October 1996 was the year I start my life in retail world. Hired as a management trainee to carrefour Penang Malaysia with starting salary Rm 1900.00 which is Rm500.00 more then previous salary as the second assistant manager in Mc Donalds restaurant. Expecting my first child during that time, given Rm 500.00 more in monthly salary was a big relief to me.
Using my experience of setting up the Mc Donalds Restaurant in Prai Penang and my Diploma in Hotel and Tourism which is my major in food service management from the back then Mara Institute of Technology the pioneer and first Service, Hotels and food knowledge school in Malaysia. Ton’s of my seniors and also juniors now was very well known in their industries. I was hired by macnificient Diagraph (M) Sdn. Bhd ( Carrefour registered company in Malaysia)to set up the first mega foodcourt they have in Asia. Assisting Mr. Frederick klein-The National Food Court Manager Carrefour Malaysia. Such a memoir but leave the sweet remembering part there…….let us glance one of world great retail giant life chronology.
The Carrefour supermarket company is set up by the Fournier, Badin and Defforey families who run a discount supermarket in Annecy.
Carrefour opens its first supermarket in Annecy, Haute-Savoie.
The LLC Promodis, the forerunner of Promodès, is created. The company was formed through a merger of two wholesaler families from Normandy, managed by Paul-Auguste Halley and Leonor Duval-Lemonnier.
Promodès opens its first supermarket in Mantes-la-Ville (Yvelines).
Carrefour invents a new store concept: the hypermarket. The first Carrefour hypermarket opens in Sainte-Geneviève-des-bois, with a floor area of 2,500 sq.m, 12 checkouts and 400 parking spaces.
retailbay 