Your friendly household companion: How MR D.I.Y. is shaping retail through shared joy and purpose

This post is sponsored by MR D.I.Y.

In Malaysia’s highly competitive retail landscape, scale is often associated with operational efficiency, logistics strength, and pricing power. As one of the country’s most established home improvement retailers with over 1,500 stores, MR D.I.Y. has built its reputation on these fundamentals as the brand continues to expand globally.

According to its vice president of marketing, Alex Goh, the brand has been reflecting more deeply on how consumer expectations have evolved. While its commitment to “always low prices” remains unchanged, its marketing efforts have increasingly focused on building emotional relevance – aiming to be present not just during shopping moments, but in the everyday lives and milestones of its customers.

Leadership and the “founder’s mindset” culture

Leading a marketing team that supports thousands of stores across multiple markets presents its own challenges. Goh believes that creating scale with consistency requires trust and shared ownership within the team.

Rather than relying solely on a top-down direction, the marketing team operates with clear strategic guardrails that empowers it to think like its founders: taking ownership, thinking big, and pushing boundaries.

This culture champions a creative environment where every voice counts, and encourages experimentation while maintaining alignment with the brand’s core values. Over time, it has enabled the team to execute integrated and multi-channel campaigns with coherence across different markets.

MR D.I.Y. won Marketing Team of the Year at Marketing Excellence Awards 2025.

In 2025, the team’s efforts were recognised through several industry accolades, including Marketing Team of the Year at the Marketing Excellence Awards.

A mascot with a purpose

In 2024, it introduced PANDAi, a brand mascot designed to represent approachability and care rather than simply serve as a promotional icon. The character reflects the spirit of the teams in its stores – helpful, curious, resourceful, and a friendly touchpoint between the brand and the community.

The launch of MR D.I.Y. official mascot PANDAi.

What started as a local initiative gradually found relevance beyond Malaysia. PANDAi’s role as a dependable household companion resonated across different cultures, allowing the character to be adapted for use in various international markets, including parts of Asia, Europe, and South Africa. Through PANDAi, MR D.I.Y. aims to communicate warmth and practicality in a way that transcends language and geography.

Creating connections through real experiences

As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, it chose to mark the milestone by focusing on appreciation rather than a spectacle. The anniversary night was designed as a shared celebration with customers, partners, and employees, and featured performances by local artists such as Ella, Awie, Amy Search, Shila Amzah, Penny Tai, Jaclyn Victor, 3P, and Jeryl Lee.

The MR D.I.Y. 20th anniversary concert in 2025.

The evening included simple, but thoughtful elements such as interactive activities, commemorative merchandise, food offerings, and fireworks. For the brand, the objective was to celebrate longevity, and to acknowledge the community that contributed to its growth.

“The intention was to create a sincere moment of gratitude,” Goh said. “We wanted to move beyond transactions and create memories with the people who have supported us over the years.”

Bringing people together: Bersama Satu Bazaar

MR D.I.Y. has also continued its involvement in community-focused initiatives through the Bersama Satu Bazaar, which started in 2024 as part of Merdeka celebrations. The initiative positions the brand as a connector – bringing together Malaysians from different backgrounds while offering local entrepreneurs and SMEs a platform to showcase their businesses.

Bersama Satu Bazaar 2025 held at Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.

By supporting small businesses and local cultures, MR D.I.Y. reinforces its role not just as a retailer, but as a participant in the broader community ecosystem. For the marketing industry, the Bersama Satu (together as one) concept serves as an example of how scale can be used to uplift others, while strengthening brand relevance through shared experiences.

The business impact of emotional relevance

This gradual shift towards an emotional connection has also coincided with positive business indicators. In 2025, MR D.I.Y. reported a 5.6% year-on-year revenue increase in Q3, alongside an 11.9% rise in net profit. This indicates improved margin quality alongside sustained customer demand.

Brand tracking studies by Kantar recorded a Net Brand Love score of 86 out of 100 while transaction data showed an additional 3.9 million transactions over the year. Together, these signals suggest that strengthening emotional relevance can complement price leadership as a driver of growth.

The MR D.I.Y. mascot PANDAi on tour around KL.

MR D.I.Y.’s recent journey illustrates that long-term competitiveness in retail may lie not only in operational scale, but in the ability to remain human, approachable, and grounded.

Through leadership that emphasises trust and initiatives rooted in shared experiences, the brand continues to explore what it means to be a familiar and supportive presence in Malaysian households, and beyond.