TODAY

www.5asec.com.mm

“5àsec means Five Main Prices, most of the products can come under five main prices. This pricing policy gave the customers comfort and and confidence when they visited the shop.” said Mr Kris Suryakanth, Director, 5àsec Myanmar while meeting with TODAY.  Following are what we find out about 5àsec Myanmar shops from him…

Brief introduction about 5àsec…

i5àsec is an international brand and the number one dry-cleaning and laundry brand in the world, with nearly 3000 stores in over 30 countries. The head office is based in Geneva, Switzerland.  We launched 5àsec Myanmar for B2C services because we see a good opportunity to bring world class dry cleaning and laundry services to the market. 5àsec also offers B2B services but primarily it focuses on B2C services. Our first store at Inya Road starting operating in August of 2016 and its official opening was held in October.  Our second shop was opened in December 2016 at Myanmar Plaza.

The point of having 5àsec here in Myanmar is because we know that dry cleaning and laundry services are a natural basic need of the growing consumer class of Myanmar and any emerging economy. The average income for the people is growing in Myanmar and because of that, people obviously will buy more premium clothing garments which in turn naturally require more care and you can’t usually wash it at home and this is where we come in. It’s a natural demand for a rapidly modernizing economy.

Dry cleaning and laundry businesses in Myanmar is very concentrated in one or two players.

In terms of modern services, there are about three players and they are all local companies who’ve done a very good job of keeping up with technology.  At the traditional end of the market Myanmar has the Dhobis-which like in India, use less technology in general. This traditional style is very effective before but not suitable for the modern, especially premium clothing garments.

Because 5àsec has established in so many countries all over the world, therefore it is much easier to establish the brand in more challenging markets like Yangon, as it is very template based and a lot of support in terms of training and technology is provided by the head office management, especially in the first few years.

The staffs …

All our staff are locals. Our first two shop managers for the first store were trained in Geneva, Switzerland for two months. I was there with them for ten days as an upper management representative and had to get orientation training as well. Our more recent staff is also Myanmar nationals.

We intend to only hire locals, as we find very capable local managers and would like to ensure that we support the country’s human resource development for the long term.

Customers …

Our customers are roughly 50 % expats and 50% Myanmar. We appreciate both customers equally and have gotten excellent feedback from both groups. In terms of long-term focus, we are learning to specialize more on Myanmar customers premium garments because obviously they are slightly more challenging to handle.

The most successful 5àsec shop in the region …

The most well-known 5àsec shops in the world other than in Paris, France is in Jakarta, Indonesia. The shops in Jakarta are truly magnificent and their operations are very efficient and advanced. When we first started in Yangon, we consulted with the upper management of 5àsec Indonesia most and they are very supportive.

We asked them about the lifestyles of the customers, and the challenges they face because they have similar clothing to Myanmar. In Indonesia 5àsec is a more premium brand than in Europe, due to the market positioning and its very close association with the high fashion industry, their customers include the President, high level government officials, celebrities, fashion designers, and other high profile people as well as the average customer, which means they are appreciated and trusted by all categories of society.

Future plan for 5àsec in Myanmar …

We are still in the first year of the brand launch and are looking to expand our customer base in Yangon which is what we are doing through launching stores throughout Yangon, offering Pick up & Delivery service, marketing and our main focus on providing a high level of customer service, through our standard one day service and quality control. In 5àsec everything is clear. The price is clear, the service is clear; prices are displayed in the stores and in our advertisings in lifestyle magazines.  We especially prioritize our prices and standard service time of 1 day which gives the customer a feeling of confidence that we are reasonably priced and provide a great value. 5àsec very much looks forward to taking out service national over the next few years.