Since its establishment, Pertama Complex in Kuala Lumpur has become a beloved home for many businesses of all sorts. These businesses span from sports equipment stores to restaurants and more, each benefiting from the complex’s strategic location and the diverse patronage it earns due to its convenience and all-encompassing offerings.
A notable example is 64-year-old Ting Wah Fun, a business owner with a deep-rooted passion for racquet sports. Ting’s story with the iconic Pertama Complex began after another shopping mall he was operating from shut down in 2017. Outweighing his choices, he elected to migrate his business operations to Pertama Complex, an infamous spot for sporting goods. Subsequently, this decision marked the beginning of a prolific era for his sports equipment store, Topper Sports Ampang Trading. Today, the store occupies nearly 1,900 square feet, doubling his former shop’s size.
Acknowledging the change in customer attitudes and shopping behaviors in Pertama compared to Ampang Park, Ting attributed his current success to the trust he has built with his customers over his four-decade-long journey. He finds joy in seeing customers form a queue outside his shop, confident in the quality of the racquets they purchase from him, regardless of the price.
On the other hand, the Pertama Complex has become a seasoned platform for the thriving business of Mohd Bakri Che Din. The 64-year-old owner of Mecinda Racing, a store selling motorcycle riding gear, has cultivated a loyal fanbase and a steady flow of customers over the years. Bakri’s store caters to a niche but passionate audience, offering a range of colorful and high-quality motorcycle helmets and other related accessories.
Bakri’s business journey started with a rental lot that cost around RM600 in 1984. Over the years, it’s not only grown exponentially but also earned global recognition, luring customers from abroad, including France and Arab nations. Today, Mecinda Racing occupies five lots, proving itself to be an indisputable success story.
Meanwhile, Kit Goh, founder and CEO of Agoh Marketing, sees Pertama Complex as the perfect spot for selling smartphones. Goh’s business started modestly in 2004 with a 4-foot kiosk displaying 28 mobile phones. Over time, it has grown significantly, employing approximately 200 people and operating 80% of the kiosks on the complex’s ground floor. He attributes this growth to the complex’s unfading charm, with its heavy footfall, seamless access, and robust stability.
Pertama Complex’s vibrant atmosphere also provides fertile ground for other establishments, such as Restoran Ummi, co-managed by 72-year-old Som Ahmad and her 36-year-old daughter Hazwani Wahab. The mother-daughter duo’s restaurant offers diverse cuisine options catering to the mall’s varied clientele. Whether it’s shoppers, employees from nearby corporate buildings, or their fellow vendors, their restaurant has become a popular culinary destination. Its strategic positioning guarantees a steady flow of customers throughout the week, making it one of the complex’s highlights.
In summary, the Pertama Complex has emerged as a promising hub for businesses of diverse natures. Its strategic location, versatile customer base, and stable business environment offer the businesses operating there the chance to thrive and grow. In this regard, the stories of Ting, Bakri, Goh, and the mother-daughter duo stand testament to the complex’s enduring charm as a business hotspot in Kuala Lumpur.
