Borders Malaysia still going strong

IF you’re worried that Malaysia’s going to lose all its Borders outlets, don’t be.
Borders Malaysia is owned and operated by Berjaya Books Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation Bhd, and its Borders stores here don’t have much to do with US operations.
In fact, that has been a hallmark of the way franchise-holders of the American chain has always worked: each store is quite independent and tailors its inventory to the communities it is located in.
When the first Borders stores opened in Malaysia – in 2005 at Berjaya Times Square, KL – for instance, the marketing team discovered that there is a strong kids’ market in Malaysia and sourced its own kids’ books rather than simply bringing in what American stores were shelving (Bounty of books, Reads, StarMag, April 17, 2005).
On Friday, StarBiz published a statement from Berjaya Books assuring Malaysian bookworms that it will be business as usual here: “Borders Malaysia does not rely on Borders Group Inc (the US operation) and has its own arrangements in place with distributors worldwide for books and products supply.”
Borders Malaysia CEO Yau Su Peng added that, “Borders Malaysia continues to be excited about our plans for this year. We aim to continue to offer quality books and education materials that will meet our customers’ expectations.
“We will stay focused and continue our efforts to nurture the reading habit among Malaysians. Our customers can look forward to an interesting year together with us,” she said.
There are now six Borders stores in Malaysia; five in the Klang Valley and one in George Town.

SUMBER : THE STAR