A talk on the evolution of retail industry  

UTAR Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) alumnus Eric Ng Yew Hoong, who is currently working as the northern regional manager of Mall Leasing, Marketing & Operation at AEON CO. (M) BHD delivered a talk titled “Evolution of retail” at UTAR Kampar Campus on 28 October 2022. The talk was organised by FBF’s Department of Marketing and Centre for Business and Management for FBF students. Some 60 participants attended the talk.

Aimed to enlighten the participants on the different types of retail formats, customer behaviour patterns and digitalisation for the future, the talk was also an exposure for the upcoming graduates as a preparation to face the evolving market.

The speaker shared his 12 years of experience and knowledge in retail management and marketing. Upon completing his Bachelor of Marketing (Honours) degree, Ng started his career at AEON as a promotion supervisor in the year 2011. He was later promoted to customer care officer, followed by administration officer, customer service & SAP trainer, and now the northern regional manager.

The speaker kickstarted the talk by sharing his experience and some of his notable projects. Among the notable projects were the Opening Projects of the Whole Northern Region including malls in Ipoh, Manjung, Taping and Bukit Mertajam, rejuvenating the Ipoh Station 18 mall from 59% to 90%, artist event management and bringing the First Haidilao and Manhattan Fish Market to Perak. Following that, Ng also explained the history of the retail business, aided by a video, and described the retail and mall formats as they are determined by the size of the building. He also notified that the IOI City Mall is considered a megamall as it has been expanded to 2,500,000 square feet; meanwhile smaller malls are losing the market as customers prefer a one-stop centre for shopping experiences.

Speaking of the evolution of market, Ng explained how the retail market has shifted from one to another trend. He mentioned that as a retailer and a businessperson, one needs to adapt to the environment as soon as possible. He also explained the importance of digitalisation, artificial intelligence and data management. He mentioned that this knowledge is vital for students as it would open up opportunities in the future.

The change in consumer behaviour was also highlighted at the talk. Ng stressed on the transitions forecasted in the new era and the upcoming technology changes. He stated that the online shopping behaviour of customers is still pre-dominant even though the pandemic is over and people could go out and make purchases physically. The importance of information technology and analytical skills were also explained.

The talk came to an end with a Q&A session and a virtual group photography session.






Some snapshots of Ng’s presentation


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