HYPERMARKETS AND THE SMALL RETAILERS: EXPLORING RETAILERS’ COMPETITIVE ABILITIES Rosmimah Mohd Roslin ABSTRACT The emergence of multinational retailers, especially in grocery retailing, has changed the retail scenario in Malaysia over the last decade. If in the past, grocery retail formats such as supermarkets, mini markets and night markets dominate the Malaysian retail scene, consumers are now given the choice of shopping in large retail outlets in the form of hypermarkets, warehouse clubs and superstores. Interestingly, large retail concepts are predominantly associated with multinational retailers such as Carrefour, Makro, Giant and more recently, Tesco. The presence of large retailers brings with it the question of dominance and implications of changing customer preferences. This study assesses the perception of small retailers towards their abilities to compete effectively in an industry where large, multinational retailers appear to be dominating. It appears, however, that the small retailers possess distinctive qualities in relation to their strategic inputs which can essentially differentiate them from their larger counterparts. It is suggested that some regulatory measures are necessary especially by local authorities but this must not be to a point of curbing healthy competition among the different types of retailers. Keywords: Hypermarkets, large-scale retailing, retail dominance, retail strategy INTRODUCTION A common feature of retailing is the dynamism of the players and both inter and ntrai competitions exist at various levels of the distribution structure. In Malaysia, the retail sector has undergone rapid changes since the early 1990s with new retail concepts emerging and competing with more traditional retail formats. Where provision and local sundry shops dominate the Malaysian retail scene in the 70s and 80s, there are now hypermarkets and ‘24-hour’ outlets. Merchandise assortment and customer convenience are some of the essential elements attracting Malaysian customers into new retail establishments. This new scenario brings with it implications of increased competition. Existing retailers view the emergence of new and bigger retailers as potential threats, especially when a majority of the big retailers are multinationals with local partners. When size and financial capability are viewed as powerful weapons capable of killing weaker rivals, the big retailers are often perceived as the dominant channel member capable of eliminating the smaller rivals. It is however, agreed that to some extent the bigger retailers possess the capability of squashing the smaller, inefficient retailers, but there is also a need to ensure more balanced and fairer regulations so that retail development and more importantly, channels development are not curbed unnecessarily. This research assesses possible elements influencing the abilities of small retailers to compete effectively from the perspectives of small retailers in selected areas around the Klang Valley, an area where the development of hypermarkets has been most widespread. BACKGROUND OF STUDY Hypermarkets are not a new phenomenon to hit the retail scene having emerged since the early 1960s in Europe. Carrefour, the French hypermarket leader opened its first store in 1963 (Filser and McLaughlin, 1989). It now serves over 2 billion customers in 9,000 stores located in five continents and its first Asian venture was in Taiwan in 1989 (Krishnamoorty, 2002; Asian Retailer, 1994). Hypermarkets offer a wide assortment of food and general merchandise at discount prices as well as 461 the opportunity for consumers to indulge in bulk buying. This is often the attraction of hypermarkets as consumers are pulled in by the product variety and the relatively low prices. Large-scale retailers like Makro, Carrefour and Giant in Malaysia has increased in numbers and new players like Tesco has also joined the bandwagon. To date, there are 8 Makro outlets throughout the country, Carrefour has 7 stores, Giant, 14 and Tesco is gaining in number with 3 stores and a few more in the pipeline. This has brought about widespread alarm among smaller retailers especially neighborhood stores of the likelihood that consumers no longer see a need to patronize their stores. Retail analysts however have mixed views of the influence of big retailers over smaller ones. One argument is the different merchandising strategies of each retail format in meeting the needs of different sets of customers. There is always a need for neighborhood stores for small purchases of necessary products by residential customers while hypermarkets attract bulk buying and planned purchases. The trend towards hypermarkets and large-scale retailing has been established in developed countries in the past decade and has been putting traditional retailers and department stores under much competitive pressure, especially where price is concerned since the large stores benefit from the economies of scale of bulk purchasing (Moreira, 2002). It is this fact that has prompted a number of measures to be developed by local authorities and relevant government agencies to ensure that the smaller retailers are not jeopardized unnecessarily. Nevertheless, the sheer size and dominance of the large retailers have been perceived as posing possible threats to traditional and much smaller retailers. The increasing number of hypermarkets in Malaysia and other Asian countries has led to speculations and accusations on the likelihood of small retailers being swiped out of the retail industry. As such, the Malaysian government moved to impose restrictions on the number of hypermarkets and large- scale retailers while in Thailand, where regulations have been slacking in the past, the government has now designated certain areas where large retailers are not allowed to open. Yet, the needs of the consumers should not be ignored whilst measures to regulate the distribution channels are developed. Changing consumer behavior patterns have dictated the need for retailers to reconsider and often realign new merchandising and operational strategies. Consumer values have also changed to reflect changes of the economy and the impact of globalize markets. The seamless markets now dictate the need for merchandise and services that meet the demands of consumers who are more exposed to global lifestyles. The wide acceptance of the hypermarkets and new large-scale retail formats suggest changing consumption patterns and consumer spending preferences. The needs of both consumers and the requirements of channel members must be balanced wisely so that the retail sector benefits from increased consumption. The task of balancing both industrial and consumer needs is neither simple nor necessarily fair. When the needs of one party are the focal points in regulatory development, the needs of the other is likely to be affected. It is however recognized that effective measures are necessary so that all parties concerned are at least shielded from ungainly regulations. This study therefore assesses the perception of one party, the small retailers, towards larger competitors and evaluates their stand on competitive pressures and the impact larger retailers have on them in the retail industry. REVIEW OF LITERATURE The evolution of retailing has seen many dynamic changes occurring and the pace of such changes differ within different environments. Malaysia, for instance, has seen the pace of evolution accelerating since the early 1990s when new retail formats introduced by foreign retailers emerged to meet the changing needs of Malaysian consumers. The focus on merchandising and pricing strategies appear to appeal to consumers and large retailers are taking advantage of their ability to offer both. Unlike small neighborhood retailers, the hypermarkets are turning their attention to merchandise width and depth whilst maintaining relatively low prices. 462 In comparison to other developed nations, the supermarket in Malaysia is one form of retailing whose history is relatively new when the first supermarket was opened in 1963. Weld Supermarket opened in Kuala Lumpur in 1963 (McTaggart, 1969) to cater to the growing number of expatriates in the city. Since then, Malaysians have accepted supermarkets as part of the urban lifestyle, while rural Malaysians look at supermarkets as a more modern approach to retailing. The 1970s saw the growth of supermarkets expanding and in the 1980s competition became very intense when foreign ventures entered the retail scene. Zainal Abidin (1989, p. 101) notes that “…..in 1984, the supermarket “war” in Malaysia intensified. As more (entered) the industry, market share gets smaller and harder to maintain”. Consequently, those unable to cope with the competitive pressure were forced to close down. Today, the face of retailing in Malaysia is further enhanced with new forms of retailing emerging to cater to the ever-changing needs of the Malaysian consumers. The hypermarkets and other large-scale retailing are now looked upon as threats to neighborhood stores and other small retailers. So intense is the pressure from the small retailers that the government is now compelled to check the rapid expansion of the large-scale retailers which are predominantly multinational firms. In response to the pressure, there are now conditions and guidelines set by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs before hypermarkets are allowed to open in any new sites (Lee, 2002). This new scenario has brought about the need to reevaluate the development of