Where would you go if you want to find good quality hardware and other home necessities at affordable prices? That’s right, MR. DIY! You’ll basically find everything you’ll need at any of the outlets around Malaysia. From kitchen appliances to stationery to toys!
But have you ever wondered how this popular store came to be and how far it has come? Just like how we shared the stories of Burger Ramly, 99 Speedmart, and Old Town White Coffee, here’s the story of how MR. DIY started as a consumer hardware store to become a nationally recognised retail brand.
Once upon a time, MR. DIY was once just a consumer hardware store in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The store was founded by Tan Yu Yeh in July 2005. The owner graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Malaya in 1996 and had a career in engineering with Komag USA.
After opening the first-ever MR. DIY, Malaysians seemed to love the hardware store as they can get all the necessities they need for their homes at always affordable prices. Despite opening a hardware store, Tan Yu Yeh actually had no prior experience in retail or in home improvement concepts. After the success of their first store, the brand managed to open two more outlets in other parts of Malaysia, all in the same year! Talk about reaching milestones.
Speaking of milestones, in 2009, MR. DIY opened its first store in an AEON shopping mall at the AEON Taman Equine in Selangor. That’s when you know that the brand is now more than your ordinary hardware store. In 2011, the founder was then joined by his younger brother, Tan Yu Wei who was in charge of the Group’s logistics and procurement departments. Just like Yu Yeh, he also had no prior experience in retail. Together, the brother further improved and expand MR. DIY.
There were actually concerns about the brand opening up their stores in malls like AEON, Giant, or Tesco as some viewed this as “partnering with competition”, but according to MR. DIY Marketing VP, Andy Chin, the hardware brand is actually filling the gap in these malls’ businesses. “Our stores are a one-stop centre for everything that a home could need—except groceries, which is the specialty of the large retailers,” he said.
While still staying true to its words “Always Low Prices”, the company continued to grow and by 2018, it launched the first flagship store in Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur. To further expand the MR. DIY brand, it’s only natural for the establishment to branch out and launch several sub-brands; MR. DIY Premium, MR. Toy, MR. Dollar, and MR. DIY Express. By 2019, MR. DIY opened its 500th store at 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya.
However, it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. Just like any other business, MR. DIY also suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Without people physically going to its stores, will the brand be able to make up for its losses? Spoiler alert, it did. The company managed to stay resilient and achieve, what business people call, a V-shape recovery by June 2020.
As of today, MR. DIY has opened over 930 stores nationwide and it still remains a favourite one-stop centre for people to go buy home appliances, hardware tools, stationaries, and even tech accessories. There’s obviously more where that came from so why not stop by your nearest MR. DIY store and check out all the things the brand has to offer.
