1. Introduction
OldTown White Espresso is a famous retail string that well-known for its white coffee. The annals of Old Town White Espresso began in 1999, started out as a vintage restaurant of 'White Cafe in Ipoh, Malaysia. With the intent to provide quality white espresso to Malaysian homes and the meals service industry, the creator, Mr. Goh Ching Mun and professional director, Mr. Tan Say Yup designed their own blend of 3-in-1 instant white coffee. Within the same year, they effectively commercialized the instant 3-in-1 coffee mixture under the 'OldTown' brand for the retail sector a produced their own mixture of 3-in-1 instant white caffeine and commenced processing in 1999 began exporting it to Singapore the following time. The OldTown 3-in-1 instant espresso mixture was sold at 1348 retail outlets in Malaysia, 550 shops in Singapore and 2100 retail outlets in Hong Kong by the end of 2009.
In 12 months 2005, OldTown Coffee has expanded vertically in to the food services sector by opening a string of cafe shops based on the traditional Ipoh coffee shop setting and atmosphere under the 'OldTown White Coffee' brand name. Since the starting of its first cafe outlet in Ipoh in 2005, its chain of cafe retailers has broadened to around 160 cafe stores in Malaysia and Singapore. Meanwhile, the sets of cafe outlets under the retail portion operate under the brand "OldTown White Caffeine" and "OldTown White Espresso Signature: for the superior portion which is modern version of its original restaurant in Ipoh. This consists of fully and partly owned or operated and franchised cafe outlets. The management has effectively mixed traditions with modern conveniences, revamped and revived the traditional cafe idea into an effective working model with outlet stores easily located and easy to get at to customers.
OldTown White Coffee's goal is to let everyone enjoy every sip of traditional Malaysian Ipoh White Coffee, anytime, everywhere. Whereas, it vision and mission is usually to be Asia Pacific's Leading White Coffee Company providing high quality products to customers internationally. Besides that, they would like to promote their Unique Malaysian Taste which are the traditional Ipoh White Caffeine and continue White Caffeine Legacy through constant improvement and invention that surpasses customer expectations. As market Leader, they take satisfaction in distinguishing themselves to be ahead of the pack. By arranging precedence, they have made a typical that equals brilliance, pressing other brands to do the same.
2. Content
Layout
The Oldtown white espresso using the free form design also name boutique design to give the customers calming places to purchasing the meal and enjoying the problem and environment of the shop. The facilities of the Oldtown white coffee shop is want to provide the nice environment and want to give the customers feel just like calming when spend in the shop. This is costly to the Oldtown white coffee shop to creating this environment and the facilities, because the company need to create the shop, choose the comfortable facilities such as desk, chair, television, wi-fi and so forth. The structure of the Oldtown white espresso is help the visitors to enjoying the shop. It is because the free form layout pattern is giving the customers comforting and enjoying environment and the facilities is help to increase the sense to enjoying in the shop.
Fixtures
The Oldtown white espresso shop's light is the highlight of the merchandise because the Oldtown white espresso shop's light is the yellow color and this can give the clients enjoy the food in the good environment and facilities shop. Furthermore, the shop space is sufficient to give the clients and employees to go. This can catch the customers mood to have the meal in the Oldtown white coffee shop. The fixtures are the consistent with the item and the entire atmosphere, because the accessories is assisting the shop to capture the customers mood when have the meal in the shop which fixtures are given the customers a good places to gathering and enjoying with relatives and buddies. So, the fixtures of a shop or merchandise are essential to attract the clients and improve the customers' good feeling when spend cash in the shop.
Appearance
Old Town White Caffeine is a place where people take their time. It's the greatest kopitiam restaurant string in Malaysia which serves with the good services and quality products. Therefore, there are more people would rather choose Old Town White Coffee instead of other coffee retailers. From the info that distributed by the outlet manager, there will be getting more competition come into this industry credited to they can foresee the good opportunities. Besides that, the target market segments that Old Town is wanting to get are those students, entrepreneur and coffee enthusiasts. Old Town White Coffee serves as an ideal place for these communities of men and women to do their assignments, participating in chitchat procedure and conversation for the business purpose.
Other than that, Old Town White Caffeine used the same store design, design and visible for all their outlets to be able to get the clients awareness where lead to the effect of brand positioning. Old Town White Espresso used the color of darkish and yellow in the custom logo and the physical store to produce the sensation of warm and comfortable. Besides, Old Town White Caffeine used up yellowish color lamps and wooden furniture to produce relaxed and common atmosphere. Not just that, the wallpaper that used in the store was the full size picture which is principally about the annals of Old Town White Caffeine. According to their manager, all the store of Old Town White Caffeine were located at high traffic, high obvious location in each Asia Market for example in the shopping complex or shop whole lot to be able to let people can actually having a break in the action and also have a sit down elsewhere or some snacks.
Lastly, the atmosphere of any Old Town White Espresso outlet provides that straightforward heat and friendliness whether you are just going for a sit down elsewhere or enjoying a plate of nasi lemak. In general, it demonstrates Old Town White Espresso always constant with their best services and also the food or drink.
Promotion
White coffee series is the signage of the Old Town White Espresso. There is variety taste of coffees such as original, "Gao", Mocha, Hazelnut, Cham and also Old Town Nan Yang coffee. According to shop supervisor, Old Town White Espresso successfully overcome their opponents down by the brand itself. Old Town White Coffee also using some advertising multimedia such as radio, Television set and billboard to advertise their product to be able to gaining more awareness from consumers. Besides, the brand positioning is too strong customer mind. When people think of having coffee, will definitely think of Old Town White Coffee. Besides, Old Town White Espresso also post their menu on the surfaces to be able to attract the customer to buy the food and drink pictures.
Besides, there exists some trainings provided by Old Town White Espresso to their servicing staffs in order to provide out the properly services. Among the training is named suggestive selling. Matching to outlet supervisor, their staffs are practicing suggestive advertising skill during placing an order with the clients. The staff will attempt to recommend or give advice on the client preferences due for some new customer unfamiliar with their products. Therefore, this will gain the customer loyalty and also build a good reputation from customers.
The staffs all are well trained by Old Town White Caffeine. Without a doubt, the staffs are helpful and cheerful enough to provide the client. The image of the staffs taking a sense of warm, comfortable and relax. So that it is totally tally with the image of the store itself. Old Town White Coffee also offering a few advertising foods arranged such as breakfast time, lunch, tea and supper place. All these can get more customers to having meals in Old Town White Espresso which indirectly getting more sales.
Merchandising
Merchandising is refers to the practice which contributes the sales of products or services to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising identifies all of the products available for sale and the screen of those products so that this stimulates interest and entices customers to make a purchase.
According to the Old Town White Caffeine Kopitiam's official website, what we should understand towards its merchandising is the well known & most hot item product which is the espresso series. It means that they are more focused in offering the coffee fan and they also creating a very comfortable and memorable traditional coffee shop style because of its retail customer. Quite simply, Old Town is designed with the full of traditional Ipoh coffee shop setting and atmosphere which providing a very comfortable environment to prospects coffee fan or customer would like to enjoy in such common environment.
Not only that, Old Town Kopitiam also includes the localization in food offering. Old Town supplying a a lot of local foods which are incredibly famous and well known in Malaysia. For instance Asam Laksa, Hen Hor Fun, Rendang Chicken Rice, Curry Mee, Nasi Lemak, etc etc. All these are the personal preferences of Malaysian and also became the appeal of the Old Town Kopitiam in the current time.
Besides, according to the Old Town Group Chairman Datuk Dr Ahmed Tasir Lope Pihie, it declared that as the Malaysia's largest Kopitiam chain, in addition they taken the initiative to ask the Malaysian Islamic Development Section (JAKIM) to get certify with the HALAL Certificate. That is one of the merchandising strategy used by Old Town Kopitiam, this is due to Malay is the largest portion one of the races in Malaysia, in other words, it means they might be one of the major group of consumers to Old Town. By applying this, it enables Old Town to attain one of big section of consumers in Malaysia.
