According to the Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, personalised attention will enhance the shopping experience and drive the retail industry in Malaysia. He also mentioned that the personalised shopping experience works best when the customers’ needs are met by salespersons.
“Personalisation is becoming important in the retail industry. But apart from that, we should also be looking into retail and entertainment at the same time,” he went on during the Asia-Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition (APRCE) 2017.
Furthermore, he noted that Kuala Lumpur is ranked as one of the top five shopping destinations on Expedia UK World’s 25 Best Shopping Cities last year. Meanwhile, Tan Sri William Cheng, President of Malaysia Retail Association (MRA) said that 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% more than the previous year, with the wholesale and retail trade contributing 14.9% to Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP). Cheng also mentioned that 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.
