99 Speedmart is a Malaysian chain of convenience stores and the country's second-largest mini market chain, after KK Super Mart. Locals refer to it as 99 informally.
Founder
The seed of 99 Speedmart was sown in the form of a traditional "mom and pop" sundry mart called Pasar Raya Hiap Hoe by our founder, Mr. Lee Thiam Wah in Tepi Sungai, Klang. The founder of 99 Speedmart, Lee Thiam Wah who was born in 1954 is actually a disabled person. However, the King of Mini Marts as he is fondly known, still managed to build his empire with his own hard-earned savings.
While he was just a little baby, he suffered from polio which caused him to be wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life. Due to his disability, he could only attend school until he was in Standard 6 as it was too far for him to travel on his wheelchair. Lee’s father was a construction worker and his mother was a small-time hawker so his family did not have a high income. They had to work hard to support him and his 10 siblings so his grandmother took care of him while they worked. His rags-to-riches story began as he was determined to do something with his life and started a small business by selling snacks.
Being a frugal man, he saved as much money as possible from his business selling snacks and finally, he had enough capital to open his first store known as Pasar Raya Hiap Hoe in Klang. His business flourished, as they were well-known for its good customer service, fair price and variety of goods. After five years in the industry, he wanted a challenge and decided to sell off his store to a relative. Lee apparently sold his first grocery store for RM88,000 and with this money, he opened his first mini mart in Klang, which was the start of his empire. At first, the mini mart targeted customers with low income and migrant workers but soon he expanded his business.
Company Vision and Mission
To keep up with company image as one of Malaysia’s market leaders in the retail groceries sector, we aim to fulfill company customer’s needs by providing a wide range of daily use products in company concept-oriented mini markets by working together with company suppliers.
As we continue to expand company business, we are able to achieve optimum economies of scale that is fully supported by company vast network of distribution centres and advanced logistics system to complement company outlets, resulting in an increase in economic efficiency and reduced costs.
By incorporating both elements of saving time and money of customers, 99 Speed Mart is truly NEAR n’ SAVE.
Helping Those in Need
Several businesses have stepped in to help the #BenderaPutih (White Flag) movement, taking to social media to announce their willingness to help those needing food and essentials during the Covid-19 pandemic. One of them is mini-market chain 99 Speedmart, which has said that it will be preparing 1,000 goodwill packages daily to support the initiative in the time of pandemic.
"If you see anyone near a 99 Speedmart that requires support with a white flag, send information to our WhatsApp at 010-500 0099 or message us directly on our 99Speedmart Facebook account via a private message (PM)," it said in a post.
The mini market chain said that the campaign will be effective from July 1 to 14, adding that social media users should send a photo of the house flying the white flag and its address. The #benderaputih movement aims to help those in dire need of food and essentials. The movement suggests that those who needed assistance fly a white flag or cloth outside their homes, which would let those who are able to help know which households could be facing extreme difficulties.
Future of the 99’s
Over the years, 99 Speedmart has become a crowd-favourite mini-mart that Malaysians would frequent for their daily essentials. It’s no doubt that this mini-mart has become a one-stop shop for every neighbourhood where you can get anything you need from cooking ingredients and snacks to toiletries and household items.
Plus, did you know that 99 Speedmart has grown exponentially and they currently have over 2,000 branches nationwide?
It’s truly no wonder that the mini-mart is favoured for its convenient locations and also its reliable and affordable prices. And this year, 99 Speedmart is celebrating a huge milestone and they would like to share the fun with all Malaysians…