11 July 2014
In some countries, having a grocer at the airport is nothing new. But in Malaysia, Jaya Grocer’s presence in klia2 may initially have raised some eyebrows.
When operations director Daniel Teng was first presented with the opportunity to open an outlet at the airport, he thought “Why not?”
After all, klia2 will be enjoying strong traffic from the growing low-cost segment, which would establish Jaya Grocer’s brand among travellers. Teng noted that AirAsia alone flies 25 million passengers a year.
“It was an opportunity that came by. And Jaya Grocer was expanding quite rapidly at that time so we definitely saw some potential here. It was in line with our expansion plan and the location is quite strategic,” said Teng.
But Jaya Grocer’s entry into the airport market was not without some doubts. Given that it is the first grocer in a Malaysian airport, Teng noted that there was no benchmark as to how consumers would receive it. Teng and his team had to rely heavily on their own market research to determine the concept and design for that outlet.
Jaya Grocer occupies a floor space of 10,000sq ft on level 2 of Gateway@klia2.
To cater to the needs of travellers, Teng explained that the branch was given a clean-cut design with wide aisles and lower shelves so that shoppers will be able identify their location within the store.
“This is to ensure that they know where they are and can locate the exits without panicking if they are in a rush. And the aisles are wide so they can bring their luggage around,” he said.
He noted that the line of products and prices at klia2 do not vary much from its other outlets. Apart from the usual necessities, the outlet also has its fruit and vegetable, meat and frozen sections, making it a full-fledged grocer.
Notably, there are also a lot more single-packed product and impulse-buy items that are available for the convenience of travellers.
But for those looking to purchase larger items or fragile goods, there is a wrapping station available at the exit.
This outlet also features its F&B branch, Fresco, where customers can send the items that they have bought from the seafood and meat sections to be cooked. There is also a grab-to-go counter for travellers looking to get a quick bite before a flight. Its bakery, Bonjour, is also available there.
“Moving forward, we expect to see more shoppers as more and more people travel. And as the months go by and we are better able to gauge what consumers here are looking for, we will adjust our merchandising strategy for klia2 to meet everyone’s needs,” he said.
Apart from just travellers, Jaya Grocer is also tapping into the large group of people working at the airport who are looking to pick up their groceries before they head back home.
But sales and response from consumers have been encouraging so far and Teng hopes that it will only get better.
Original Source: www.thestar.com.my
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