Happy Malaysia Day! ATLAS Vending, Malaysia’s biggest vending machine supplier is looking
to make Malaysia Day more meaningful with their new Sapot SME campaign,
featuring a multibrand collaboration involving 13 SMEs, each from a different
state in Malaysia.
In partnership with ATLAS Vending, each SME will place
Halal-certified local favourites in ATLAS Vending’s machines located at the
KLIA Ekspres Departure Hall in KL Sentral.
The SMEs will be able to use the vending machines rent-free with free refilling services for the next three months starting from mid-September onwards.
The Sapot SME campaign is the first phase in ATLAS Vending’s upcoming rollout of the new ATLAS Minit Mart concept which is set to offer an expanded range of products via the vending machines.
This initiative is in line with ATLAS Vending’s effort to support
local SMEs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this collaboration, the 13 SMEs will be able to
use the vending machines to expand market access, reaching a wider audience by
offering convenient purchase of their products around the clock from the
vending machines. To protect customers passing through the KL Sentral travel
hub during the pandemic, ATLAS Vending has also installed 99.99% effective UV
light disinfection on the high-contact keypad. To further keep customers safe
from UV light exposure, the UV light disinfection feature will be disabled if
people are detected nearby by the motion sensors on the machine.
The brands participating in this campaign are Madina Food (Perlis), Nature's
Fresh (Kedah), Yee Hup Hiong Piah (Perak), TalentCook (Penang), TFN (Selangor),
myEureka (Melaka), Rehan (Negeri Sembilan), Azhar Food (Johor), Tokey Sambal
Hitam (Pahang), Anopokku (Terengganu), Akifcafe (Kelantan), Heera Enterprise
(Sabah) and Lee Fah Mee (Sarawak).
“At ATLAS Vending, in conjunction with Malaysia Day, we wanted to do
something to benefit our fellow Malaysians impacted by the pandemic. We found
that many local entrepreneurs had to scale back their business plans, amidst
challenges of stock logistics, rental costs and shortened operation hours, so
we proposed to offer our vending machines as automated retail channels to help
them expand their reach. We chose Sapot SME as the theme for the
campaign as the SME Association of Malaysia found that 100,000 SMEs have closed
their business since the first Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March 2020
and another 50,000 SMEs are at risk of shutting down their business if our
current MCO 3.0 is extended further[1].
Through the Sapot
SME campaign, we hope to celebrate the Malaysian spirit by supporting
entrepreneurs across the country and their determination to survive,” said
Amy Gan, Head of Marketing & Ancillary Business, ATLAS Vending.
Expanding Accessibility To Hometown Favourites
With the ongoing pandemic, many Malaysians living in the Klang Valley
may be missing the opportunity to stock up on hometown favourites or other products they often purchase
during domestic travels. Through the Sapot SMEcampaign, ATLAS Vending is offering an additional channel for
Malaysians to conveniently access products from different states, from
their vending machines.
Chai Chin Siew, Marketing Manager of Lee Fah Mee Sdn Bhd based in
Sarawak said, “As a Sarawak-based manufacturer and
exporter of dried and instant noodles, this pandemic has slowed down our
expansion plan into West Malaysia. When ATLAS Vending approached us for the Sapot
SME campaign, deciding to participate was an easy decision to make. Our
products are local Sarawakian favourites and thanks to ATLAS Vending, our
instant noodles and snacks like our Sarawak Laksa Chips can now be accessed
through a new channel, not only by Sarawakians who have not been home due to
the pandemic but also by other Malaysians who have yet to try them! This campaign
is definitely a great Malaysia Day gift for us.”
“For some of our partners, they may have reduced their physical
presence due to loss of income. By embracing technology and placing their
products in ATLAS Vending’s machines, they now have new market access options
and new ways to promote their products. We want to help SMEs resume their
business activities and also embrace the new normal in doing business. While
the pandemic is ongoing, we also want to protect consumers by arming all 13
vending machines with 99.99% effective UV light disinfection on the
commonly-touched keypads,” Gan said.
"We have been in the online market since 2017 and have not
explored a physical sales channel so far. Being able to sell our products
physically via our very own vending machine in the heart of Kuala Lumpur,
provided by ATLAS Vending, is a meaningful milestone. This opportunity from
ATLAS Vending has enabled us to expand beyond our current market, and we hope
it will lead to growth in sales that will in turn allow us to survive this
pandemic and expand in the future,” shared Khairril Adhzaha Awahab, Founder of Tokey
Sambal Hitam, supplier and producer of Sambal Hitam from Pahang.
Tan Ai Leen, Director of Epic Food Manufacturing, the Penang-based
manufacturer of TalentCook, said, “Our mission is to share our ethnic
food with consumers globally and enable Malaysians to enjoy their favourite
Penang foods anytime, anywhere. ATLAS Vending has taken our dream one step
further with their vending machines that offer Klang Valley consumers another
convenient way to make purchases. We would recommend other SMEs to consider
placing their own products in vending machines!”
“Sapot SME is just the first phase in our planned introduction
of new vending machines across Malaysia that will offer much more than the
commonly sold drinks and snacks. Through the introduction of the ATLAS Minit
Mart vending machines, Malaysian consumers will be able to access a 24-hour
automated source of products they used to buy in convenience stores and mini
markets.
From instant noodles to sambal and pastes and spices for cooking, to a
wide range of local fried snacks, dried fruits and even popcorn and brownies,
and on to products like ice blended milkshakes, the products offered through
the Minit Mart will transform the concept of vending machines in the minds of
Malaysians,” Gan further elaborated.
The Sapot SME campaign is supported by Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd
(ERLSB) as the official venue partner, lending help to strengthen SMEs through
this meaningful initiative in conjunction with Malaysia Day. Check out the 13
vending machines located in KL Sentral to explore local favourites from SMEs
participating in the Sapot SME campaign.
Each vending
machine has been decorated with design elements to reflect each state’s
identity. Let’s celebrate Malaysia by choosing to Sapot SME and support
each other.
As they say, #KitaJagaKita. Other SMEs interested to be part of the
ATLAS Vending Sapot SME campaign can contact ATLAS Vending via their hotline
at 1300-1300-61, Facebook
or visit their Website for more contact options.
