Mom and pop stores are the ancestors of the retail industry, they existed more than 200 years ago and they still play an important role in the retail ecosystem today. Mom and pop stores…
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Convenience stores have become a staple of modern living, offering a quick and easy way for people to get the items they need. These stores are located in convenient places in the neighbourhood, petrol stations, and shopping centers.
With smaller store spaces as compared to the standard grocers or supermarkets, convenience stores usually offer limited SKUs focusing on categories such as snacks, drinks, ready-to-eat meals, and toiletries, as well as top-up and bill payment services.
Convenience stores are a great alternative for FMCG brands to distribute their products, especially if the brand is targeting consumers who want quick and easy access. Some convenience stores also offer a wider range of products such as groceries, fresh produce, frozen food, etc.
In Malaysia, convenience stores have become a ubiquitous presence, with thousands of such stores located in densely populated cities and towns. Besides big chain stores like 7-Eleven and myNEWS and specialty (e.g. imported goods) stores like FamilyMart and CU, there are also others operated by grocery chains and petrol stations.
Without further ado, here’s a comprehensive list of popular convenience stores in Malaysia, categorized by big chain stores, specialty stores, supermarket mini stores, and stores by petrol stations. All brands listed below are with at least tens, if not hundreds, or even thousands of outlets nationwide.
Big Chain Stores
- 7-Eleven
- 99 Speedmart
- KK SUPER MART
- myNEWS
Specialty Stores
- FamilyMart
- CU
- emart24
- MiX Store
- PotboyMart
- BilaBila Mart
Supermarket Mini Stores
- Giant Mini
- MyMydin
Convenience @ Petrol Stations
- Petronas Mesra
- Shell Select
- BHPetromart
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is originally from the United States. It started its operations in Malaysia in 1984 through a licensing agreement between 7-Eleven Inc. and the Berjaya Group. As of 2023, there are over 2,400 7-Eleven outlets throughout Malaysia.
99 Speedmart
Started as a traditional “mom and pop” sundry mart in 1987 by the wheelchair-bound entrepreneur – Lee Thiam Wah, it has been rebranded to 99 Speedmart in 2000. In 2021, 99 Speedmart has launched its 2,000th outlet in Malaysia.
KK SUPER MART
KK SUPER MART was founded by Datuk Seri Dr. KK Chai in 2001, with an initial capital of only RM60,000. Fast forward 22 years later, KK SUPER MART has expanded to more than 680 outlets in Malaysia.
myNEWS
Founded by Dang Tai Luk in 1996 as a single newsstand of 200 sqft, myNEWS was born the next year as a contemporary press and convenience retail outlet. As of 2020, myNEWS has more than 530 outlets in Malaysia.
FamilyMart
FamilyMart is a famous convenience store chain from Japan, the brand has partnered with QL Resources Berhad to operate and expand its stores in Malaysia. After launching its first store in 2016, there are 355 FamilyMart outlets in Malaysia as of 2023.
CU
The Korean convenience store brand CU has entered Malaysia in 2021 by partnering with myNews Holdings Bhd. After opening its first store in Centerpoint Bandar Utama, there are 130 CU stores in Malaysia as of 2023.
emart24
Similar to CU, emart24 offers Korean street food and goods imported from Korea. emart24 was launched here in 2021 by a private equity firm controlled by the Pang family who owns the Mamee brand. As of 2023, there are 34 emart24 outlets in Malaysia.
MiX Store
Known for trendy and creative snacks, drinks and food imported from Japan, Korea, Thailand, China and Taiwan, MiX Store is founded by 杨啸 (translated to Xiao Yang). To date, there are 74 MiX Stores in Malaysia.
PotboyMart
Potboy is an online grocer founded by Eddie Chew, who worked in private equities in China for 10 years. Extended from its online grocery business, PotboyMart is the O2O convenience store with 77 outlets in Malaysia at the time of writing.
BilaBila Mart
Invested by the property developer Exsim Group, BilaBila Mart positions itself as the FamilyMart or CU of Malaysia, offering a retail channel for homegrown brands and products. At the time of writing, there are 31 BilaBila Mart stores in Malaysia.
Giant Mini
Giant Mini is a convenience store brand owned by Giant, a smaller store format with a focus on fresh produce, snacks, and beverages. As of 2023, there are 38 Giant Mini outlets across Malaysia.
MYMYDIN
Similar to Giant Mini, MYMYDIN is a smaller store format that used to be owned by MYDIN. The chain of 48 convenience stores was sold to Jubilee Games Sdn Bhd in 2018.
Petronas Kedai Mesra
With more than 1,100 petrol stations nationwide, Petonas has the largest network of convenience stores at petrol stations with over 760 Kedai Mesra outlets. In selected outlets, Café Mesra, Makan@Mesra, Segar@Mesra, or F&B brands are available too.
Shell Select
Shell has the second-largest petrol station network with over 950 stations in Malaysia. Shell Select convenience stores offer groceries, snacks, confectionaries, drinks, ready-to-eat meals, as well as telco top-up and bill payment services.
BHPetromart
There are about 300 BHPetromart convenience stores at more than 400 BHPetrol stations in Malaysia – offering snacks, drinks, ready-to-eat meals, Touch ‘N Go reload, ATM cash withdrawal, and other quick services.
Others
Besides those listed above, there are also convenience stores operated by other petrol stations like Carltex and Petron. Even though it’s a crowded space, we are seeing new players like PrestoMart (with only 4 outlets at the time of writing) venturing into the convenience store business.
We are not able to list those smaller or mom-and-pop convenience stores here, do leave a comment below if we missed out on any big convenience store brands here!
