PETALING JAYA: Kim Hin Joo (Malaysia) Bhd has opened the first ‘The Entertainer’ outlet in Malaysia in Sunway Pyramid.
“The Entertainer” is the UK’s largest chain of toy stores catering to children between two and 12 years old.
The group said the maiden store will be joined by two other outlets by the end of 2020.
Group chairman Pang Kim Hin said the opening of the outlet marks a new milestone for the company as part of its strategy to diversify into the toys sector to complement its existing maternity and baby product retail business.
“We are of the view that the introduction of The Entertainer outlets in Malaysia will contribute to an increase of sales over the coming two to three years as it fulfills a niche for toys catering to children of toddler age up to 12 years old,” he said in a statement today.
Previously, Kim Hin Joo’s existing market reach and product offerings was mainly catered to children up to six years of age, but with the outlet chain it is able to widen its retail offerings to include older children, particularly those in the six to 12 years age bracket.
In regards to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the group is also taking measures to ensure that its business will remain sustainable as well as the necessary steps to mitigate the impact from the outbreak.
Pang commented that no one could predict the pandemic’s impact on the retail industry, especially for businesses that have primarily brick-and-mortar presence.
“However, we foresee a recovery in our sales in our retail outlets in line with the reopening of shopping malls operating at regular hours, and a gradual increase of foot traffic in shopping malls over the coming months,” he said.
The chairman related that the group has relied solely on e-commerce for retail sales during the movement control order (MCO), which has recorded a substantial increase.
However, he pointed out that as its retail business is mainly reliant on in-store sales, its e-commerce has yet to fully replace in-store sales.
“Notwithstanding, we are currently revamping our back-end IT support systems to provide our e-commerce platforms better support and reach in anticipation for accelerated shifts in consumer behaviour to more e-commerce spending,” said Pang.
He stated that Kim Hin Joo’s growth for 2020 is off to a very promising supported by the new products under The Entertainer”.
