Observing Smooshie Juice’s video from the Alliance Lender BizSmart Obstacle 2013, it felt like the pure juice brand was in this article to continue to be. The co-founders, Lee Hai Lin and Low Wan Chiun, had been formidable, daring, and shiny. At the stop of the video clip, Lin even said, “the sky’s the restrict.”
9 many years down the highway, it would seem that the duo has satisfied the sky. Co-founder Lin informed Vulcan Submit the crew has resolved to shut down Smooshie Juice.
That is not to say that Smooshie Juice has not been fruitful for the duration of the earlier decade. Significantly from it.
For one particular, Smooshie Juice had near ties with Raise Juice Bars for a long time, providing to their kiosks for years. The juice was also stocked in supermarkets such as Ben’s and Family members Mart. The organization was even approached by cinemas and airways to offer juices as properly.
“At our peak, we equipped some 45 cafes/dining establishments close to KL and the Klang Valley, and even in Penang,” Lin shared. “We’ve also had a whole lot of actually cool gigs, giving juices to launches and substantial activities, such as the launch of Fb Malaysia.”
So, presented its bountiful keep track of file, how did it all slide aside?
1st, let’s rewind
Lin and Wan Chiun are childhood close friends who examined in Australia just before moving again to Malaysia. They discovered a hole in the sector for pure fruit juices and as a result stop their complete-time careers, pouring their initiatives into Smooshie Juice.
“Both of us had completely no experience in F&B or operating a business enterprise, so it was nuts!” Lin shared. “We definitely didn’t know what to count on, but we believed that Malaysia wanted fantastic high quality, pure juices as there are so many tasty community fruits offered here.”
Immediately after months of R&D, they lastly opened a retail outlet in Berjaya Time Square in April 2011. In the beginning, folks ended up not made use of to the juice. Some would complain that they weren’t sweet more than enough and increase packets of sugar. Even so, the breakthrough at last arrived when Smooshie Juice made the decision to source to cafes instead.
“We tested out the juices at some cafes that we had contacts with, notably The Red Beanbag and Artisan Roast Café,” Lin defined. “The juices were being a strike, and we realised that café consumers were being our goal current market, so we shut down our retail outlet and concentrated on distribution instead.”
But it wasn’t sufficient
It was not just a single massive issue that built Lin and Wan Chiun come to a decision on allowing Smooshie Juice. It was more of a combination of various things.
First of all, the enhance in the cost of products, specially uncooked ingredients, created a major effect on Smooshie Juice, which depends on 100% purely natural elements.
The business has experienced to raise the rate of its juices a couple of times above the years owing to price inflation, and that led to the decline of supply partners.
Whilst the team could have added water or concentrates to the juice to lower value, they refused to compromise on the excellent of the juices.
“We felt that likely down that route would defeat the objective of our existence in the to start with spot!” Lin mentioned.
But yet another big explanation why Lin and Wan Chiun are calling it a day with Smooshie is due to their personalized commitments. Both equally founders just lately grew to become initially-time mums. Consequently, they’ve had considerably less time to focus on the small business.
Even now, it’s an outstanding feat to have lasted this extensive. On best of trim and successful functions, the innovativeness of the crew is to be respected way too.
Smooshie has also diversified from just juices to items these types of as yoghurt, kefir, and cut fruit. It has also collaborated with other makes to make new goods. In the course of the MCO, the enterprise also employed world wide web advertising and marketing to offer the juices as cafes were closed and there were being no events.
It is time to shift on
The breaking place came when the group was contacted by their customised bottle provider, who advised them there would be a 30% raise in bottle rates.
This paired with the enhanced expenses of fruits and vegetables made the corporation realise a huge change would be needed to continue to keep Smooshie managing. It was a change that neither Lin nor Wan Chiun could take care of given their new roles as mums.
Lin and Wan Chiun are therefore holding an eye out for anyone who’s ready and ready to proceed Smooshie’s desire to make healthy juices available to Malaysians. Lin thinks there is plenty of opportunity for Smooshie Juice given its expertise, staff, techniques, contacts, products, and listing of current shoppers.
“All which is essential is some funding and people with the exact drive, enthusiasm, and insight that we experienced 10 several years back when we ended up young,” she finished.
For now, the two founders are centered on their personal households, waiting around for someone to breathe new lifestyle into Smooshie Juice.
- Study more about Smooshie Juice here, and if you are fascinated in having in excess of the business enterprise, you can contact them listed here.
- Read through much more articles or blog posts we’ve created about Malaysian startups right here.
Showcased Impression Credit rating: Smooshie Juice