To ensure that Muslim consumers can shop without worry, FamilyMart, a convenience store chain, has stopped selling alcoholic beverages in all 360 of its stores throughout Malaysia.
FamilyMart has stopped selling alcoholic beverages, according to Chia Lik Khai, Managing Director of QL Maxincome Sdn Bhd, since March. This action tries to allay any worries regarding non-halal products among clients who eat and buy in their establishments.
“Alcoholic beverages have not contributed significantly to our business thus far, so we anticipate minimal impact. We will focus on food and beverages to compensate for the sales gap,”
Chia said when approached by the media during the launch of their new concept store, FamiCafe, in Shah Alam.
The objective is to open 50 FamiCafe locations by the end of the year and to have 300 halal-certified locations by 2025. He added that there are already 16 FamiCafe locations nationally.
Chia clarified that FamilyMart will carry out halal audits in stages in accordance with the recommendations made by JAKIM. Two stores close to the Klang Valley have already started the audit process, and as of April 30, 172 FamilyMart food items had received halal certification.
In order to meet customer demand, he continued, FamilyMart intends to open more locations on the east coast. By the end of the year, they hope to have 20 stores open, and they have already started opening a number of them in Kuantan, Pahang.
FamilyMart convenience stores were first available in Malaysia in 2016 under the franchise of QL Maxincome Sdn Bhd.
