There are tons of places you can go to buy your groceries but one of the most common places one would go to do some shopping for essentials would be Mydin. That’s right. You can basically find a Mydin hypermarket nearly everywhere you go in Malaysia. It’s got everything you need from food, stationaries, hardware tools, and even clothes.
Seeing Mydin all around Malaysia does make one wonder how they came to be and how far they’ve come. Gather around ladies and gentlemen as we’re going to tell you another origin and success story. Just like how 99 Speedmart and MR. DIY became a household brand, here’s the story of how Mydin went from a small shop in Kelantan to becoming one of the most successful retail brands in Malaysia.
Every big company has to start small. Mydin was founded by the late Tuan Mydin Mohamed in August 1957 in Kota Bharu, Kelantan after being inspired by his father who once owned a shop in 1918 in Penang. At the time, the brand, previously named Syarikat Mydin Mohamed or Mydin Mohamed Bros, was nothing more than a small wooden shop at Jalan Tok Hakim selling toys and general goods. The shop was mainly known for toys as the owner was one of the only suppliers of the popular Aladdin card game.
The shop’s only mode of transportation for their goods was just bicycles. For deliveries out of town, Tuan Mydin would take the bus. It was only when the business started to do well that the later owner could finally afford a van. As the brand’s name grew bigger, it was time to take the business to new heights.
In 1979, Tuan Mydin expanded his business by opening up a second store in Terengganu with the help of his children. It wasn’t until 10 years later that Mydin finally made its way to the Klang Valley in 1989, opening its first outlet at Jalan Masjid India. Mydin’s focus has always been on the non-food sector until 1997. This was the start of the company’s success. After opening its Klang Valley outlet, the company started to become more than just your average retail shop. It was then rebranded to Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad.
Mydin grew tremendously over the years and according to its website, the brand operates more than 60 outlets nationwide inclusive of 18 hypermarkets, 16 emporiums, 3 bazaars, 47 minimarkets (MyMydin), 8 convenience shops (MyMart) and 6 franchise outlets (Mydin Mart). Each of the hypermarkets is located in MYDIN Mall. Its founder sadly passed away in 2016 of old age but not before letting his son Datuk Wira Haji Dr. Ameer Ali Mydin take over and carry his legacy. The business continues to expand but of course, it wasn’t always smooth sailing as the brand also faced some serious difficulties.
Just like its fellow competitors, Mydin was also affected by the Covid-19 lockdown back in 2020. Due to the travel restrictions, regular shoppers were not able to visit Mydin supermarkets and hypermarkets to buy their necessities. In response to this crisis, the brand launched MydinExpress, an app and e-commerce site that allows customers to shop online and pick up items via drive-thru service at selected stores.
Sejak MYDIN diasaskan pada tahun 1957, 66 buah cawangan telah dibangunkan sehingga hari ini. MYDIN Tunjong, Kota Bharu adalah cawangan ke-67!#MYDINTunjong #MYDINBermulaDisini pic.twitter.com/CHSfehKWJ1
— MYDIN (@MydinMalaysia) February 25, 2022
The company managed to pull through during the lockdown and bounced back after restrictions were lifted. Earlier this year, the hypermarket chain launched its 67th and largest store in Kelantan, the state where it all began. Through the new outlet, the brand provided about 1,000 jobs as well as business opportunities for local communities. Mydin today became one of the biggest and most beloved retail brands in Malaysia.
The brand has gone through so much from witnessing the country’s Independence Day, going through slow development, surviving the Covid-19 pandemic, and finally opening up its largest outlet in its birthplace. We can confidently say that Mydin isn’t going anywhere anytime soon and will continue to grow from here. Let’s see what else the company has in store for the future.
Sources: VulcanPost, MyMydin, DBPedia, LinkedIn, Twitter, MCE, Researchgate, TheStar
