Growing big in Little Kangar
FOO Yin Fong was the classic sundry shopkeeper, dressed in a white Pagoda T- shirt and black shorts, and delivering supplies on his trusty old bicycle. That was in 1955 when he started his shop in Kuala Perlis.
Since then, the family business Yonhin has evolved into one of the most trusted and respected brands in Kangar, with the third generation operating the business in Jalan Raja Syed Alwi.
The key person behind the transformation is the founder’s grandson Foo Chia Hao.
The 31- year- old said they sold more baking supplies, frozen foods and packaging products now and fewer sundry goods.
“Although hypermarkets have started mushrooming in this small town, we still believe that our family- operated store can survive because of our long- time relationship with the customers.
“We created a niche, offering baking supplies. We are not just a mini- market but a wholesaler for all kinds of goods sold in the shop. Many hawkers, bakeries, hotels and restaurants are our customers.
“The shop attracts not only regular customers; the younger generation who like to make their own pastries and cakes are also coming here. Some of them are the grandchildren of our regular customers.
“We have also become one of the major plastic and packaging suppliers in Perlis,” he said as the Jalur Gemilang flag flapped in the wind in front of his shop.
Wee Kee, 65, said he was only seven years old when Malaya obtained independence. At the time, his father had been running the sundry shop for two years.
“I remember my father telling us that we were free from colonisation. He said we had become a nation of many races.
“Everyone was excited and on the streets as they shared the joyous moment. My father even put up the Malayan flag to mark the occasion.
“We have been living in harmony all this time,” said Wee Kee, whose customers are made up of all races.
“I am getting old, but the memories remain. I am glad that my two children are keeping our family business going.
“The business is in safe hands,” he said of Chia Hao, who runs the shop with his sister Cheng Cheng, 34.
Chia Hao has a degree in business management, while Cheng Cheng graduated with a degree in finance.
Their staff has grown from eight to more than 20 people. They have even opened up a new branch on the other side of the little town.
Chia Hao said they were glad to put what they had learnt in university into practice.
He decided to hire more people when the business started to grow from strength to strength.
“Entrusting our business to non- family members required different strategies and resource management.
“For one, employees were wearing their own clothes. The customers did not know who was manning the shop. Now they have uniforms – T- shirts emblazoned with the words ‘ Yon Hin’, which can be loosely translated as ‘ prosperous forever’ in Chinese,” he said.
The next thing was to cut down on the operating hours and invest in technology.
When his grandfather, father, mother, uncle and aunt were running the shop, he said they stayed open from 7am to midnight.
“Before that, things like putting on the price tags or inventory checking were done manually. The store is now computerised.”