BY JASMINE BADUN AND GABRIEL LIHAN
KUCHING: There’s nothing like giving your house a fresh coat of paint, especially when a special occasion like Hari Raya Aidilifitri comes around each year.
It adds to the festive ambience like no other except, perhaps, for the spread of delicacies in each home during festivities.
It is no surprise therefore that people start trooping into paint shops ahead of Raya, each looking for that extra glint in their houses at this time of the year.
And paint shops seize the opportunity to rake up sales and outdo themselves with bargain prices for customers.
DIY Paint Studio SB, a paint store located in Metrocity, Matang since 2016, is in itself eye-catching given it vibrant coloured building.
“There has been a sales increase for March and as far as we can tell, April sales have been similar, so yes, there is an increase before Hari Raya,” said a worker there.
He said they have picked some items that will be on special sales before and during Hari Raya celebration.
“We give sale discounts of up to 10 per cent of the regular retail price.”
The worker also disclosed there will be a Nippon Paint roadshow at the shop from April 18 until April 20, during which there will be discounts of up to 20 per cent for paints.
DIY Paint Studio SB also provides painting services for houses and commercial lots, the prices of which depend on the surface area which has to be painted.
“Of course, it also depends on the types of paint the customer chooses, because some customers want better quality, antivirus paint will be more expensive compared to normal emulsion paint,” he said.
There are many types of paints customers can choose from, one of them being the newly launched Ultra Clean Weather Resistant Paint (RM250 for 5 litres) which supposedly can clean the wall surface itself when it rains.
The shop also provides other paints such as the Normal Weather Resistant Paint, available in a few grades, with prices ranging from RM110 to RM220 for a 5 litre packing.
“There are a few grades, so the customers will choose what grades they want, but we will guide them on which one is more suitable for their house,” he explained.
DIY Paint Studio SB also focuses on the quality of the paint for the customers as the worker shared that they will make sure the customers know about the painting system first, before buying the paint.
“We want to make sure the buyer or customer understands the painting system so that when they paint there will be fewer problems in the future.”
This shop also offers special effect paints such as Nippon Momento Elegant Series or MacoAvell Wall Effect, for customers who prefer creative and more designs on their walls.
“There will be patterns, like snow effect, clouds effect, and marble effect.”
He added the paint may look like wallpaper but it lasts longer and is easier to get rid of once they decide to change the style or paint.
The price for Nippon Momento Elegant Series is RM160 for 1 litre, while MacoAvell Plaster VELLMA is RM152 for 5 litres.
The next paint store that will be having a Hari Raya promotion is The Paint Shop, located here at the Central Park Commercial Centre.
The 16-year-old paint store is owned by the sister of DIY Paint Studio SB’s shop owner.
Known as Ms Chew, she disclosed that it has been the family business for more than 50 years, started by their grandfather and father.
“We go into retailing mainly because we know that many users need the correct advice on how to use paint.”
She said that DIY Paint Studio SB and The Paint Shop are service centres.
They share the same values, namely, to serve customers who need advice about painting.
“Our wholesale business covers the whole of Sarawak and we supply projects,” she said.
According to Chew, paint price could increase after Raya, given that last year’s paint prices increased three times.
“All the major dominant players in the paint industry namely Nippon, Dulux, and Jotun will adjust pricing after Raya.”
The Hari Raya promotion for The Paint Shop will be on the same day as the promotion days at DIY Paint Studio SB.
Meanwhile, at Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce, there is a small paint shop, Kian Huat Coating & Trading Company.
According to the manager, there will be a Hari Raya promotion from April 21 until April 23, with discounts of up to 20 per cent.
The shop will open from 9am until 6pm for the Promosi Warna-Warni Raya.
The manager also shared a few tips for people who constantly paint their houses.
“I recommend them to use the Nippon Supermatex, which is economical. If it’s Dulux, I would recommend them to use Inspire.”
The manager also said the prices depend on the colour and quality of the paint.
The hardware store also provides painting services to customers.
However, according to the manager, there is not much of a difference in paint sales yet even though Hari Raya is less than one month away.
