If it’s November, it must be time for the Malaysia Year End Sale (M-YES). Entering into its 10th year, the annual shopping event will be held from 20th November 2010 to 2nd January 2011.
Organised by the Ministry of Tourism, the M-YES 2010 will be launched at Fahrenheit88, Kuala Lumpur, on 23 November by the Honourable Minister of Tourism, Malaysia, YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen.
For 44 days, shoppers will get to buy a wide variety of products at attractive prices, ranging from haute couture, fashion accessories, jewellery and cosmetics to the latest gadgets, handicrafts and unique curios. All the bargains, promotions, fun activities and contests that will take place throughout the M-YES 2010 offer Malaysians and foreign tourists an exciting shopping experience that will satisfy even the most seasoned shoppers.
One of three major shopping seasons in Malaysia, M-YES is the end-of-year shopping event that wraps up the year with a bang! The other two being the Malaysia GP Sale that coincides with the Formula One Grand Prix in KL and the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival during the summer holidays.
HIGHLIGHTS OF EVENTS, PROMOTIONS & ACTIVITIES DURING THE M-YES 2010:
Car enthusiasts can enjoy the Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2010 – a showcase of the world’s latest and hottest automotive wonders and car accessories – at Putra World Trade Centre from 3-12 December, and earn a chance to drive away with a dream car! (www.klims10.com)
While making savvy purchases, shoppers in Klang Valley can take some time off to sit back and marvel at the seasonal décor of the numerous malls participating in the ‘Shopping Centre Awards’ contest. Held over the past few years to encourage the malls to create the best possible festive shopping ambience, the contest has certainly added vibrancy to the sale and the year end seasonal celebrations.
As official card of the M-YES 2010, MasterCard has designed an exciting redemption programme worthy of celebration. With over 17,000 redemptions made at last year’s campaign alone – an increase of 18.6% from 2008 — MasterCard continues to provide unparalleled services and experiences. Cardholders can expect to be dazzled by the line-up of premium gifts, holiday trips and other attractive prizes. To qualify for the programme, shoppers only need to use their MasterCard to pay for purchases at participating malls in Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Bahru.
Don’t miss the opportunity to shop at Malaysia’s international airports, either, where shoppers stand a chance to win great holiday prizes and shopping vouchers during the “Indulge & Win” contest. For more information, visit www.malaysiaairports.com.my/indulge.
The AMP Radio Network will also be running the ‘Smart Shopper’ contest with the aim of showcasing the variety of bargains available during the M-YES 2010 and to re-create a shopping environment on air. Questions will be asked, requiring listeners to calculate the percentage of discount offered on a product. With 5 seconds to work out the answer, listeners will be given a total of 30 seconds to answer as many questions as possible. For every right answer, they win RM200 in either cash or shopping vouchers with the maximum winnings totaling at RM1,000.
Tactical campaigns covering contests, advertising, online and social networking, as well as airline and consumer promotions are being undertaken by Tourism Malaysia offices overseas in an effort to garner foreign tourists’ enthusiasm for the M-YES 2010. Tour operators abroad in Manila, Hong Kong, Brunei, Guangzhou, Sydney, Medan, Jeddah, Dubai, Bangkok, London and New Delhi, have started selling packages specially designed for the M-YES 2010 period.
As part of Tourism Malaysia’s Mega Familiarisation programme, 156 foreign journalists and tour operators from 20 countries, i.e. Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, and USA, are also being invited to cover the M-YES 2010 in an effort to give the foreign media an insight into the shopping landscape in Klang Valley. Malaysia is expected to benefit from the publicity generated by the media participants and the tour packages developed by the tour operators.
CONTRIBUTION OF SHOPPING ACTIVITY TO ECONOMY
As a sub-sector or segment of the tourism industry, the shopping industry has a significant role to play in the economy. Shopping holds the second biggest share of tourist expenditure after accommodation, with its contribution of RM15.1 billion in 2009 compared to RM13.3 billion in 2008, signifying an increase of 13.7%. It constituted about 28.3% of total tourist expenditures in 2009 compared to 26.8% in 2008. In 2000, when the first Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival was organised, shopping only constituted 23.1% of total tourist expenditures.