The retail and food & beverage (F&B) sectors contributed MYR 434 billion to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013. In a bid to facilitate the contribution of franchising to retail growth, the Franchise International Malaysia 2014 Conference gathered industry professionals to share insights and explore opportunities within the local retail market. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, was amongst the guest speakers at the Franchise International Malaysia 2014 Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In his presentation, Bahar emphasized the steady rise of Malaysia’s retail market. Malaysia had seen impressive economic growth compared to its Asian neighbours; registering 6.2% real GDP growth in Q1 2014, while Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia reported -0.6%, 4.9%, 5.1% and 5.6% GDP growth respectively. The retail sector had been a key contributor to this growth. The average Malaysian consumer still pr