Bruneian brand Nimanja opened Miri’s biggest pet supplies store earlier today as it looks to leverage its direct distributorship of leading international brands to offer the “lowest prices” in Sarawak.
Founder of Nimanja Anderson Lim said the move to open their new 3,000 square feet outlet near Emart in Tudan comes after Miri residents began frequenting their Kuala Belait branch which opened in April last year.
He shared that Nimanja along with the Petlink group – Brunei’s first pet retail store started by Lim’s parents 30 years ago – hold exclusive distributorships in Brunei for several international brands, enabling them to price products lower than Sarawak’s pet supplies shops.
“The majority of the pet shops (in Sarawak) are buying from Malaysian distributors (from West Malaysia) while our model in Brunei has always been being both the distributor and retailer for a lot of the brands we sell, so we’re cutting out the middle-man,” said Lim.
“Our Kuala Belait branch has fast become our most profitable (over Gadong and OneCity) and it’s driven us see what market we can further tap into across the border. Even with import duties and logistics (on the products sent from Brunei to Miri) we are still able to offer the best prices in Sarawak.”
Nimanja Miri is also debuting several brands to the Sarawak market including Meow Mix, Kit Cat and Paw Wise alongside Nimanja’s own private label brands of cat litter priced from RM36 for 25kg, significantly below the current RM50 average for a 20kg bag.
Brunei customers meanwhile will be able to find a range of products including Malaysian-owned brands Blackwood and Candi Recipe which are not sold in the Sultanate.
Lim said that a select range of popular pet food and cat litter would be priced cheaper than Brunei to pull customers, but the majority of international brands would be of a similar price point.
He added that Nimanja’s future plan in Miri is to open smaller units closer to the town centre with more a premium interior, while their Tudan branch retains its minimal furnishing aesthetic.
Lim started Nimanja in October 2016 as an online storefront for the Petlink group, as he looked to innovate the pet care space in Brunei by offering pet owners the convenience of having their supplies delivered to their doorstep.
Watch: Inside Nimanja’s Miri outlet
