Hot Topics: Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Cards customised to buyers' taste

0 comments

KUANTAN: The growing popularity of electronic cards, emails and SMSes over traditional Raya cards has prompted a businessman to design and sell a customised option.

Tengku Izaham Tengku Kamarulzaman, who owns a stationery and printing shop in Jalan Haji Abdul Rahman here, said he sold ready-made greeting cards in the past, but the demand had dwindled especially among the young.

To overcome the problem, the 40-year-old father of three had decided to introduce customised greeting cards where his customers could choose from a variety of colourful designs, or use their own designs.

Running the business with his wife, Rosediana Nordin, 31, he said the move paid off as many customers wanted to have personal pictures and colourful layouts on their cards.

"Most customers prefer to print their family pictures on the card, while private companies will put a picture of their staff," he said, adding that such an approach had made the Raya cards more meaningful.

Tengku Izaham said it would usually take one to three days to complete a customised card, depending on the design and volume.

He said most shops, including those in shopping malls, preferred to sell ready- made greeting cards as they did not require much work compared with the customised version.

"But customers nowadays want greeting cards with their pictures on them as these can be kept by the recipients.

"The thrill is also different from receiving electronic cards and text messages," he said at his shop yesterday.

Tengku Izaham, who has a bachelor's degree in marketing and management, said most people chose the electronic card as it was cheaper and hassle-free.

"I hope to revive the tradition of sending greeting cards, but with a better approach.

"Raya cards will make a recipient happy and to appreciate the sender more," said Tengku Izaham, who got the idea after watching the growing demand for customised birthday cards.

"Even my 9-year-old son is now keen to send Raya cards when I customised them for him."

Tengku Izaham sells his customised cards between RM2 and RM5.

Tengku Izaham Tengku Kamarulzaman showing some of the customised cards on sale at his shop in Kuantan. Pic by Halim Mat Ali

Leave Your Comment


Leave Your Comment:

New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST.