SHAH ALAM - Lotuss Stores launched its sixth 'Buy Malaysia' campaign at Lotus Cheras recently in line with Merdeka Day, Malaysia Day 2023, and Malaysia Madani aspirations.
The campaign aims to raise the marketability of Malaysian brands.
Lotuss Stores, a strategic retail partner to the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (MDT COL), aims to boost consumer interest in purchasing local goods, increase patriotism among Malaysians, raise awareness about the affordability and quality of Malaysian goods, and help local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) market and exhibit their products.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living deputy minister Fuziah Salleh, Federal Territories MDT COL director Ariffin Samsuddin, and Lotus’s Corporate Services Executive Director Azliza Azmel launched the campaign on Aug 17.
In a statement, Azliza expressed her gratitude for being selected as MDT's strategic retail partner.
"Our tenet as a retailer is to offer our customers the best value, quality, and a wide range of products and services, in addition to playing a role in supporting the growth and development of the country.
"For us, the spirit of #KitakanJiran drives us to continue our commitment to carrying out our responsibilities in supporting, transforming, improving, and promoting the capacity and capabilities of local SMEs through our B2B programme," she said.
Lotus’s Malaysia currently has 112 partnering local SMEs that offer more than 900 product lines, of which 90 per cent are certified Halal.
The launch featured product samples from 17 local homegrown brands and three social enterprises and local NGOs, which took place from Aug 18 to Aug 20 at Lotus Cheras.
In recognition of these homegrown brands and products, Lotus has awarded ten of the best-performing SMEs for the year 2022 and announced 12 new suppliers who have joined Lotus’s SME network for the year 2023.
To empower local SME businesses to thrive with Lotus’s, the retailer gives them access to its resources, expertise, and distribution network that will help them innovate in product development, create job opportunities, and contribute to the overall economic growth in Malaysia.
Lotus’s SME Support Team also actively works closely with MDT and various government agencies to further raise the marketability of Malaysian-made products.
Azlina further said, in reaffirming our support towards local SMEs, that 90 per cent (3000 products) of our Lotus’s Own Brand products are sourced and manufactured by local partnering SMEs, and many have become household favourites.
"With the rising cost of living due to inflation, our house brands offer consumers an alternative, 15 to 20 per cent cheaper in pricing and quality at par with national brands," she added.
Last June, the retailer invested RM50 million in its permanent price reduction #LotussLebihMurah programme for more than 3,500 products, giving customers savings of up to 37 per cent ranging from national brands to its own Lotus’s Own Brand products to help Malaysians reduce the burden of living costs that are increasingly putting pressure on household finances.
This is in addition to its ongoing campaigns to give consumers the best value for their ringgit spent, such as Segar & Murah, Hari-Hari Harga Rendah, Purchase with Purchase (PWP), and Weekly Promotions.
Lotus’s also provides a free My Lotus’s Loyalty programme where customers can earn reward points for every purchase at its physical and online stores, including its food courts.
Further savings can be enjoyed when customers redeem these points for discounts, vouchers, or as payment for their next purchases with the retailer, in stores or on Lotus’s Shop Online.
Even more, Lotus’s continues to offer RM5 Menu RAHMAH meals at all its 59 food courts and a 10 per cent price reduction in key ingredients for its food operators offering RAHMAH meals.
In her speech, Azliza also spoke of the retailer’s success in providing 10.4 million meals to more than 120,000 under-resourced families through its daily Food Surplus programme and its aspiration to be more than just a shopping destination but a brand that supports the needs of local communities and Malaysia’s sustainable growth.