There is always a nice, shiny sense of triumph in coming in first at anything. So for many Malaysians, the fact that the first Lindt & Sprüngli retail outlet in South-East Asia is in Kuala Lumpur is reason enough to celebrate a win.
The first retail store in the region recently opened in KL’s swanky The Exchange TRX, introducing Malaysians to the brand’s incredible range of chocolate.
The TRX store is just the tip of the iceberg for the brand’s KL openings. In the next month, further stores will follow at Merdeka 118 and Mid Valley Megamall.
So what is Lindt & Sprüngli? For the uninitiated, the luxury chocolate brand traces its roots to Zurich, Switzerland in 1845 when David Sprüngli and his son Rudolf opened a confectionary shop, which eventually launched the first chocolate bar in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.
The product was so popular that it literally flew off the shelves and a new factory was opened to cater to demand.
Rudolf eventually took over the family business and in 1892, he left the factory to his oldest son Johann Rudolf Sprüngli and the original shop to his younger son David Robert Sprüngli.
As these things were happening, another Swiss chocolatier Rodolph Lindt had developed a chocolate conching process that turned chocolate into silky-smooth, melty affairs.
Johann Rudolf Sprüngli saw the promise in what Lindt was doing and eventually offered to buy the Lindt brand and secret recipe. Lindt accepted but remained involved and that is how Lindt & Sprüngli was born at the end of the 19th century.
Today, the brand has expanded throughout the globe and the signature chocolate is made in 12 factories in Europe and the USA.
The TRX outlet in Malaysia is host to over 200 different Lindt products and part of the experience includes Lindt’s signature soft serve ice-cream, which can be savoured with its decadent chocolate-dipped cones.
Guests will also be able to experience the magic of the brand for themselves through the signature Lindor ‘Pick & Mix’ experience where they can assemble their own favourite options from up to 19 varieties of Lindor flavours, many of which are entirely exclusive to the store. Lindor is the brand’s incredibly creamy, melty chocolate that was created in 1949 and has since become a huge hit.
The store also carries the brand’s signature chocolate tablet brands, with dark chocolate intensities ranging from 70% to 90% for die-hard dark chocolate aficianados; as well as Extra Creamy, which is as hedonistically creamy as promised. The entire experience at the store is chaperoned and navigated by trained chocolate advisors.
“It took us four or five years to open in the region but we chose Malaysia as the first country to open in South-East Asia for a few reasons – one is the multiculturalism here and we also found a fantastic partner (the Valiram Group).
“And Malaysia is our door-opener to South-East Asia. We are planning to continue opening our stores in the next two years much more intentionally than before. We are looking at Singapore as as an immediate next step and then we are looking at Indonesia and Thailand as well. For us, the region is incredibly exciting – it's booming,” says Iva Hristova, the CEO of emerging markets for Lindt & Sprüngli.
According to Hristova, the brand’s launch in Malaysia will also precipitate Malaysia-specific local flavours in the coming year. The brand currently has over 50 flavours scattered across global outlets.
Lindt
Lot C29.0, Concourse Level
The Exchange TRX
Persiaran TRX
55188 Kuala Lumpur
Open daily: 10am to 10pm
