Tropicana September-October 2022 #144 The Home Issue
Tropicana Magazine September-October 2022 #144 The Home Issue
Tropicana Magazine September-October 2022 #144 The Home Issue
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER <strong>2022</strong> COVER STORY<br />
It has its roots in a modest, 388 sq ft store at Viva <strong>Home</strong><br />
mall in Cheras, and it used to specialise in mattresses<br />
until it opened the Soffurni Spaces & Senses showroom<br />
at EkoCheras mall in 2019 to expand its selection to<br />
include living and dining room options. <strong>The</strong> second<br />
Soffurni Spaces & Senses showroom is at <strong>Tropicana</strong><br />
Gardens Mall. “<strong>The</strong> market is paying more attention to<br />
us as a result of our new concept, which is helping us<br />
grow more quickly,” says the soft-spoken gentleman<br />
who hails from Sitiawan, Perak. He adds that in a world<br />
that is constantly changing, it is imperative that Soffurni<br />
continues to keep giving its customers new reasons to be<br />
excited. “In the past, we tried to have as many common<br />
brands and products as possible in our showroom so that<br />
we could be a convenient, one-stop shop.<br />
Now, our direction is to offer a mix of common and<br />
extraordinary brands and products to spice up what we<br />
have to offer. This is the reason why we brought in a<br />
home theatre room set with the Devialet sound system<br />
from France, Roviva bedding from Switzerland, and<br />
Bomma lighting from the Czech Republic to enrich our<br />
customers’ experience and selection,” he explains. In<br />
Malaysia, Soffurni is the sole distributor for Bomma and<br />
Roviva. It is also the sole distributor in Singapore for the<br />
latter. <strong>The</strong> other brands available at Soffurni are Getha,<br />
Natura, King Koil, Chester London, Laveo, <strong>The</strong>rmos,<br />
Gaias, and Soffurni Stone collection.<br />
area are more likely to place higher importance on quality<br />
than on price, which is consistent with both our retail<br />
offering and our brand positioning”. Soffurni, like most<br />
other businesses, has had its share of issues, the worst of<br />
which was when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. “During<br />
the MCO (Movement Control Order) period we did not<br />
make any money. But thanks to our solid relationship with<br />
banks, we were able to get their support with additional<br />
funds for us to get through the challenging period. We<br />
also launched a café next to one of our stores shortly after<br />
the first MCO, and the café not only serves as a revenue<br />
contributor to the business during the second MCO, but<br />
it also brings more attention and traffic to Soffurni. Very<br />
soon, we will open Caveman Coffee, which is part of the<br />
Soffurni company, next to every Soffurni store,” explains<br />
Jack. According to him, there will be a Caveman Coffee<br />
at <strong>Tropicana</strong> Gardens Mall by the end of the year. And,<br />
in 2024, Jack hopes to have a Soffurni showroom in<br />
Singapore. “We have big plans for Soffurni, like entering<br />
the Singapore market in two years’ time, and going into<br />
the hotel business. It would make sense for us to expand<br />
into the hotel industry, given that we already offer furniture<br />
and soft furnishings. Having our own hotel would be the<br />
perfect setting for potential customers to test out the<br />
products that we sell.”<br />
78<br />
<strong>The</strong> 5,736 sq ft Soffurni Spaces & Senses showroom<br />
in <strong>Tropicana</strong> Gardens Mall, which opened its doors in<br />
<strong>October</strong> last year, is divided into four main sections namely<br />
bedroom, living room, dining room, and accessories.<br />
Here, Soffurni showcases its first ever luxurious home<br />
theatre room set, which is truly remarkable. With a 120-<br />
inch projector screen coupled with cinema reclining beds<br />
from Getha, and customisable reclining seats from Laveo,<br />
plus the intensely immersive Devialet sound system,<br />
you can now bring the entire cinematic experience into<br />
your home! “We were always thinking about opening a<br />
Soffurni Spaces & Senses showroom in the Damansara<br />
area. <strong>The</strong> primary factor that led to us settling on<br />
<strong>Tropicana</strong> Gardens Mall is the manner in which the mall’s<br />
management operates; they are always willing to discuss<br />
new opportunities and are extremely welcoming to small<br />
businesses such as ours, as opposed to focusing solely<br />
on the interests of large enterprises,” Jack, 34, explains.<br />
Because of its excellent location, design, and construction,<br />
<strong>Tropicana</strong> Gardens Mall is without a doubt an ideal place<br />
in which to establish a brand, he adds. “Residents in the<br />
Riccione Bookcase