Conditional MCO forces local entrepreneurs to get creative as bazaars are closed

From left: Bingka co-founder and head of design Emmalynn Yam, founder Adrihana Abdul Rashid and a fellow craft artisan. Photos: Bingka

When the movement control order (MCO) was enforced in March, Adrihana Abdul Rashid and her two business partners did not expect things to go too badly.

Before the pandemic, they were at different bazaars practically every weekend – sometimes managing two locations in the same week – promoting their textile-based handcrafted Malaysian souvenirs under the brand Bingka.

Bingka's range of silkscreen-printed tea towels is their bestselling item.

Hence, it was a big blow to them when bazaars were cancelled. With the easing of restrictions later in the year, and some bazaars up and running again, they thought that they could somehow bounce back.

But that was not to be.

Bazaars were seeing significantly fewer customers and even fewer buyers.

“Spending trends now are so different compared to pre-Covid times. People spend more on necessities and try to save a lot more of their disposable income. They are not spending their money on gifts as much anymore, ” says Bingka founder Adrihana.

Having never had a brick and mortar shop, Adrihana, 31, says they relish in the relationships forged at bazaars.

“Bazaars give us a chance to meet our fans and talk about our craft. People always love a story behind a brand and to see the people behind the scenes making them.

"We get a lot of feedback about our products through bazaars, so it helps us with product development. A lot of our corporate clients are bazaar fans or customers we meet at bazaars, ” she adds.

The homegrown brand's best-selling item is its silkscreen-printed tea towels.

While some of Bingka’s creations can be found at a few locations around town (Ilham Gallery, APOM at KLCC and Bangsar Village, Stickerrific at JayaOne, AirAsia Foundation at REXKL, and elsewhere outside Klang Valley), sales are at an all-time low as people are staying away from malls and crowded places.

The brand's pineapple tart tea towel.

So the Bingka team – which also comprises Emmalynn Yam Kah Lai and Haniff Hatta – has taken this time to strengthen their online presence and increase their efforts in reaching out to their fan base.

They have taken on smaller orders and become more flexible in providing customised orders.

“We are also working on becoming sort of a one-stop destination where we design and produce merchandise from A to Z for our customers, with our Bingka twist.

"It is definitely a slower period for us, but we are fortunate to still get plenty of corporate clients and orders. That is a blessing and is helping us stay afloat.

"2020 has broken so many brands, so we see it as the year of survival. We are shifting our focus for now, to survive and to get the bills paid, ” Adrihana concludes.