Friday 29 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on November 14 - 20, 2016.

 

EVA Poon is a staunch Catholic and expresses her gratitude to God in every sentence. But her faith is not the only thing that gives her a sense of purpose. The fact that she has made her mark on a foreign country is all the more reason to strive for a more meaningful life.

“With all that I have achieved so far professionally and looking at how much the business has grown today, I am more than blessed,” says Poon, who hails from Hong Kong.

Cuir Group has always been comfortable in one very specific corner of the market — leather and travelling gear. In a nutshell, the brand is synonymous with bags.

Poon, who is a nominee for the woman entrepreneur category of the award, believes that “what you give, you will get back” and working hard will always bring great rewards.

Starting off as a humble trading house in her homeland in 1992, Poon’s business extended its footprint to Malaysia five years later with an initial outlay of RM100,000. Together with her Malaysian husband, she transformed the business into a more diversified retail chain store brand with about 25 selling points, flying the flags of many renowned international brands, such as Antler, Barry Smith, Alfred Dunhill and Victorinox, and catering for corporate clients such as banking institutions, insurance companies and government bodies.

Turnover is about RM30 million a year, Poon says.

“You cannot deny that bags play a very significant role in our lives. You not only keep your belongings safe in them, you can use them to make strong, influential fashion statements,” she says.

“Also, I would like to make a strong point by saying that travelling in style is no longer a wish made upon a star but is achievable. We do not want anyone to be left out and it means so much [to us] to see people moving around with the brands that we carry,” she adds.

At the same time, such a statement raises questions about customers’ affordability and willingness to pay. “Our mission has always been to provide the best products with the best quality at the most sensible prices,” Poon says.

Despite the current global economic slowdown, which has initiated cutthroat competition in most industries, Cuir Group has a survival plan, which includes increasing the number of selling points, therefore making its products and services more accessible.

“I am pleased to say that our business is surviving just fine in the face of the economic downturn worldwide. However, we are holding our breath and being very cautious. In the meantime, we are increasing the number of stores,” Poon reveals.

She says the group has also expanded capacity at its warehouses to cater for last-minute and bulk orders.

Apart from Hong Kong, the group’s stores are located in luxury shopping malls such as Sunway Pyramid, KLCC, Lot 10 and Mid Valley Megamall, as well as in KLIA and klia2 — places that Poon describes as “touristy and attractive to people with high purchasing power”.

In December or January, Cuir Group will market its array of upmarket products and brand names on Astro’s shopping channel, Go Shop Malaysia.

While success is the result of teamwork and effort, Poon points out that every entity involved in the value and supply chains should be appreciated and regarded as equal.

“The group was built on a foundation of trust and respect among its people, regardless of their educational, racial or religious background. As an entrepreneur, what makes me happy is knowing that everyone involved within and outside the business, including the customers, are satisfied,” she says.

 

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