Alfamy Mart is a brilliant example of business acumen and boldness. Founded by husband and wife duo, John Chua and Livian Tan, the convenience store Alfamy was first launched in 2014 at Kuching City Mall.
Tan, previously a top executive at Servay Hypermarket King Centre and H&L Supermarket, teamed up with Chua, a seasoned salesman in the non-halal canned food business.
In the early days, some people confused their brand with the Indonesian company, Family Mart. But this didn’t bother them. They managed to open five stores successfully. Two of these stores are Alfamy Express Marts, which are designed for quick shopping and short queues.
“Sometimes people get us mixed up with Family Mart because of our name. But that’s not correct,” Chua recently cleared up the confusion to New Sarawak Tribune.
He chuckled as he added, “To make a long story short, the name Alfamy popped up in my dream.”
CLASSIC MART
Stepping into any Alfamy Mini Mart, one will notice it has the charm of a classic store. The layout stays the same to make regular customers happy.
“Our customers are smart. They know just where to find their household items like eggs.”
She said their aim is to create a sense of comfort and familiarity for their customers.
“If we were to change something – say, the brand of Maggi noodle we stock – our regulars would spot it right away, and they might not be too happy about it. They could think it’s sold out, or that we don’t sell it anymore. The bottom line is, we’re here to serve our customers, not to force them to get used to something new.”
DARN STORE
In fact, Chua gave their marts a catchy nickname: the ‘darn’ store. He said, “When people get home and realise they forgot to buy something, they exclaim ‘darn it,’ and head straight to us. We’re here to provide all the regular, essential items that you just can’t do without.”
In an exciting development last November, the Alfamy Express Mart at 3rd Mile received a costly makeover. The revamp cost almost RM200,000, and it did not even include the items on the shelves. The mart now has air conditioning, glass doors and bright lights.
“People who shop at our express mart are often in a hurry. They come in, grab what they need, pay and leave,” Tan said.
She noted that these customers are a different breed from those who visit their mini marts.
“They might pop in after a trip to the bank, maybe to pick up a drink or treat their kids to ice cream. We also get tourists staying at nearby hotels. Indonesians, for example, love buying our laksa and they even recommend us to their friends back home!” Tan added.
Before Alfamy express mart took over this spot, it was a Western restaurant, then a toy shop.
“I had my eyes on this location for nearly three years,” Chua said. “Sometimes the owners didn’t want to tell us when they would rent it out, so we had to wait for the perfect moment. The minute they put up the ‘for rent’ sign, I called them and paid a booking fee.”
KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMER BASE
When asked why he chose this spot, he said, “It’s near a bank and a McDonald’s. The restaurant here is always packed at night. Sometimes, McDonald’s customers come here to shop too. So, the customer base here is unique. They have more buying power. They can spend close to RM100. You can tell by the cars they drive. In other areas, it might be less.”
“We would never have known our customer base here if we didn’t open our shop,” he added. “Once we started running the business, we learned more about them. That’s how we found out what items to offer, including some branded items.”
The couple is determined to improve. Tan said, “Our express mart isn’t where we want it to be. We estimate there’s about 40 per cent more work to do.”
They are on a mission to enhance the store’s appearance and to provide a better shopping experience. It’s all about trial and error.
However, they admit not all improvements come easily.
“It’s tough to offer ready-to-eat meals like in West Malaysia. We don’t have many suppliers for foods like spaghetti, nasi lemak, or sandwiches. Plus, people in Kuching don’t often buy food to eat on the go,” Tan said.
Naturally, prices at the express mart are a little higher than at their mini mart. For example, something that costs RM5.50 at the mini mart might cost RM5.70 at the express mart.
“The prices are a bit higher because of the convenience we offer,” Tan said.
Their hard work has caught the eye of big companies like the Berjaya Group. “Someone from Berjaya called me to congratulate us recently. They’ve been watching our progress,” Tan said.
Tan recalled an interesting event at their express mart in Simpang Tiga. “A salesman who sells cigarettes came in. He said 7-Eleven was upset. When I asked why, he said it’s because Alfamy is next to them.”
She was surprised and amused, “Really? Is 7-Eleven scared of us, Alfamy?”
ROOM FOR COMPETITION
Tan’s advice to other stores is not to fear competition. “There’s enough room for everyone. There are enough customers for all.”
She was critical about supermarkets entering the convenience store scene. “They’re missing the point,” she said. “They’re forgetting about the community.”
According to her, these new entrants see the world through a lens of competition. They view every other store as a rival, and it becomes a battle of who’s the best.
But Tan offered a different perspective: “We think collaboration, not competition, is the way forward.”
In terms of sales, Alfamy express mart is recording a slight increase, interestingly, even as supermarkets are seeing less foot traffic.
Tan shared her views on this trend. She said, “Our business performance is closely tied to our customers. If you used to shop at our mart for about RM120 worth of items, you were in a position to afford that. But if the economy dips and now you can only spend RM80, it’s not indicative of our business declining. Instead, it reflects changes in people’s budgets.”
She stressed the importance of understanding the dynamics of their customer base. “This is an analysis we carry out every month,” she explained. “We aren’t just running a business blindly. We take time to understand and learn from our sales figures.”
FAIRNESS
Fairness is at the heart of Alfamy’s business. When it comes to rising prices, they do things differently.
Tan said, “In most supermarkets, if the cost of Moma drinking water goes up from RM1 to RM1.20, they’d add a percentage markup and sell it for RM1.50.”
But at Alfamy, it’s a different story. “We’re fair to our customers. If the supplier raises the price by 20 sen, we only increase our selling price by the same amount. We think about our customers, ‘Can they afford it?’ We don’t want to be a burden,” said Tan.
This promise of fairness is Alfamy’s commitment to their customers, and it is reflected in their slogan, “Your needs, our pleasure.”
Tan pointed out that some businesses can be greedy, raising prices on a whim. “We don’t do that at Alfamy. We think it’s important to treat our customers fairly,” she added.
FUTURE PLANS
Looking towards the future, the couple has big plans for Alfamy. “When we get older, we plan to open an Alfamy supermarket,” Tan revealed.
The ambition doesn’t stop there, they’re also eyeing expansion into Sibu and other cities in Sarawak.
But their dreams extend even further. They aim to develop a strong brand, much like 7-Eleven, once they’ve opened more outlets.
“We’re looking at 7-Eleven as a benchmark. Once we have more stores, we plan to build a brand just as strong,” they shared, displaying their grand vision for Alfamy’s future.
