FamilyMart's FamiCafés is Malaysia's first halal-certified convenience store

FamilyMart Malaysia has become the first convenience store chain in Malaysia to obtain Halal certification after it stopped selling alcoholic beverages in all of its 360 stores around the country. The store said that its FamiCafé in Menara U, Shah Alam, received halal certification from Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM), according to a statement on its Facebook page. 

The company also aims to have its FamiCafés in 300 stores halal-certified by 2025 as it attempts to give consumers a greater peace of mind as they shop, it said. 

Don't miss: foodpanda launches halal-only delivery fleet this Raya 

It noted according to media reports that the decision to remove alcohol from its shelves was an inconsequential one as alcohol beverages were only a minor contributor to its business.

In response to its certification, FamilyMart shared that it was very excited to be Halal-certified and that it will continue to improve itself to enhance the experience of customers. 

According to FamilyMart, the halal certified FamiCafé will be serving up a variety of FamilyMart favourites, such as oden, hot snacks, coffee, café beverages, and Sofuto (soft served ice-cream). Its announcement also garnered significant praise from netizens who said that FamilyMart’s decision of ceasing the sale of alcoholic drinks and offering halal food was a good one, as it “reflects the name FamilyMart as a food and beverages service that uphold and promote family values”.

FamilyMart will continue accelerating its process in halal certification, it has already started undergoing halal audits in other stores, according to Inside Retail Asia. As a result of this certification, new FamiCafés will follow the JAKIM-recommended layout, while existing cafés will be modified to meet the required standards.

In addition to halal certification, FamilyMart Malaysia has expansion plans in the works. To meet the demands of its fans in the region, the company is expanding into Peninsular Malaysia's east coast, with locations already secured.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to FamilyMart Malaysia for more information. 

Recently, a lot of brands have been coming up with innovative ways to cater customers' needs. In April, Foodpanda launched a new delivery fleet that exclusively delivers halal food. Called ‘bekal by foodpanda’, the delivery service is certified halal by JAKIM, the department of Islamic development.

In an effort to ensure that the food will not be contaminated from the moment an order is placed on a halal-certified merchant on foodpanda to the moment it is delivered, bekal by foodpanda is equipped with halal-compliant delivery bags and provided with specialised training on halal awareness and sertu (ritual cleansing).

This initiative was born out of foodpanda’s recognition of an increasing demand amongst customers for an end-to-end halal-certified delivery service in Muslim majority countries.

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