Background of Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association (“MRCA”)
Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association (MRCA), formerly known as Retailers Chain Affiliation (RCA) was founded in year 1992. It is the brainchild of a Malaysian prominent and visionary chain retailer – Dato’ Eddie Choon, Executive Chairman of Poh Kong Holdings Berhad. He strongly believed that by pooling all the resources together, Malaysian chain retailers could harness networking power to expand their business and facilitate the enhancement of chain stores management through education and training.
MRCA acts as an excellent avenue for retail businesses to network and exchange ideas, share resources and to promote the healthy expansion of the retail industry in Malaysia and abroad.
MRCA aims to create a highly supportive environment to build retail businesses and pool ideas, experiences and efforts to tap on various opportunities in Malaysia as well as abroad. Its vision is to be recognized as one of the most influential retail bodies in Malaysia supporting the development and globalization of the retail industry.
Since it was established, MRCA has grown to become an incredibly strong entity, comprising of more than 200 leading retail chain stores operators as well as franchisors and covering more than 10,000 outlets throughout Malaysia.
With such a vast network of retail outlets, these members help provide more than 100,000 job opportunities to Malaysians across the country, and the number is expected to continue to expand, judging from the bright potential of the retail industry.
The milestones and accolades awareded to many MRCA members are benchmarks of their deep and extensive involvement in their businesses as well as helping to shape the future of the reail industry in Malaysia. MRCA brings together the cream of the crop, as it’s members consist of well know retail chain brands from respective fields such as Poh Kong jewellery, Secret Recipe food and beverage, Senheng Electrical, 7-Eleven convenience shops, OSIM healthy lifestyle products, Bonia leather goods, Focus Point eyewear, Nelson’s corn, Naza Motor, Marrybrown fast food, VIOR fashion Petronas oil and gas industry, as well as DiGi Malaysia in the telecommunications field and many more.
On top of these revered members, the MRCA has also benefited immensely from the constant support of the members in various fields such as CIMB Bank from the banking industry, The Star, Sin Chew and Media Prima from the media industry and Air Asia from the airline industry. These members have provided unrelenting support in helping the growth of MRCA member.
MRCA members have also successfully expanded overseas in countries such as U.S.A., Australia, China beside the African, Middle East and ASEAN countries.
MRCA provides its members with the opportunity to capitalize on the collective experience and resources of Malaysia’s dynamic group of retail experts.
• Monthly meetings and regular events provide members with development
updates on the retail front as well as a good opportunity for members to socialize
with each other.
• Various training and education programs organized by the association help to improve the skills and capabilities of the members’ staff to propel them further in their career.
• Joint marketing and promotion programs have also been one of the excellent benefits that members have enjoyed. By sharing and cross-referencing, members get to tap onto each other’s customers with minimal investment.
• Other support and assistance exist in the form of business opportunities and study tours and overseas trade mission, as well as sharing of resources and inter-company visits. With the highly creative and dynamic committee behind the MRCA, one can only expect more exciting events and more beneficial programs to be unveiled.
MRCA BRANDING EDUCATION CHARITY FOUNDATION
As the leading retail-chains association in the nation, Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association has achieved tremendous breakthrough in year 2010. Under the initiatives and leadership of its President Dato’ Tay Sim Kim, MRCA has raised RM 1 million for the set-up of MRCA Foundation.
MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation trustees are:
- Dato' Eddie Choon, Founder President of MRCA and Chairman of MRCA Foundation
- Dato' Tay Sim Kim, President of MRCA and Founder of MRCA Foundation
- Mr. Albert Chiang, Honorary President of MRCA and Trustee of MRCA Foundation
- Mr. Lee Hwa Cheng, Immediate Past President of MRCA and Trustee of MRCA Foundation
The objectives of setting-up MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation are:-
· To receive and administer funds for medical, education and charitable purposes.
· To provide medical and surgical facilities and services.
· To organize, carry out and support schemes for the relief of human suffering and treatment of sickness and diseases.
· To assist, aid and give relief and to render financial assistance to the poor, distress and needy.
· To provide education assistance to the needy and the most deserving students.
MRCA Events Highlights
The MRCA calendar is never empty, filled with exciting events and beneficial programs throughout the year.
A notable highlight event of the MRCA is the annual CEO Night where leaders and heads of the various retail organizations under the wings of MRCA gather for a night of networking and to. This is an annual initiative of MRCA to provide a platform for its members and corporate leaders to gain better insights on improving productivity as well as strategies in enhancing business operations by inviting guest speakers and renowned corporate and community leaders to share their business experiences. Past CEO nights have been graced by the appearance of well-known figures such as Datuk Seri Nazir Razak of CIMB Group, Tan Sri Datuk Tony Fernandez of AirAsia, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad Former Prime Minister and Datuk Seri Idris Jala previously of Malaysia Airlines, as guest speakers.
-
MRCA ANNIVERSARY & AWARDS BANQUEt
Another major networking event organized by the MRCA is its annual dinner where members get together for a night of great fun, good food and socializing.
It is also a time when members of the association are recognized for their business successes as well as their outstanding role in helping to contribute to and improve the retail scene of the country. With the healthy competition among its members, MRCA hopes to spur each member to continue to build their businesses and achieve even greater heights and also to reach out and explore unchartered horizons.
-
MRCA-8TV ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS
The MRCA-8TV entrepreneur awards is a collaboration with 8TV and a recognition program for outstanding entrepreneurs who has successfully built a business model or expand the business they are running. The Honorees will be feature in 8TV Prime time Mandarin News and 7Edition Prime time English News.
Their experiences and sharing can motivate and spur many more retail chain entrepreneurs to contribute towards the retail chain industry.
Inception of MRCA
Founded in 1992 by Founder President Dato’ Eddie Choon, Executive Chairman of Poh Kong Jewellers Sdn Bhd, the MRCA acts as an excellent avenue for retail businesses to network and exchange ideas, share resources and to promote the healthy expansion of the retail industry in Malaysia and abroad.
OUR VISION
To gain recognition as one of the most influential retail bodies in globalizing Malaysian chain retailers and franchisors both locally and abroad.
OUR MISSION
To create a highly supportive environment to build our business and pool our ideas, experiences and efforts together by placing our members above everything else and continuously discovering opportunities for them to grow beyond the shores of Malaysia.
AIMS
• Enhancing the retail environment and assisting retail chain store operators in their global expansion.
• Upgrading the management & operation skills of local retail chain store operators.
• Providing educational & training programme related to the retail trade through seminars & trade exhibitions.
• Consolidation & facilitation stronger negotiating power for members’ expansion.
• Securing market information & customer database for maximum utilization.
• Providing more ‘value for money’ products & services for the consumers.
• Organizing trade missions to explore business opportunities overseas.
• Establishing contact and organizing discussion and business dialogue with prominent business leaders.
• Promoting Malaysia as the Shopping Paradise to the world.
• Developing & maintaining affiliations with counterpart organizations globally.
Members
• 200 leading retail chain stores operators & franchisors. (Refer to appendix1)
• Market leaders or top three in the product category.
• Extensive network coverage of more than 10,000 outlets throughout Malaysia.
• MRCA members provide more than 100,000 job opportunities to Malaysians.
Benefits of Joining MRCA
MRCA provides the members with the opportunity to capitalize on the collective experience and resources of Malaysia’s premier and dynamic group of retail experts, such as:
• Continual Updates
Our monthly meetings and regular events provide members with updates on the latest development
in the retailing industry as well as the opportunity to network and socialize with fellow retailers and
business partners
• Training & Education Programme
Pertinent training sessions and seminars to enhance customer service, telephone skills, personal
deportment, retailing, visual merchandising and etc are conducted regularly for members’ staff to
improve their level of service and knowledge in retailing.
• Joint Marketing & Promotions
Members are continuously implementing joint marketing activities and sharing costs to tap onto
each other’s customers and seeking new customers.
• Business Opportunities & Study Tours
• Networking & Market Information
• Shared Resources & Inter-companies Study Visits
• Monthly Meetings for members to help improve your business & management
The Malaysia Books of Records – MRCA Members
The Malaysia Book of Records documents facts, feats, features and achievements set by
Malaysians. MRCA Members have been immortalized in the Malaysia Book of Records for:-
1) Largest Leather Retail-Chain - Bonia Corporation Bhd
2) Largest Convenience Chain Store - 7-Eleven Malaysia Sdn Bhd
3) Largest Water Filter & Treatment - Delcol United Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd
Product Chain Store
4) Largest Optical Chain Store - Focus Point Vision Care Group Sdn Bhd
5) Largest Hypermarket - G.C.H Retail (M) Sdn Bhd (GIANT)
6) Largest Herbs & Healthcare Product Chain - Hai-O Raya Berhad
7) Largest Confectionery Retail Chain - King’s Confectionery Sdn Bhd
8) First Local Fast Food Franchise - Marrybrown Fried Chicken Sdn Bhd
9) Largest Corn & Ice-Cream Franchise - Nelson’s Franchise (M) Sdn Bhd
10) Largest Health Check & Care - OSIM (M) Sdn Bhd
Equipment Retail-Chain
11) Largest Medical Testing Services Chain - Pathology & Clinical Laboratory (M) Sdn Bhd
12) Largest Jewellery Retail-Chain - Poh Kong Holdings Bhd
13) Largest Costume Jewellery Retail Chain - Sinma Jewellery Centre Sdn Bhd
14) Largest Chain of Lingerie Specialty - The Lingerie Shop
MRCA Secretariat
Address : No. 15-6, Block A, Jaya One,
No. 72A, Jalan Universiti,
46200 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
Telephone : 603 – 7955 3526
Fax : 603 – 7955 3525