Sundry shops experiencing resurgence during MCO

A file picture of a sundry shop in Kampung Chinchin, Melaka.

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): With the movement control order (MCO) in effect for over a month, many Malaysians have become reacquainted with their neighbourhood sundry shop and are flocking there for their everyday needs.

The humble sundry shop has stood the test of time, even with the emergence of supermarket or hypermarket chain stores.

In a way, the MCO may be a blessing in disguise for these almost-forgotten shops and their patrons.

Asmah Harun, 58, who runs a sundry shop in Kampung Beladau Selat, Kuala Terengganu, is overjoyed that she has been getting more customers lately.

"Although I do not open till late, the number of customers has increased. Previously, only people from the kampung patronised my shop but now I have customers from other villages, so much so that the police have to exercise crowd control and enforce social distancing," she told Bernama.

Asmah said she has had to order larger quantities of stocks from suppliers to ensure there was enough supply.

She also allows some villagers to sell ready-to-eat food at her shop.

Asmah said many of her male customers preferred to patronise her shop because they just have to pass the list of items to shop assistants instead of looking for the items themselves.

Mohd Fazil Ibrahim, 45, a sundry shop customer in Penaga, Kepala Batas, Penang, said the neighbourhood location of the sundry shop is convenient and there are no long queues at the payment counter.

Furthermore, the sundry shop also sells a variety of goods including fresh vegetables, fish, prawns and beef, and there are many choices for customers every day.

"I can even buy on credit. I have been doing that all along," he told Bernama.

Sundry shops down south in Johor Bahru are also a hit.

Nur Faezah Mohd Khalid, 30, said she had been frequenting a sundry shop located just 800m from her house in Larkin during the MCO when she used to used to go to supermarkets, wet market, pasar tani (farmers' market) and pasar malam (night market) before.

"It is not just about saving time. I am not worried that I will get exposed to large crowds during the Covid-19 pandemic. I have small children!" she told Bernama.

Radio Televisyen Malaysia assistant engineer Salizah Duasa, 32, who lives in Negeri Sembilan, said she felt safe going shopping at sundry shops in Seremban 2 because the operators enforce social distancing and provide hand sanitisers.

"Going to the supermarket requires getting past roadblocks. Buying goods online means having to wait for some time before they get delivered. It's more convenient to buy at sundry shops. After all, there's not much difference in the prices," she told Bernama.

A check in Ipoh, Perak, revealed that the Kedai Acheh sundry shop, is popular with shoppers.

Facebook posts also show that people in other districts in the state also preferred to shop there because of their proximity to their houses and the variety of goods sold. – Bernama