This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on August 26, 2024 - September 1, 2024

Malayan Industries Bhd (MUI Group) (KL:MUIIND) is set to reopen its Metrojaya outlet in Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 29 with a refreshed shopping experience. The outlet was closed in February for renovation works, says MUI Group chairman and CEO Andrew Khoo.

“We are very excited about this opportunity. We were one of the pioneers and anchor tenants of Mid Valley when it was first opened in the 1990s and we have been on this journey with the mall management and IGB Bhd (KL:IGB) every step of the way. 

“It gives us an opportunity to evolve, reimagine a new shopping experience and a chance to align with the growing needs and expectations of our customers,” Khoo says.

Currently, there are a total of 12 Metrojaya outlets in the Klang Valley, Penang as well as Sabah and Sarawak.

The other Klang Valley stores are located in LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre, Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA, Ampang Point Shopping Centre, IOI Putrajaya, Aeon Bukit Tinggi, Brem Mall and Avenue K. The Penang outlet is in Gurney Plaza while in Sabah and Sarawak, they are in Plaza Merdeka, Kuching; Permaisuri Imperial City Mall, Miri; and Suria Sabah Shopping Mall, Kota Kinabalu.

Some of Metrojaya’s established house brands include the fashion labels East India Company, Somerset Bay and Cape Cod as well as home-furnishing brand Living Quarters.

With the upcoming reopening of the Mid Valley outlet, Khoo notes that customers can expect a more modern and open layout concept with a distinctive lifestyle section, carefully curated brands and an emphasis on interactive experiences and focusing more on its house brands.

“We are making great efforts at looking into the customer journey to make it easy for them. They know where they want to go, such as the type of sections, products or brands they want to engage with, just at one glance. The checkout counters will be centralised to ease their purchase journey. The changing rooms are also centralised so that they can see the brands and where they want to go, and they can try out the clothes and complete the transaction.

“In addition, there will also be a cafe space within the store for the customers to get their coffee or pastries. That’s the way we envisage the whole customer journey,” Khoo adds.

He says the retail space has been reduced from 200,000 sq ft to 30,000 sq ft at the South Court. “We have to be very selective over what we bring into the store because our footprint has reduced. That’s why there’s a big focus on experiential and embracing technology. That means that we will focus on the brands that will perform, which are our house brands, the partners that have been with us all these years.”

Commenting on the outlook of the retail industry, Khoo says the rise of e-commerce and changing consumer behaviour are a challenge.

“The retail industry has gone through several challenges with the rise of e-commerce and changing consumer behaviour. But our belief is that there is still a place for a well-positioned concept and brick-and-mortar retail stores. The key to that is offering a unique and differentiated experience. Our strength lies in the ability to adapt and innovate while staying true to our brand heritage. We are repositioning ourselves to be a leader in providing curated experiential retail environments.”

Besides retail, MUI Group is also involved in property development through its wholly-owned subsidiary, MUI Properties Bhd (KL:MUIPROP), which is the master developer of the 1,990-acre Bandar Springhill township in Negeri Sembilan.

Development of the township started in 1997. To date, 33% of the land has been developed with over 4,500 units having been built, catering to a population of 25,000.

In July this year, the developer sold a 53-acre piece of land in the township to Antmed Malaysia Sdn Bhd with the aim of building a medical equipment manufacturing factory.

Antmed Malaysia is owned by Shenzhen Antmed Co Ltd, a Shenzhen-based company that designs, develops and manufactures medical devices.

According to Khoo, the establishment of such a factory by Antmed Malaysia will lead to the establishment of a medical hub (a medical-focused manufacturing section in the industrial precinct) in the township.

“We’re very excited about this project as it will potentially launch a medical hub. It is a chance for us to build a medical hub, and with all the ancillary services and facilities to bring other medical-related manufacturers as well. That’s what we see in the future.”

He adds that Antmed Malaysia is making good progress on the building of its first factory in the township, which will be ready by next year. 

“Everything is moving at pace. From there, we will carefully plan out this medical hub and have it become a new component [in the industrial precinct] for Bandar Springhill.”

In addition, Khoo says the company has plans to launch several residential and industrial properties next year, amounting to an estimated RM100 million in gross development value. Details will be revealed on a later date.

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