TRADITIONAL FOOD RETAILER IKS KUNDUR TO DOUBLE SALES BY YEAR-END

By Nurfardlina Izzati Moktar

REMBAU, Jan 16  -- Small and Medium Enterprise Kundur (IKS Kundur), a one-stop centre that offers local products, is targeting to double its monthly sales to RM30,000 to RM40,000 by the end of the year.

Owner Zubir Jamal, 58, said this was due to the expected increase in demand for food products made by the residents of Kundur here, particularly dodol, bahulu, wajik, sirat, kuih denderam, kuih goyang, pegaga (pennywort) and various types of chips such as bitter gourd crisps.

“The best-sellers are pegaga and bitter gourd crisps. During the weekdays we receive a lot of customers but it is merrier during the weekends.

“Before the Movement Control Order was imposed in March last year, we even had customers from abroad including from Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. People everywhere like the traditional food items sold here especially dodol panas (sticky dodol) and they have said they would buy this product if it were marketed in their countries,” he told Bernama in an interview today.

With an initial investment of about RM5,000, Zubir set up IKS Kundur in 2018 by renting a shop along Jalan Pedas-Linggi, Kampung Kundur Hulu, Pedas. Today, the outlet registers sales of up to RM20,000 per month.

“To achieve our target (of RM30,000 to RM40,000 in sales), we plan to expand the space in IKS Kundur to put in more locally-made products. So far, we have provided opportunities to 15 villagers, including from the asnaf (those eligible to receive zakat) and single mother groups, so that they can market their products, especially traditional food.

“The Kampung Kundur residents do small-scale trading at home and do not have a place to really market their products. Therefore, IKS Kundur becomes their platform and provides the venue for the entrepreneurs to market their products,” he said.

Besides a brick-and-mortar business, Zubir said IKS Kundur had launched an online marketing strategy through social media, and it had attracted positive customer response.

“Many of the customers who dropped by previously would contact us again. We deliver the products via postal service and we have delivered to places like Johor, Putrajaya, Selangor, Perak and Pahang,” he said.

IKS Kundur, which has three employees and is located two kilometres from the Pedas toll plaza, operates from 9 am to 5 pm daily except on Monday. 

Saadiah Jamal, 61, one of the residents who supply products to IKS Kundur, said she earned between RM700 and RM800 a month through the sale of kuih goyang and bitter gourd crisps.

“Being a housewife, I am able to spend my free time to gain additional income and, at the same time, promote original kampung products to customers not only in Rembau but also from overseas,” she added.

-- BERNAMA