Press Digest - From sundry shop to 7-Eleven store

PETALING JAYA: Federation of Sundry Goods Merchants Associations of Malaysia president Hong Chee Meng disclosed that Berjaya Retail Berhad (B-Retail) is talking to the federation to help transform traditional sundry shops into 7-Eleven convenience stores.
7-Eleven convenience stores in Malaysia are owned and operated by 7-Eleven Malaysia Sdn Bhd, which in turn is owned by B-Retail.
"Among the conditions set for cooperation, B-Retail is to foot the bills for transforming sundry shops into 7-Eleven stores; provide the stock; pay rental for the premises; and handle the accounts, which means sundry merchants-turn-convenience store operators will not have to worry about taxes.
"The operators, who are to foot the utility bills, will receive a salary on top of 50% share of the net profit each month," said Hong in announcing the good news to federation members at the 96th anniversary celebration of Negri Sembilan Sundry Goods Merchants Association in Seremban on Sunday night.
According to reports in the Chinese press yesterday, Hong said operators who succeed in getting their sundry shops transformed into 7-Eleven convenience stores need not worry about having to keep the stores open round the clock as B-Retail will make arrangement to hire helpers but the operators will have to pay their salaries.
He said about 10,000 of the estimated 40,000 sundry shops in the country are operated by Chinese.
More than 40% of the Chinese sundry merchants are members of the federations, he added.
Hong said talks of the transformation plan had been going on for nearly six months and Johor will be the first state to see such a successful transformation, which is offering a lifeline to sundry shops that are trying hard to stay afloat due to the onslaught of hypermarkets.