitors from 22 countries. All under one roof.

25 January 2018, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The official opening of Café Malaysia 2018 this afternoon celebrated the largest gathering of the coffee industry to date, since the debut of the show in 2015. The launch at MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC), attended by leaders and key players of the coffee and tea industries’ leaders and key players, was officiated by Guest-of-Honour, Yang Berbahagia Dato. Dr Siew Ka Wei, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia.

Café Malaysia was first launched in 2015, and the success continues with Café Malaysia 2018 which represents the series’ fourth edition. The show is the largest gathering of the tea and coffee industries in Malaysia, and is also one of the largest in Southeast Asia. It serves as a dynamic B2B platform for key decision makers to source for their café needs, and explore new collaborations and business opportunities in a landscape of sizeable growth. The annual event also hosts coffee and industry players to showcase equipment, machineries, accessories, an array of coffee beans and tea leaves from around the world, various supplies and latest products at the perfect one-stop platform for industry professionals.

Then inaugural show in 2015, attracted 73 exhibitors from 14 countries, and 8,015 visitors from 27 countries. Café Malaysia 2018 has grown to an impressive 157 exhibitors from 22 countries. The show is expected to attract some 12,000 baristas, café and coffee purveyors, equipment distributors, and members of the public. On 26 January, the show will also host a business delegation from South Korea, paving the way for opportunities and partnerships in the coffee and tea industries between the two countries.

Café Malaysia has witnessed the strong involvement annually of over 160 cafe owners who make up Café Owners Alliance Malaysia, a key platform for cafe owners from the larger cafe industry to interact and network across all states, from the Federal Territory to the rest of West and East Malaysia,. A contingent of the Café Owners Alliance from Singapore are also present at the show for networking and partnership opportunities.

Apart from the various innovative products and technologies showcased by the exhibitors, the organiser has put together a series of talks by key industry professionals at the Café Clinic over the next 3 days. Visitors will be delighted by the inaugural Chocolate Pavilion where the visitors can savour the many varieties of chocolates from the region.

Adding to the excitement of the event is the launch of the inaugural Food Truck Show. The Food Truck industry has grown in visibility over the past few years. There are now more than 600 food trucks operating across the country serving the increasing appetite for the popular mobile food culture. The timely creation of the Food Truck Show makes it the only B2B event dedicated to the industry. The Food Truck Show will present a comprehensive educational platform, which will address critical topics such as planning, permitting, truck fabrication, food safety, production, and ideas. Industry experts will be present during sharing sessions of ideas and knowledge.

Over three days, visitors to Café Malaysia 2018 will be enthralled as they witness the country’s top baristas compete for the coveted national titles at three national coffee championships – the Malaysia Barista Championship, the Malaysia Brewers Cup, and the Malaysia Latte Art Championship. Winners from all three championships will also clinch the opportunities to represent Malaysia at the world stage in Netherlands, Amsterdam; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Belo Horizonte, Brazil; respectively.

The Cafe Malaysia series is organised by CEMS Conference & Exhibition (M) Sdn Bhd, and is hosted by the Malaysia Specialty Coffee Association (MSCA) and the Café Owners Alliance Malaysia. MSCA is a member of the ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF). The show is also endorsed by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), and is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia.

Aice ice cream growing rapidly

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

24th January 2018

PT Alpen Food Industry, the maker of Aice ice cream with its factory in Cikarang, West Java, said sales in 2017 grew by a whopping 260% year-on-year, disclosed Aice Brand Manager Sylvana Zhong. The company is famous for its mango-shaped ice cream. It has been in operation since November 2014 and has found success through low price, strong distribution and visual appeal.

The Singapore-headquartered company said its fruit ice cream is priced at around IDR 2,000 (USD 0.15) to IDR 10,000 each, reported Kontan.co.id. The use of local raw materials with the exception of imported milk has helped kept the price low and competitive.

The Cikarang factory has the production capacity of 5 million ice cream sticks per day. The company, part of Singapore’s Aice Group Holdings Pte Ltd, hopes to inaugurate a new factory in Surabaya in East Java to bring the product closer to consumers in East Java.

Across Indonesia, Aice has 80,000 distribution outlets with 12,000 to 15,000 in Jakarta alone.

The company has around 20 products including three new products. As a sponsor of the Asian Games to be held in Jakarta and Palembang in Aug/Sep 2018, the company recently said it has launched Aice Mango Slush Low Fat Less Sugar (65g) in line with the health and sports theme.

Malaysians are Eleventh-Hour Shoppers and Family-Oriented, says 11street

By

Tan Heng Hong

-

24th January 2018

Nationwide survey revealed that a majority of the respondents prepared only 14 days ahead of Chinese New Year, which is tripled those who planned 28 days prior;
70% of respondents are more willing to spend on family and friends instead of themselves;
11street introduces Gong Xi Wang Wang campaign with RM20 million worth of Ang Pow coupon giveaways and overall discounts up to 88%

Kuala Lumpur, 23 January 2018 – As the lunar new year dawns, 11street recently conducted a nationwide survey to better understand the psyche of online shoppers. In total, 1,854 respondents took part, in which the findings revealed that Malaysians are prone to last-minute shopping, and concurred that family and friends mattered most. On that note, 11street launches its Chinese New Year campaign – Gong Xi Wang Wang – which aims to accommodate their shopping needs.

Bruce Lim, Vice President of Merchandising at 11street said: “It is no secret that we have a large and growing pool of online shoppers in Malaysia, and typically, during festive periods such as Chinese New Year, we see a peak in online sales.”

From the survey, 11street also found that at least 96% of survey participants intended to shop online for the upcoming festivity, driven by better prices, discounts and promotions. Lim added: “This is only natural as Internet-savvy consumers will head online to search for deals and promotions, so to evolve our offering in tandem with consumer demands, 11street has tailored more bespoke offering for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration.”

11street’s 48-hour Delivery and Click & Collect are Music to Eleventh-Hour Shoppers

Conducted between 22 December 2017 to 3 January 2018, 11street’s online survey revealed that almost 60% of respondents only began Chinese New Year preparation 14 days before – a figure that tripled those who started prepping 28 days prior to the festivity. More interestingly, almost half of this majority admitted to only planning three days before the big day.

Having understood the shopping behaviour of Malaysian consumers, 11street’s Gong Xi Wang Wang campaign will appeal to last-minute shoppers, with a 48-hour delivery to those in Klang Valley, and a ‘Click & Collect’ service to enable shoppers to eliminate wait time for shipment and collect their purchases themselves at selected physical stores nationwide.

Lim elaborated: “These two services are off the back of 11street’s survey and will be featured as a part of our last minute promotion under the Gong Xi Wang Wang campaign. We hope that this convenience that we offer will continue to spur shoppers to see online marketplaces as the go-to channels when they want to shop for necessities, especially with the festive season around the corner.”

Malaysians Consumers Have Big Hearts and Hold Strongly to Traditional Values

The survey also disclosed that 70% of participants were willing to spend on their family and loved ones during Chinese New Year, with three times more spending to purchase items for gifting purposes, rather than for themselves. Among the top five activities these respondents wished to partake in with their family included dining out, visiting friends, shopping for those they cared about, watching a movie together, and travelling to a foreign country.

“It is heart-warming to know that our Malaysian consumers hold such great values, and to give them greater convenience to shopping on our platform, we have ensured that our Gong Xi Wang Wang campaign has a variety of gift hampers, e-vouchers for restaurants, even travel deals. Our survey has helped us understand the needs of these shoppers, so we will continue to procure offerings that meet their demands,” Lim added.

At the same time, 77% of the respondents confessed that they would buy clothes and shoes online – a figure that was three times more than food. Meanwhile, a pool of participants acknowledged that the top three categories they would purchase online are fashion items such as Chinese traditional wear, cheongsam, and groceries including food and beverages, as well as home and living items as they prepared for the festivity.

Gong Xi Wang Wang Campaign with over RM20 million worth of Ang Pow Coupon Giveaways

In conjunction with Chinese New Year, 11street’s Gong Xi Wang Wang campaign will be giving away over RM20 million worth of Ang Pow coupons applicable to more than 10 million products with overall discounts up to 88%. Other offers include ‘good luck flash deals’ with selected products for as low as RM0.88.

During the campaign period, 11street will also be selling PETRONAS e-vouchers at up to 30% discount off the original price value allowing Malaysians to gather with family and friends for visiting, dining and outing, on top of a plethora of gift hampers and Chinese New Year dining deals.

11street Targets 50% Increase in YoY Chinese New Year Business

“This year, 11street’s Gong Xi Wang Wang campaign is set to alleviate the stressors of the Chinese New Year preparation process, while ensuring that consumers experience a whole new level of online shopping. At the same time, we aim to hit at least a 50% increase in Gross Merchandising Value off what we achieved last year in the same period.

“We understand that with today’s busy schedule, there will be limited time to make preparations, so we endeavour to be their best shopping partner and help them invest more productive time into shopping, and save the extra time in preparation for a meaningful Chinese New Year celebration with their loved ones,” Lim concluded.

Participating brands include Caring Pharmacy, ELBA, Empire Hamper, Fujiaire, HETCH, Kinohimitsu, Mamy Poko, NIVEA, NONG SHIM, SONY, Super, Tesco and Total Image. During the campaign period, the highly-anticipated SONY Xperia XA2 Ultra smartphone is available for pre-order on 11street from 20 to 31 January 2018.

For more information on 11street and the Gong Xi Wang Wang campaign, please visit www.11street.my

About 11street (www.11street.my)

11street is a trustworthy and convenient online marketplace that offers a great variety of products at competitive prices. It strives to revolutionise today’s consumers’ online shopping experience by making it more personalised and engaging. 11street has a diverse selection of product categories which are tagged on Fashion, Electronics, Groceries, Health & Beauty, Kids & Baby, Leisure & Sports, Home & Living, and Books & Services including deal offerings like E-vouchers. 11street is also an optimised marketplace where its merchandising ecosystem, education and training programs can fully support sellers regardless of the size of their businesses. Established in Korea since 2008, 11street is now one of the top global e-commerce marketplace providers with 400,000 sellers serving over 30 million consumers worldwide. 11street also has a presence in Turkey and Thailand, known as n11 and 11street respectively. For more information, please visit http://www.11street.my.

Mini Me Insights

In the mood for love with Cheers Selection: Northern Strawberry beer

SAM’s Groceria attributes losses to product mix

Aeon opens Maxvalu Prime and Wellness outlets in Bangsar South

AEON private label accounts for 6% of SKU on AEON-Honestbee

Miaqua with 100% natural sugarcane taste

Café Malaysia 2018 – A Heady Brew of Success

Aeon Advances Towards Omni-Channel Strategy

Kuala Lumpur hosts the Largest Gathering of the Coffee Industry to date

Aice ice cream growing rapidly

Malaysians are Eleventh-Hour Shoppers and Family-Oriented, says 11street

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