Learning from Kmart´s mistakes: New improvements on Mydin Hypermarket´s Business strategies

In Malaysia, the hypermarket business is an extremely competitive venture. Beside the high amount of capital that one needs to invest in, the business also exposes new players to global and well-structured competitors such as Giant, Carrefour and Tesco, to name a few. The current paper explores and describes the experiences of one Malaysian player, the Mydin Hypermarket in its quest to champion the local consumer market. A 2003 publication of a US bestseller entitled KMart´s Ten Deadly Sins had a tremendous impact on the business strategy and future direction of the Mydin business in this country. Originally built in the 1990s to emulate the then highly successful K-Mart Superstore in the United States, the Mydin Business had to immediately change its business strategic direction. Premised on interviews, site visits, observation and document analysis, this article provides a qualitative narration and a discussion on the various counter strategies undertaken by the management of Mydin Hypermarket in order to avoid having to face the same fate as KMart Superstore. Today, the Mydin Hypermarket understands its niche. To remain relevant in this highly competitive business, Mydin Hypermarket needs to understand its customers, reckons the capability of its competitors and be at ease with technology as a strategic tool. The question now, has Mydin found its forte?. The paper further explores.