Nimanja enters the Malaysian market

During last year, which saw the pet store chain diversifying its Brunei operations to now include pet grooming and boarding, Nimanja also ventured into the international arena with its entry into Malaysia via two pet shops located close to the sultanate's Kuala Belait border. The outlets in the city of Miri, in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, opened in July and October respectively and mark Nimanja's first international foray.

Nimanja is part of the Petlink group, Brunei's oldest pet retail chain, which corners half of the Bruneian pet market. Started in 2016 as the marketing arm of Petlink, Nimanja became Brunei's first online retailer of pet supplies. It later opened brick-and-mortar stores around the country and now has three pet supplies outlets in the sultanate.
The first international branch of Nimanja changed the pet supplies landscape of Miri when it opened: with a floorspace of 3 000 sq ft (approx. 280 m2) the pet retail chain's Bandar Baru Permyjaya branch is the largest pet store in the city. Located close to the Miri-Brunei border, the store sells 2 500 different pet products. Another branch, a 2 000 sq ft store (approx. 190 m2) located in Luak, Miri, opened in mid-October. A third outlet in a location in the city that is yet to be disclosed is also planned for 2020.  
Anderson Lim, Nimanja founder and managing director, told PET worldwide that Miri, a city of 234 500 people, was chosen as the first international location because it lies next door to the sultanate. "We opened in Miri due to its close proximity to Brunei," he said, adding that the Miri shops share the same warehouse as the Brunei operations. "The Petlink group also has many family members in Malaysia, especially in Miri, so we have their support when it comes to opening a business there for the first time."
The Baru Permyjaya branch was primarily intended for pet owners in Brunei and the Malaysian city, but Anderson Lim noted that it has quickly become a destination for animal lovers from other parts of Sarawak, which has 2.6 mio people. "Surprisingly, we have already managed to attract customers from other parts of Sarawak such as Bintulu, Sibu and Kuching," he said.

The branch is also positioned as the distribution point in the city following the opening of the Luak branch and the third outlet next year. "We needed a large store to assist with our inbound deliveries, which are typically in containers," Anderson Lim said.
The expansion to Miri…