bhc, “No Stopping Bburinkle” aiming for the ‘second miracle of Bburinkle’ in Malay, Asia’s No.1 chicken market

It has been a year since bhc first set foot in Malaysia, a place of potential as it is Asia’s largest chicken market.

Which country in Asia consumes the most chicken? As can be seen from new words such as ‘Chimac(chicken and beer)’, ‘divine chicken’, and ‘one chicken per person’, Koreans’ love for chicken is exceptional. However, Malaysians’ love for chicken is even more exceptional.

As of 2021, Malaysia’s chicken consumption per capita is approximately 50 kg per year, the highest in the world along with the United States and Israel. While Koreans consume about 16 kg of chicken per year, Malays consume more than three times that amount.

This figure is overwhelming even compared to neighboring Southeast Asian countries and shows a significant gap with Vietnam (17kg) and the Philippines (14kg). It is also partly due to its religion. Given that more than 60% of the Malay population is Muslim, the consumption may be concentrated on chicken as a substitute for pork.

However, Indonesia, where the population is larger than Malaysia and the proportion of Muslims is also high, has a much lower annual consumption of chicken, only 8kg per capita. It seems clear that there is more to the Malays’ love of chicken than its religion.

Malaysia, which bears a huge potential to be Asia’s No.1 chicken market based on its abundant demand for chicken; Korean chicken franchise bhc, famous for ‘Bburinkle,’ first set foot here last year.

bhc opened its first ‘Mont Kiara’ store in the northwest of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, in November last year. Mont Kiara is a new city with high-end housing complexes, international schools, and convenience facilities, and ‘Retail Park,’ located in the center of the city, is a popular place that attracts a constant flow of locals and tourists. bhc plans to use this region as a base to promote its brand throughout Malay.

Following the first store, the second store was opened at 1 Utama, the second largest shopping mall complex in Malaysia, in August this year. It has a large space with 100 seats and an open structure with a view of the outside scenery, allowing customers to enjoy chicken and beer in comfort. As such, bhc is building its brand image through stores that emphasize trendiness, especially in wealthy towns.

Currently, in local stores, bhc’s representative menus, such as Bburinkle, MatchoKing, and Gold King, are being sold, and at the same time, carrying out localized marketing by launching a differentiated limited menu in line with Ramadan and a chicken lunch box that can be enjoyed as a meal.

It is also important to create a ‘second Bburinkle’ through a localization strategy. Bburinkle is a popular menu with 15 million sold annually (as of 2020) since its launch in 2014. Based on its popularity, bhc achieved sales of 500 billion won last year and ranked first in the industry.

Can bhc create a ‘steady seller’ locally? In Malaysia, where many ethnic groups such as Chinese, Indian, and Malay come together, bhc has developed sauces using various spices. Now, expectations are high for whether the bhc can win the jackpot by launching a new menu using local spices, as it has been receiving favorable reviews through its sauce-based menus, such as MatchoKing and Curry King.

bhc is pursuing operational efficiency by upgrading its brand and developing localized menus while also opening delivery-only stores. ‘Kota Damansara branch’, which opened in Petaling Jaya, a new city near Kuala Lumpur last May, is a delivery/to-go store that aims to meet the increased demand for delivery orders after the pandemic and reduce costs associated with store operation.

Traditionally, in Malay, cooking spaces such as kitchens are not located inside houses. In addition, as dining culture centered on delivery apps such as Grab and Food Panda has become popular after the COVID-19 pandemic, the popularity of delivery stores is expected to increase further.

There is much attention being paid to the future actions of bhc, which has just been a year since the opening of its first local store, to see whether it can make Malaysia the No.1 chicken market in Asia.

*Source: the fair

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bhc Chicken Malaysia Store