sign in sign up
<<
Home , Alcohol in Malaysia, Satay

RMM37 ENGLISH

Jilid 37 : Jun 2014 | RM12.80 PP14167/05/2013(032485)

传 统 志 零售 商杂

Membeli Stok Untuk Hari Raya

MENANGI hAMPER bernilai rm80! BAHARU RMM37 TINJAUAN RUNCIT

GET READY FOR THE RAYA CELEBRATIONS ! !Welcome again to another issue of Runcit ! In Rencana Runcit, we help you prepare for the upcoming Hari Raya celebrations by giving you some pointers on what items you should be stocking up. From traditional , to Raya cookies and !, we aim to help you gear up for the brisk business ahead. Also check out Kewangan Runcit, where we interviewed a proud retailer who started a successful loyalty programme. We hope it will give you an idea on how to start one of your very own. What’s more, we recap some out-of-the-box ideas from our retailers in our Pak Runcit !column. !Selamat Hari Raya!

EDITORIAL TEAM RMM37 RENCANA RUNCIT

STOCKING UP FOR RAYA CELEBRATIONS

Hari Raya Aidilfitri marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. around Malaysia will ‘balik kampung’ to celebrate the joyous !occasion with their families. Whether in the city or kampung, the days before Raya are a time for cleaning, decorating, cooking and stocking up of delicacies in anticipation of many guests during open house. It’s also a time to shop !for new clothes especially among the younger family members. As retailers, you should expect your Muslim shoppers to do some ‘Raya shopping’ in your store before Hari Raya. While there are many items you can stock, we look at three popular categories that revolve !around one of Malaysia’s favourite topics: food! ! ! ! RMM37 RENCANA RUNCIT !Traditional Malay Delicacies During Raya, many Malay homes will prepare popular traditional delicacies such as , , , , , and ! kacang to name a few. Ingredients to stock include: , , fresh chilli, dried chilli, , candle nuts, (scraped coconut and ), leaves, lemon grass, lengkuas, lime (fruit and leaves), bunga kantan, !, leaves and yoghurt. ! !Popular Non-carbonated Drinks Guests are welcomed with thirst-quenching beverages. The popular non-carbonated ones include: Ribena, Twister, syrup, soya cincau and a wide selection of cordial drinks.

!Baking For Raya Before Hari Raya, there is always a lot of baking activities. Some of the more popular traditional served include kuih nenas, gunting, sugi, makmur, bangkit, ondeh-ondeh, batang buruk and kek lapis. In the biscuit range the traditional selection includes biskut dahlia, marble, conflakes, semperit, almond London and !Mama Carey. Ingredients to stock include: Sugar, eggs, flour, sweetened creamer, chocolate, milk, oil, , butter, nuts, cornflakes, raisins and gula Melaka. ! Apart from stocking the above essentials, the fasting month is a good time to enhance goodwill with your shoppers. You can serve free dates and put up Raya decorations such as mock ketupat and festive lights. Hampers are also popular. Look out for exclusive trade promotions by your suppliers and distributors and you may find yourself a reason to celebrate too. ! SELAMAT HARI RAYA! RMM37 PERUNCIT PRAKTIKAL MOTIVASI TIPS FOR HEALTHY FASTING

During the month of Ramadan it is essential that you have adequate nutrition and continued good health. It is also a good time to make diet changes. Apart from eating right, what you do and how you manage the day ! also matters. We share some tips to help you through the fasting month. Sahur (Morning Meal) It is important to start your day right as it will make a world of difference. Here are some tips: • Choose foods that fill you up, ike , and nooodles. • Complete your meal by eating enough meat, vegetables and plenty of fruits. This will give your body the the daily energy it needs. ! • Try not to go back to sleep as you may feel sluggish later in the day. During The Day It isn’t uncommon for energy levels to dip through the day. To help you maintain your work pace and conserve energy: • Avoid unnecessary and strenuous activities. ! • If possible, take frequent short breaks every few hours. RMM36 PERUNCIT PRAKTIKAL MOTIVASI

Iftar (Evening Meal) It has been hours since your last meal, so the tendency to overeat is there and that is not good. So: • Eat something sweet first, like dates to boost your blood sugar level rapidly. • Eat slowly. Take your time to chew as your digestive system has not been working the whole day. • Remember to throughout your meal and after to replenish fluids lost while fasting. • Do not eat until the point of bursting, there has to be a limit.

Fasting for a short period may have health benefits. RMM37 PERUNCIT PRAKTIKAL KEDAI KEEPING YOUR STORE CLEAN & HYGIENIC

4

5

7

3

2

6

As retailers we are always striving to grow our business and give shoppers a pleasant experience. While pricing, service, ambience and visual appearance are critical to a success of a business, cleanliness and !hygiene are also very important. Due to the nature of retail business and the high number of people who walk in and out, it is normal to have many unclean spots in your store. !Here we draw your attention to some of them. 1 Entrance This is where shoppers create their first impressions. Keep it clean and clutter free at all times. ! 2 Shelves If not emptied and wiped regularly a shelf can hide mould or worse, droppings of rats and lizards. Ants which eat practically any kind of food and damage stock can also nest here. RMM37 PERUNCIT PRAKTIKAL KEDAI

Checkout counter This frequently touched surface is a germy hotspot. Regularly wipe and !dust. Frequently replace cleaning towels as dirty ones spread germs. Store room Stack products neatly. Rats and other pests can thrive here especially if there is food. Seal cracks and crevices. Best not to leave food items !exposed. Chiller Clean and maintain regularly. Keep temperature below 5ºC so that !bacteria and mould does not grow. Floors Clean and disinfect regularly to prevent build-up of dirt, dust and germs. Any spillage should be mopped up immediately. Germs thrive !and multiply on moist surfaces. Staff Train employees to maintain personal hygiene at all times. It is critical to wash hands thoroughly with soap especially after going to the toilet and before touching fresh produce or surfaces, as germs can be transferred through touch. RMM37 MEDIA RUNCIT

Media Runcit

RUNCIT MEDIA The Retail Media & Beyond... Category Organiser Overcome the competition and become the Category Champion!

ith so many brands competing A Category Header for attention in a cluttered retail environment, the shopper usually Wneeds to be reminded or drawn to buying a particular product. While pricing plays an important role, shoppers also rely on visibility and ease of access to the product when deciding to buy. C Shelf Strip So how can brands provide impactful B in-store visibility and motivate or

Shelf Violator Shelf Violator infuence shoppers to buy their products? Te Category Organiser D Shelf Highlight (CO) from Runcit Media Sdn Bhd (RMSB) ofers a viable solution.

Placed in urban and suburban areas it comprises the: Shelf Strip A. Category Header B. Two Shelf Violators C. Shelf Strip D. Shelf Highlight* Shelf Strip all of which, when used optimally in combination, heightens the visual impact of your brand and reinforces branding at the shelf. Shelf Strip *subject to availability and retailer consent

How Can The CO Help Your Brand

Perfect one-look display • Allows you to ‘brand’ the category display to capture shoppers’ attention, assist brand loyal shoppers to locate your product and increase engagement time at the shelf. Increase real estate • Provides an opportunity to increase your brand’s real estate by improving your product shelf facings. Merchandising excellence • Trough our optimal product rearrangement and merchandising exercise, advertised products will be moved to eye-to-arm level display, right where they belong.

Contact us now for more information! 20 RMM37 MEDIA RUNCIT

Vanaja Dhanan | Runcit Malaysia

Turn A Simple Shelf Into An Outstanding Category Display!

Axion* Softlan* Dishwashing agent Fabric softener

Mi Sedaap Daia Double Lion Instant noodles Laundry detergent Flavoured concentrate

*Brand owners have the option to go without Category Header

How Can RMSB Assist You

With over 25 years of excellence, let us be your media specialist in the traditional trade. With more than 7,000 retail outlets, let our Retail Activation and fulflment services: • Facilitate in both pre-selling and merchandising of products in selected outlets. We conduct regular merchandising inspections to assist in enhancing your product visibility. • Provide value-added feedback during our cycle visits, on the mobility of your products and synergise with your sales team by alerting you if your products are out of stock or if a store’s sales visit is overdue. • Provide a product introduction or a special package sell-in service which has been designed exclusively for RMSB. Tese services are to immediately counter out-of-stock situations, introduce a product to shops that doesn’t carry it, assist in boosting sales and facilitate in minimising distribution gap.

RUNCIT MEDIA SDN BHD Tel: 03 7957 1718 E-mail: [email protected] Runcit Malaysia 21 RMM37 KEWANGAN RUNCIT

START A SHOPPER LOYALTY PROGRAMME

A loyalty programme is a simple marketing tool to reward and encourage buying behaviour from your shoppers. Typically, your shopper would be entitled to a discount, an allocation of points for future purchases or redeem products and !services. Beginning a loyalty programme can seem like a daunting task, but it can be successfully implemented. We spoke to Mr Leong Woon Sun of Pasaraya Walk In about the loyalty programme his store offers and how it has helped his business !grow. RMM: How did you get your loyalty programme underway? I wanted to offer a membership system similar to hypermarkets. I did my research and found a company that provided a loyalty programme service with membership cards. Today, I have over 2000 members with some coming from !neighbouring townships. RMM: What were the goals of your shopper loyalty programme? When I opened Pasaraya Walk-In seven years ago, I was surrounded by stiff competition and needed to find a way to attract shoppers in the area. RMM37 KEWANGAN RUNCIT

RMM: Were these goals met? Yes. My shop receives many more shoppers compared to other retailers in the area. Today, I notice many new faces coming into the store as well as return shoppers. I believe this is because many of my shoppers tell their friends and family about my membership programme. This is why I don't mind restocking the redemption items as in the long run they have proven !profitable. RMM: What are the rewards for your shoppers? My shoppers can redeem electronic items such as electric kettles, toys, tableware and traditional Chinese medicine. I intentionally wanted the redemption programme to consist of high- priced products because I wanted it to appeal to my shoppers. It would be easy to purchase sundry items but it is not everyday you can redeem a new electric kettle. Many of my shoppers deliberately visit just to accumulate points for a desired item.

“My shoppers can redeem electronic items such as electric kettles, toys, tableware and traditional Chinese medicine…” ! RMM: What is your advice for other retailers who wish to start their own shopper loyalty programme? Think about what rewards you want to offer to your shoppers. It must be something of a high value. Initially, when purchasing these reward items your profits will take a slight cut. But the profit margins from the increased volume !of sales will outweigh your losses. RMM37 KATEGORI RUNCIT

STAYING AHEAD IN THE BOTTLING INDUSTRY

Todays consumers prefer fresher and minimally processed food and drinks. To meet market demands, manufacturers are exploring new methods such as aseptic cold-fill processing as opposed to the traditional hot fill processing. Runcit looks at some of the merits of these two technologies in the drink !manufacturing industry:

HOT FILL ASEPTIC COLD FILL PROCESSING PROCESSING

• Bottled at high temperature • Bottled at ambient (within 82°C - 92°C) and temperatures, yet retains undergoes a rapid cool-down nutritional value, tastes in a cooling tunnel. better, fresher and more natural. • Production conducted in normal environment. • Ultra-hygenic production conducted in a sealed and • Efficient, mature and has a sterile environment. lower initial investment cost. • Newer technology with high investment cost. • Uses heat-set bottle that is more complicated to • Uses standard PET bottles produce, heavier and that are light weight and therefore more expensive. cost efficient • Longer shelf-life. • Shorter product shelf-life.

Both processes offer significant competitive advantages to meet the requirements of manufacturers as well as the growing expectations of health conscious shoppers. RMM37 KATEGORI RUNCIT

UNDERSTANDING CHOCOLATES From beans to tasty treats

Chocolates are a must sell item as it appeals to both young and older shoppers. Available in many convenient formats for instant consumption, chocolates also generate high impulse purchases. Here is some interesting information on this category that you may not know.

From A Tropical Tree Producing chocolate is a long process that starts with harvesting cocoa pods from Theobroma Cacao or the cocoa tree. The following describes the process in !further details: 1. Removal – Cocoa pods need to be removed individually. Since the trees are !short and fragile, farmers use large knives that are attached to poles to do this. 2. Fermentation – Cocoa beans that are covered in pulp are scooped from the !pods and fermented in large, shallow wooden boxes. 3. Drying – The beans are laid on mats and dried under the sun. In some !countries, this process is done indoor by blowing hot air to the beans. 4. & Winnowing – Fermented beans are taken to factories to be !roasted. The shells are then removed or winnowed to obtain the cocoa nibs. 5. Milling – The nibs are ground into thick liquid known as chocolate liquor, !which can be used directly to make chocolates. 6. Pressing – Chocolate liquor goes through a machine from which cocoa butter is extracted. The remaining component is processed into cocoa powder. RMM37 KATEGORI RUNCIT

Types of Chocolates Different types of chocolates are distinguished from one another by taste and uses. The following are three !most common types. Dark – Made with chocolate liquor, sugar, vanilla and a few other ingredients. It contains no or very little milk and can be eaten on its !own or used in baking. Milk – Made with milk, sugar and chocolate liquor. Nuts and other ingredients such as jellies and cookies !are often added to it. White – Made by mixing cocoa butter with sugar, milk and vanilla. It can be eaten on its own or used to make .

Did You Know? Chocolates are ideal for gifting. That is why many manufacturers come up with special packaging during the festive season and on special occasions. RMM37 CAKAP-CAKAP RUNCIT

ALSO A PET SHOP I started selling pets since I opened my store 12 years ago. This was because I have many friends who are pet suppliers. I sell mostly pet birds, pet food and various pet accessories such as birdcages. To add to my business, I also have a service arranging sea and lake fishing trips !for my shoppers. Rabiathul Atiqah bt Adnan Adma Trading Pasir Mas, FS: Ng Chin Chai

LEARNING ARABIC Recently, I noticed a rise in Arabic speaking shoppers in my store. I decided to start learning the Arabic language in an effort to better communicate with them. My studying has paid off they feel more comfortable shopping with me. They also recommend me to their friends !and family. Sajath Zulkepli bin Hamid Kamar Store Gombak, FS: Ng Shau Boon RMM37 CAKAP-CAKAP RUNCIT

HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM My husband and I run the store as a team. With 25 years experience in this industry, my husband provides valuable guidance, while I handle the day-to-day running of the business. As a team, we continuously find ways to improvise our business and constantly upgrade the shop for our !shoppers. Hamitha Banu Pasar Mini Al Fatimah Bandar Sri Sendayan, N.Sembilan FS: Peter Tan

PRE-PACKED VEGGIES I came up with the idea to pre-pack my vegetables. I pack them in smaller sizes at affordable prices to make shopping for small portions easier. My shoppers love this idea because it saves them time. I also have a membership card system, where my shoppers can accumulate points to !redeem various goods. Lim Gee Sin Pasaraya G&S Batu Pahat, FS: Peter Lim

ANTICIPATE SHOPPER’S NEEDS Many of my shoppers are students from a nearby educational institution. I always try to anticipate what they would want to buy. For example, I sold moon cakes during the Moon Festival. Response was good as many of the students bought the moon cakes before going !back to their hometowns. Yap Wan Pasar Mini Heng Tai Bandar Sungai Long, Kajang PL: Lucas Kum RMM37 WIRA RUNCIT

Pasaraya BS started as A FLOURISHING a family-run business, distributing seafood to RETAIL EMPIRE wet markets and The decision to diversify into retail restaurants in proved worthwhile for family-run Peninsular Malaysia. seafood distributor Today, it is a thriving retail chain with eight outlets in the country and more to follow soon. We spoke to Mr B.A Lee to know more about the company’s success story. RMM37 WIRA RUNCIT

Why did you open a retail store? We wanted to provide for our shoppers an avenue to buy groceries in addition to our fresh seafood. We first opened in Mersing, Johor because it was where our seafood distribution centre was located. Today, we have six more in Pahang and one in Seremban. All these stores run along our distribution route, ensuring the freshness of the seafood supplied. Every year we plan to open !two new outlets. How do you manage so many outlets? Each outlet has its own manager and three department heads. The outlet manager is tasked with producing regular sales reports and conducting price surveys among our competitors. These are reported to our headquarters in Endau, Pahang which will then decide on items that will be offered on sale or !on in-store promotions. Furthermore, all our branches are connected through a central system which has many advantages. For example, we can monitor the stock in each !store or a shop can immediately update us on price fluctuations in its area. How do you identify the right location when opening a new outlet? We do a market survey in the area first to gauge shopper demand, market prices and who and what our competitors are doing. We know for a fact that it is more viable if the outlet is along our supply route and if the location !includes markets and restaurants. What is your advice to other retailers? Don’t rest on your laurels. Continuously improve your services. Always be honest when managing your business, as broken promises to both suppliers and shoppers can result in dire consequences RMM3 7 HALAMAN PAK RUNCIT

ADDING MORE ATTRACTIVE OPTIONS

In today’s challenging business environment, it is necessary for retailers to adopt new ideas that will continue bringing shoppers to their stores. You have to explore and communicate with your shoppers to understand what will add value to your store. To help retailers have a better idea of these possibilities, we look at some interesting business options featured in past issues of Runcit.

Sell Something Different By offering products not found at your competitors, retailers can attract more business. Some of our business owners are selling clothes and even providing tailoring !services. The environment where your store is located can help you decide on a niche product. For example, if you are located near a futsal, badminton court or recreational fishing pond you can stock up on sporting goods !or fishing equipment. Often when you chat with your regular shoppers they may reveal a special preference. If they are coffee lovers, why not supply a selection of fresh ground coffee. RMM37 PAK RUNCIT

Provide An Additional Service It is often time consuming travelling to a bank or post office for simple services. Offering this much-needed convenience to shoppers is simple. All you have to do !is apply to Pos Malaysia or Bank Simpanan, to be an agent. If your shop is in an area where there is a high population of foreigners you can provide remittance services or become a travel agent. To complement the travel service you can rent out space to a licensed money changer

On Going Retail Activities Shoppers thrive on bargains and good offers. Hold a sale or have attractive promotions on your best selling products. You can set aside a day of the month or have a sale every weekend to keep the shoppers coming through your doors. Also of great value to the discerning shopper is a loyalty programme such as a !membership card. Refer to our Kewangan Runcit feature to find out more. As you strive to grow your business you can add on more services based on what your shoppers need. However, it is important to offer services or products that you can manage effectively. We hope some of the ideas shared by other retailers will motivate you to seek options that are relevant to your environment and buying habits.

END