KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — AEON Co (M) Bhd held its "AEON 40th Anniversary Thank You Dinner” to celebrate its 40th anniversary with nearly 400 business partners, suppliers, and stakeholders. The dinner was held on September 14 at the Hilton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

The event was a special occasion for AEON, graced by the presence of Akio Yoshida, President of AEON Co Ltd Japan; Takahashi Katsuhiko, the Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia; and Datuk Iskandar Sarudin, Chairman of AEON. Also attending was Senator Fuziah Salleh, deputy minister of domestic trade and costs of living.

AEON began its operations in Malaysia in September 1984 under the name JUSCO, an acronym for Japan United Stores Company. JUSCO’s presence in Malaysia resulted from a Malaysian government initiative to modernise the country’s retail industry by leveraging advanced retail management expertise from Asia. Since then, JUSCO has rapidly expanded, and in 2012, it was rebranded as AEON, which means "eternity” in Latin. Today, AEON operates 28 AEON Malls, 35 AEON Stores, six MaxValu Prime stores, 62 AEON Wellness outlets, and 46 DAISO stores nationwide. AEON employs more than 11,000 people across the country, making it one of the largest employers outside Japan.

In her speech, Fuziah expressed her appreciation for AEON’s achievements over its 40 years in Malaysia. She thanked AEON for consistently supporting the government’s aspirations to ensure that consumers enjoy high-quality products at competitive prices. It is a valuable practice that enhances the quality of life for all Malaysians.

Iskandar also stated, "This four-decade journey could not have been achieved without the contributions from the entire ecosystem involved. Every success has been backed by the support of the Malaysian government, the unwavering commitment of our business partners and suppliers, the loyalty of our customers, and the dedication and hard work of AEON employees who continue to drive the company’s success.”

As a token of appreciation and recognition, AEON also presented the AEON Outstanding Partnership Awards to its business partners and suppliers who have shown potential, innovation, achievement, and performance, in addition to supporting AEON’s sustainability efforts. The awards were divided into three categories: Mall, Supplier, and Corporate.

For the Mall Category, Poh Kong Jewellers Sdn Bhd received the AEON Strategic Partner Award (Mall), while the company known for the Zus Coffee brand, Zuspresso (M) Sdn Bhd, was recognised with the AEON Emerging Partner Award (Mall). Malaysia’s leading eyewear supplier, Focus Point Vision Care Group Sdn Bhd, was awarded the AEON Most Celebrated Partner Award (Mall).

For the Supplier Category, AEON recognised business partners in its product categories. The AEON Supplier Excellence Award (Foodline) was awarded to Abbott Laboratories (M) Sdn Bhd, while the AEON Supplier Excellence Award (Softline) was given to Unitrade Venture Sdn Bhd, and the AEON Supplier Excellence Award (Hardline) to Goldtex Exim Sdn Bhd. In the AEON Supplier Excellence Award (Health and Beauty Care) category, it was awarded to Lam Soon Edible Oils Sdn Bhd, while Dasher Distribution Sdn Bhd received the AEON Emerging Partner Award (Supplier).

For the Corporate Category, GSPARX Sdn. Bhd., which is responsible for installing solar panels at all AEON Malls, was awarded the AEON Sustainability Partner Award.

All the awards were presented by Naoya Okada, Managing Director of AEON. The event was also enlivened by a captivating performance by the renowned national artist, Dayang Nurfaizah.

The "AEON 40th Anniversary Thank You Dinner” is part of a series of activities planned throughout 2024 to celebrate AEON’s 40th anniversary. This includes special sales campaigns and promotions, the "Senyum Tour” roadshow, customer programs, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. In conjunction with the 40th anniversary, AEON will continue to engage with its customers through various activities aimed at creating smiles and connecting hearts.