Personalised attention needed to drive M’sia’s retail industry

KUALA LUMPUR: Personalised attention wi l l enhance the shopping experience and drive the retail industry in Malaysia, says Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.

He said the personalised shopping experience worked best, as customer needs are met by salespersons.

“Personalisation is becoming important in the retail industry. During my trip to Japan in 2012, I was extremely happy with the salespeople at a departmental store where I shopped, as they were both helpful and entertaining.

“We should be looking into retail and entertainment at the same time, as there is something special about such stores,” said Hamzah in his opening speech at the Asia- Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition (APRCE) 2017 yesterday.

He also noted that Kuala Lumpur ranked as one of the top five shopping destinations on Expedia UK World’s 25 Best Shopping Cities last year.

Personalisation is becoming important in the retail industry. During my trip to Japan in 2012, I was extremely happy with the salespeople at a departmental store where I shopped, as they were both helpful and entertaining. Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister

Meanwhile, Malaysia Retail Association ( MRA) president, Tan Sri William Cheng said retail sales were very much driven by tourist arrivals in the country.

“In 2016, tourist spending in Malaysia was RM82.1 billion, which is 18.8 per cent more than the previous year, with the wholesale and retail trade contributing 14.9 per cent to Malaysia’s gross domestic product,” he added, at the conference.

He said retail sales grew by 10.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2017, compared with the 9.1 per cent recorded in the previous quarter.

Cheng said in line with the transformation of the retail industry, APRCE was looking forward to a vibrant mix of brick and mortar stores, omni- channel retailers and retailers with sustainable initiatives.

Themed, “Transformation, Creativity and Beyond,” the three- day conference which began yesterday saw a gathering of 2,000 retail delegates from 18 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

It was organised by the Federat ion of Asia- Paci f ic Retailers Associations and hosted by the MRA.

The conference featured 22 industry experts from the United States, United Kingdom, China, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia, who shared their knowledge on customer shopping preferences and rapid digitalisation of the retail sector. — Bernama