From Small Beginnings to Bigger Shelves as Malaysian SMEs Grow Their Reach

KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Sept 2026 – For many small businesses, getting a product onto a hypermarket shelf can be a turning point, opening the door to consumers beyond their usual customer base.

For NIMS Crispy Chocotub, that journey began with a student selling other people’s products before eventually venturing into crispy chocojars. Bentoree, meanwhile, started out with limited production capacity, manual processes and machinery that could only be added as the business grew.

Today, Bentoree, which produces ready-to-eat meals, ready-to-drink beverages and instant noodles, and NIMS are among hundreds of local small and micro enterprises that have worked with Lotus’s Malaysia to bring their products to a wider market.

For Khor Bean Chong, founder and chairman of Banto Food Industries Sdn Bhd, the company behind Bentoree, increasing production capacity was one of the early hurdles.

Many processes were done manually, while limited funds meant machinery had to be introduced gradually.

Small Beginnings to Bigger Shelves

“When you are small, you work with what you have. We knew we could improve efficiency, but investing in machinery required resources. At the same time, we could not compromise on quality as we grew,” Khor said.

Bentoree has since upgraded its operations and is moving towards a more automated facility as demand grows in Malaysia and overseas.

Its instant noodles and ready-to-eat meals first gained traction through social media and ecommerce platforms, helping the brand build awareness before expanding into convenience stores, supermarkets and modern trade.

For Khor, moving into larger retail channels also showed him just how important visibility is for a growing brand.

“We realised that having a good product is only the beginning. People need to find it, try it and trust it. Working with retailers such as Lotus’s has also strengthened our brand awareness, with more consumers recognising the brand during roadshows, activations and events.

“With Lotus’s promotional support and strategic placement across more than 80 stores, we recorded a 15 percent sales increase from December 2025 to May 2026, compared with June to November 2025,” he said.

NIMS took a different path. Its founder and chief executive officer, Tengku Nor Hanim Tengku Othman of NIMS Adeliciousz Bhd, started her entrepreneurial journey in 2014 while she was still  a student, selling other people’s products before moving into crispy chocojars. NIMS was established in 2019.

As the business entered organised retail, new challenges emerged, from production planning and packaging to compliance and logistics. At the same time, the brand had to find a way to stand out in an increasingly crowded market.

Difficulties in Building A Small Brand

“One of the hardest things when you are building a small brand is knowing how much you have put into your product, but people may not even know you exist. You can keep improving and keep pushing, but if consumers do not see you, it is difficult to grow,” Tengku Nor Hanim said.

NIMS products are now available through various modern trade channels in Malaysia and are exported to Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

For both businesses, getting into retail was only part of the journey. Maintaining a presence on the shelf requires consistent quality, reliable supply, stronger operations and an understanding of what consumers want.

This is where Lotus’s Malaysia has sought to support local SMEs and micro enterprises, through its retail network as well as SME fairs, product showcases and in-store sampling..

Beyond the sales opportunities, Lotus’s has also used its SME programmes to help businesses better understand what it takes to operate in a larger retail environment.

Over the past three years, its SME seminars have brought together more than 100 businesses per session, covering areas such as consumer expectations, branding, certification, logistics and digital commerce. The 2026 seminar drew 77 participants from 53 companies, with 14 new suppliers also taking part in the booth programme.

For Lotus’s, supporting local businesses is not simply about putting more products on shelves. It is also about giving smaller brands a chance to gain exposure, understand the demands of modern retail and build a customer base.

“Over the years, we have worked with hundreds of local SMEs, and we are proud to see how far some have come. Our role is to give them opportunities to be seen, learn and reach more consumers. Their hard work drives their growth, but when a Malaysian brand reaches larger markets and eventually takes its products beyond Malaysia, we are proud to have played a small part,” said Azliza Baizura Azmel, Executive Director Corporate Services of Lotus’s Malaysia .

For Tengku Nor Hanim, the value of that opportunity is perhaps best understood by looking back at where she started.

“When I started as a student, I was selling other people’s products. Today, seeing our own products reaching consumers in Malaysia and overseas means a lot. You do not forget where you started, or the people who gave you an opportunity along the way,” she said.

“Having retailers like Lotus’s open their doors to local brands has been part of that journey for us. Sometimes a small business just needs the opportunity to be seen. What you do with that opportunity is up to you, but having someone open the door can make all the difference,” she said.