Giant Hypermarket


GCH Retail Sdn Bhd is a hypermarket and retailer chain in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia and formerly Vietnam. In 2016, Giant was the largest supermarket chain in Malaysia.

History

Giant was founded in 1944 as a small grocery store in Kuala Lumpur and expanded with the opening of the Teng Minimarket Centre in Bangsar in 1974. In 1999, Dairy Farm International Holdings bought a 90% interest in the chain, with the Teng family retaining the balance. By 2003, the holding company for the chain had changed its name to Dairy Farm Giant Retail Sdn Bhd, and the chain had eight Giant hypermarkets and 10 supermarkets as well as three Cold Storage supermarkets. Today, the company operates as a subsidiary of Dairy Farm International Holdings Limited and the name was changed to GCH Retail Sdn Bhd.
GCH Retail is 30%-owned by Syarikat Pesaka Antah Sdn Bhd — a company controlled by the Negeri Sembilan royal family and balance 70% by DFI Mauritius Ltd.

Downsizing

In 2019, it closed at least six outlets in Malaysia operations. It comprises 2 hypermarkets & 2 Cold Storage outlets in Selangor, 1 each in Kedah and Kuala Lumpur.
Similar downsize also observed in Singapore with the closure of two stores located at Bukit Panjang and Jalan Tenteram in Whampoa estate, and its VivoCity hypermarket in 2019. It also closed its Parkway Parade hypermarket on 29 February 2020.

Diversification

In February 2018, the Group disposed of its 100% interest in Asia Investment Supermarket Trading Co. Ltd., operating a hypermarket in Vietnam to Auchan Retail Vietnam, for net cash inflow of US$6.4 million. As such, the Group has exited from supermarket
and hypermarket business in Vietnam.

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