Prominent convenience store chain FamilyMart Malaysia has taken the decision to cease the sale of alcoholic beverages across its entire network of 360 stores.
FamilyMart Malaysia halts sales of alcoholic drinks
This strategic move is aimed at bolstering the confidence of Muslim customers, who can now shop at the outlets without any reservations.
Read also: “Only The OKU Don’t Throw Their Trash” — M’sians Angered By Insensitive Notice At FamilyMart Store
According to Sin Chew Daily, the decision to discontinue the sale of alcoholic drinks was put into effect in March, as revealed by Chia Lik Khai, the Managing Director of QL Maxincome Sdn Bhd, the company that operates FamilyMart in Malaysia.
Chia emphasized that this was part of their broader initiative to allow discerning customers to shop and dine without fear of encountering non-halal products at their branches.
“Alcoholic beverages have been a minor part of our business till now, so we anticipate a minimal impact,” Chia stated. “We are relying on our food and beverage offerings to make up for the sales reduction.”
FamilyMart Malaysia unveils new FamiCafé
This announcement was made during the unveiling of FamilyMart Malaysia’s new concept store FamiCafé at Menara U.
This store has been accorded the first halal certification by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), thus becoming the pioneer convenience store cafe in Malaysia to receive such recognition.
The halal-certified concept of FamiCafé includes a variety of drinks and ready-to-eat food items prepared in-house.
These include ‘oden’ (Japanese tomyam), hot snacks like ‘crispy chiki katsu’ and sausage (corndog), as well as ‘sofuto’ (ice cream).
FamilyMart to undergo halal audits in phases
In its continued dedication to reassure customers, FamilyMart will undergo halal audits in phases following Jakim’s guidelines. This process has already begun at two other stores located around the Klang Valley.
Moreover, the FamilyMart Malaysia food preparation centre, run by QL Kitchen, has been certified halal by Jakim since 2019.
As of April 30, 172 FamilyMart branded food products have been registered as halal on Jakim’s official halal portal.
