'One By One Gentleman' Tauke Reveals His Convenience Store Makes Around RM12,000 A Month
Goh Yap Eng expressed his gratitude to his customers for their continued support despite the many competitors around the neighbourhood.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 20 Jun 2024, 05:52 PM
The convenience store owner who went viral earlier this month for challenging a customer to a one-on-one fight revealed that his business generates a monthly profit of about RM12,000 to RM15,000
In an interview with BFM published on Tuesday, 18 June, Goh Yap Eng introduced himself as the tauke (boss) of Pasar Mini Kim Leong in Seberang Jaya, Penang.
When asked by the business radio station about the monthly operating cost of the convenience store, Goh said it ranges from RM8,000 to RM9,000, adding that utility bills alone can exceed RM1,000.
"[As for profit], I make around RM12,000 to RM15,000.
"This is my father's business. I quit school when I was in Form 1. I worked at my father's business for the past 34 years," Goh shared.
He mentioned that his grandfather was also in the same line of business, providing his father with RM3,000 to start the convenience store in 1975.
Goh shared that running the convenience store was never his dream job, but rather a responsibility he inherited from his father
He said he could have given up the business when he was younger but chose to carry on his father's legacy.
"I had to sacrifice [my time and turn down] my friends' invite to their birthday parties. Whether it was riding bicycles or going camping with friends, I had to say no to all of them [when I was young].
"I was forced to help my father. However, I never regretted my decision," Goh shared.
When asked about the biggest cost of running the business is, he said that it is his time.
"I sacrifice my time for everything. I am the tauke, employee, cleaner, storekeeper... I do everything on my own," he said.
When asked by BFM if his business is affected by competitors in the neighborhood, such as 99 Speedmart, Lotus's, and Sunway Carnival Mall, he replied that while there is an impact, his customers remain loyal
"There is an effect, but I think the most important factor [for a convenience store to survive in this environment] is that the boss must man their store.
"The boss must give good customer service because some customers are not overly concerned about prices.
"This neighbourhood has seen competitors such as Pacific Hypermarket, Billion, and Carrefour, and a new player, AEON. Tesco and Makro were around here too.
"In this row of shoplot alone, there are five convenience stores. But they don't have a huge effect on my business because I have a loyal customer base," Goh shared.
At the time of writing, the interview has gone viral with over 518,000 views on Instagram
Many netizens expressed their fascination with Goh's story, as well as his composed demeanour and Bahasa Melayu accent.
Watch the full interview below to learn about Goh's passion for bikes, his pet cat Meowbo, and the details of the viral incident:
