Today marks the opening of Hobby Lords Setia Alam, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — the Dunedin company’s first store outside New Zealand since it opened in the city three years ago.
“It’s just honestly the tip of the iceberg,” Hobby Lords managing director Liam O’Neill said.
“We’ve got a lot of plans transnationally, as well as remaining cities in the country we’re not currently in.”
Hobby Lords was founded in 2021 and moved into its flagship South Dunedin premises late last year, before making national headlines earlier this year for offering staff unlimited annual and sick leave.
It had also opened two other locations in Lower Hutt and Palmerston North earlier this year, and had another two stores in Christchurch and Auckland in the works for early next year.
Hobby Lords was growing at “such a rapid rate” it was a struggle to keep on top of it, Mr O’Neill said.
The Malaysian store had been on the cards since January, and he believed Hobby Lords was the first company in its industry to expand overseas.
“It’s a different market and it is a bit of a gamble as well, but we’re bringing our methodology and our way of doing things to a new market, so we’re really hoping it will succeed, and we think it will.”
The decision had come down to timing.
The person in charge of the store had been trained in Dunedin, before moving home to Setia Alam to be with his family, he said.
It would open up Asian supply lines, allow exclusive products to be produced and had been given a really nice fit-out, so it looked “very akin to a jewellery store”.
Mr O’Neill said he had spent 10 hours on his birthday looking into the move to Malaysia, and had found that their regulatory system was a “lot more advanced” than New Zealand’s.
“New Zealand is a lot easier to start a business, to be honest.”
Hobby Lords would look to expand further in Kuala Lumpur over time, and hoped to open a store in Sydney next year, Mr O’Neill said.
tim.scott@odt.co.nz
