Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today gave the assurance that retail shops participating in the Retailer Transformation Programme dubbed “Tukar” will not sell their goods above the market price.
He said these shops, despite having undergone a facelift and their wares neatly rearranged, could still offer goods at competitive prices because they obtained them from suppliers at low prices.
The minister spoke to reporters after a visit to the Maznah Gemilang Enterprise retail shop in Taman Merlimau Utara, Merlimau, near here.
He said the ministry had set a target of 500 retail shops nationwide participating in the programme this year.
Tukar is a 10-year programme to modernise retail shops with the help of bigger retailers such as Mydin, Carrefour and Tesco as well as the Cooperatives Commission of Malaysia (CCM).
Ismail said two retail shops in Merlimau and one in Temerloh, Pahang, have been transformed with the help of Mydin, which is a consultant to the programme, and three shops under CCM.
Mydin has commited itself to modernising 100 retail shops this year, Carrefour 400, Tesco 150 and CCM 100.
The ministry is targetting 5,000 of the estimated 50,000 retail shops nationwide to participate in the programme by 2020.
Ismail said the consultants will help to train the retailers in best business practices to increase their sales.
He said the government has allocated RM30 million for the programme this year and the retailers would be offered soft loans of between RM20,000 and RM60,000 with a seven-year repayment period.
The owner of the Maznah Gemilang Enterprise retail shop, Mahmud Mohamed, 47, said the number of his customers has increased and daily sales had risen from RM4,000 to RM5,200 after the shop sported its new image on Feb 15.
“We sell the goods at market price, but some goods are sold at below market price because we get them at low prices from the suppliers,” he said.
Mahmud, who has been operating the business for five years, said the loan provided by the government was most helpful in upgrading his business.
The owner of Pasar Mini Baru Merlimau, J. Francisca, 44, said she appreciated the financial aid to upgrade the business she and her late father started seven years ago.
“Daily sales have gone up from RM1,900 to RM3,000 because customers prefer to shop in a more comfortable environment,” she said.
– Bernama
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