MR D.I.Y.: Outperform
MR D.I.Y.: Outperform
21 July 2021
MR D.I.Y. OUTPERFORM
Price : RM3.48
Serving the Remote Target Price : RM4.10
By Ahmad Ramzani Ramli l ahmadramzani@kenanga.com.my
We initiate coverage on MR D.I.Y with an OUTPERFORM rating and TP Share Price Performance
of RM4.10. MR D.I.Y is Malaysia’s largest home improvement retailer
with a market share c.29% with 788 stores covering the whole of
Malaysia and Brunei. We are positive on the Group for: (i) robust 4.00
PP7004/02/2013(031762) Page 1 of 9
MR D.I.Y Group Berhad Initiate Coverage
21 July 2021
Investment merits
Network all over Malaysia. MR D.I.Y Group Berhad (MR DIY.) is Malaysia’s largest home improvement retailer with an
estimated market share of 29% (in 2019). Its top-line 4-year CAGR (201-2020) is 28%, largely due to its affordable products
catering to price-sensitive customers holding true to its motto – “ÁLWAYS LOW PRICES”. Despite the pandemic, top-line was
still robust with FY20 ending at +12% (vs FY19: +28%). It began FY21 impressively with a surging top-line at +13% QoQ/+63%
YoY. The robust growth is underpinned by its network – 783 stores servicing all the way into the remotest part of Malaysia-
from Arau, Pauh, Tumpat in Northern Malaysia to Balung, Tawau in Sabah in the East. 33% of its stores located in the Central
Region, followed by the Southern Region (21%), Northern Region at 18%, East Coast at 14% with East Malaysia (including
Brunei) at 15%. As compared to other matured markets, the under-penetrated supply of retail space and retail sales of home
improvement offers opportunity to open new stores and serve new catchment areas in low penetration states such as Kedah,
Perlis, Kelantan and Sabah.
Relentless expansion. Since opening its 100th store in 2014, store expansion has been impressive. As at 1QFY21, MR DIY
has around 783 stores with locations all over Malaysia and 5 in Brunei. It ended with 734 stores for FY20 and added 54
(1QFY21) more while at the same time closed 8 outlets due to poor location/traffic. In the last three years, average stores
opening were at least 127 stores or CAGR of 28%. Despite the pandemic 141 stores opened in FY20 (vs FY19: 126). The
Malaysian home improvement retail sector is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% for FY19-24 (Frost & Sullivan) and
management is set to continue it expansionary phase, targeting 175 stores each for the next two years (2021-22). The
expansion is largely due to its pursuing new store concepts to cater to the unmet needs of different customer segments. In
2019, it introduced MR TOY; supplying value-for-money toys - a non-branded segment for the under-served. MR DOLLAR
followed a year later – offering popular everyday essentials at RM2 and RM5. MR Dollar is modelled on dollar stores popular in
Japan and the United States. Of the 175 stores per year, 100 stores will be MR DIY, 50 will be MR DOLLAR and the remainder
will be MR TOY.
Robust margins. MR DIYs gross margins have been impressive; averaging (for 2017-2020) at 43%. Source of products are
mainly from China making up 72% of total with the remainder sourced locally and the ASEAN region. The Ringgit were
favourable against the Renminbi during this 2017-2020 period. MR TOY’s products are sourced mainly from China and gross
margins are better at 40-50%. Products sourced from China have better margins due cost advantages from economies of scale.
Another plus factor in keeping margins higher is due to its product mix. New products are introduced every quarter and all
products are reviewed quarterly with changes made in terms of location, positioning and prices (if needed). Margins are similar
whether the outlet is in a mall or a stand-alone - rentals in malls are expensive but offset by higher footfalls while the reverse is
true for stand-alone stores.
Robust Balance Sheet ahead. For FY20A, gearing stood at 0.2x (FY19: 1.42x). The Business is cash generative by itself –
historically Free Cash Flow cash averages c. RM314mwith working capital needs in the tune of <RM50m. Internally generated
cash are adequate enough to fund its store expansion. Note that capex for FY20 was at RM122m with the expansion of 141
stores or RM0.86m/store. As such capex for FY21E is expected to be in the tune of RM150m. We believe Mr DIY will have a net
cash position from FY21E onwards, comfortable enough to comply with its 40% dividend payout policy and further expansion in
FY22E.
Financial performance
Historical Earnings. Mr DIY has been growing robustly with a 3-year CAGR of +28%/+17% for its topline/bottomline. The wide
variance between its topline/bottomline is attributed to higher opex coming from its expansion plans. Its EBIT margin which was
at 24% in FY17 saw a 4ppts declined by FY2020 given the capital expansion. Gross margins were largely stable but saw a
140bps compression to 43% (in the same period) due to i) expansion into East Malaysia and ii) SST costs. Due to better
product mix average value/transaction (or basket size) were much more positive at +18% YoY to RM26 in FY20 despite
average sales/store/day falling 8% to RM10,530. This led to average transaction for FY20 falling 5% to RM96m. Average
transaction/store/day fell 22% to 402 for FY20, not surprisingly given the prevailing restrictive movements in 2020. Despite the
challenges of 2020, 3-Year CAGR (2017-2020) were positive for both average value/transaction and average transaction/year
at 8% and 18% respectively.
Historical Value
2017 2018 2019 2020
Average Value/Transaction (RM) 21 21.8 22.2 26.2
Average Sales/Store/Day (RM) 11,341 11,731 11,463 10,530
Average transactions/month (Mil) 4.861 6.744 8.443 8.00
Average X transactions/Year (Mil) 58.332 80.928 101.316 96.000
Average X transactions/store/day 537 541 513 402
Average X transactions/store/Year 193,320 194,760 184,680 144,687
Source: Company, Kenanga Research
PP7004/02/2013(031762) Page 2 of 9
MR D.I.Y Group Berhad Initiate Coverage
21 July 2021
Historical Earnings
Company 2018 2019 2020 2018 2019 2020 2018 2019 2020 2020 2020
MR D.I.Y. Dec 1,771 2,276 2,559 308 318 337 44 42 43 173 55
Ace Hardware
Dec 2,052 2,385 2,139 271 301 212 48 48 49 (641) 15
(INDO)
AllHome
Dec N.a 965 1,052 N.a 84 84 N.a 30 32 404 8
(PHP)
Home Product
Dec 7,691 8,415 7,837 696 825 699 28 26 25 807 24
(THAI)
Siam Global
Dec 3,172 3,748 3,614 251 282 267 21 21 24 1,644 12
(THAI)
Wilcon Depot
Dec 1,613 1,958 1,917 141 170 123 31 33 34 (386) 10
(PHP)
Source: Bloomberg, Kenanga Research
PP7004/02/2013(031762) Page 3 of 9
MR D.I.Y Group Berhad Initiate Coverage
21 July 2021
Corporate Structure
Source: Company
PP7004/02/2013(031762) Page 4 of 9
MR D.I.Y Group Berhad Initiate Coverage
21 July 2021
Typically, MR D.I.Y. stores are located in convenient locations that are accessible to customers such as alongside roads, in
shopping malls, business and shopping districts. Stores typically operate seven days a week to maximize convenience for
customers. MR D.I.Y. offers a wide range of attractive but price-to-quality value propositions; hence, carrying an extensive
variety of products. Most of the products consist of hardware, household and furnishing, electrical, stationery and equipment
products. It is flexible to change its products offering in tune to festivities or as in recent case, the pandemic. It introduced Covid-
19 essentials which now makes up 2% of its sales. Stores are operated on a two formats; (i) retail mall-based stores – typically
located on higher floors of shopping malls or within/adjacent to premises of supermarkets and hypermarkets - and (ii) stand-
alone shop-front stores – typically at street level.
A typical MR D.I.Y. store size is 10,000 sq ft or 18,000 SKU on average. Stores are leased with a typical lease of 12 to 15 years
in tranches of 3 years. Stores in malls are still popular but stores located in a rural area are gaining more traction than urban
ones.
Stores: Type of Stores Stores: Location as of March 2021
Source: Company
MR DIY. is committed to ensuring the continued relevance and quality of its products. All proposed new products are evaluated
based on market trends, product quality, price, and manufacturers’ feedback on their best-selling products. In addition, the
Group conducts quarterly product reviews, assessing product sales volumes, inventory turnover and sales margins to ascertain
each product’s optimal shelf space. The Group sells third-party branded products including reputable brands such as Phillips,
Dunlop, Faber-Castell, WD-40 and Energizer, but also works with global manufacturers to create white label products that carry
the ‘MR D.I.Y.’ or ‘MR D.I.Y. Premium’ brands. While most of the products sold at the Group’s stores are predominantly third-
party, MR D.I.Y.’s white label products offer customers a higher price-to-quality value proposition compared to third-party
branded products. This has been well-received by customers, reflected in the sales growth of white label products from 15.3%
in 2019 to 17.2% in 2020. Third-party branded products made up the respective balances. Going forward, the Group will
continue to evaluate the introduction of more such white label products.
The Group’s procurement primarily consists of product inventory for its own stores, mainly sourced from end-suppliers,
manufacturers and distributors in Malaysia and other countries. Imported products decreased from 73.2% in 2019 to 71.6% in
2020, while products sourced locally increased from 26.8% in 2019 to 28.4% in 2020. Imported products will continue to be an
important aspect of the Group’s merchandising strategy. Products are sourced from end-suppliers comprising manufactures and
distributors from China (73%) and Malaysia 26%. The remainder are from Thailand and Indonesia or c.800 suppliers in total. Its
largest end-supplier accounts for <5% of total purchases. To optimise per unit logistics, MR DIY. typically consolidate import
purchases from end-suppliers in China into full container loads before shipping.
There were moderate shifts in the merchandising sales mix in the year under review, mainly due to the impact of the pandemic.
As an example, there was an increase in demand for household and furnishing items during the prolonged movement restriction
period. The Group introduced F&B products at 89 MR DIY stores in December 2019, to positive response from customers. This
was expanded to 349 stores by the end of 2020, including the 14 MR DOLLAR stores that opened in 2020.
PP7004/02/2013(031762) Page 5 of 9
MR D.I.Y Group Berhad Initiate Coverage
21 July 2021
Source: Company
MR DIY’s operations are supported by centrally inventory and distribution systems, which help to ensure that stores are
sufficiently stocked to meet customers' demands. The Group operates a distribution centre consisting of a cluster of 13 closely
located facilities totalling over 700,000 sq ft situated in Balakong, Seri Kembangan, and Port Klang, from which all products are
distributed to stores across Peninsular Malaysia via a fleet of 113 trucks, and to stores across East Malaysia and Brunei through
third party freight service providers. Third party freight services are also used to distribute products to certain stores in
Peninsular that are inaccessible to the Group’s trucks. The distribution centre typically operates 24/7, 6-day/week to achieve a
3-day turnaround.
In March 2021, MR D.I.Y. launched a 65,000 sq ft robotic warehouse in Seri Kembangan, equipped with 23 programable robots
which are able to fulfil online purchases faster than a manual system. This is expected to increase operational efficiency by
200%. E-commerce will be an increasingly important platform for the Group going forward, which is leveraging on technology to
unlock greater benefits from this channel, as it aligns to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (“IR 4.0”).
Source: Company
PP7004/02/2013(031762) Page 6 of 9
MR D.I.Y Group Berhad Initiate Coverage
21 July 2021
Management Profile
MR DIY. founder-led key senior management has grown the business since its first store opened in 2005 by successfully
implementing sound business model, store roll-out strategy and developing relationships with manufacturers, distributors,
trading houses and third-party service providers. He key senior management team has an average of 14 years of relevant retail
experience. Among the key senior management are:
Tan Yu Yeh. Executive Vice Chairman since 2020. A Universiti of Malaya graduate, he began his career with Inter-Pacific
Securities and since 2005 has supported the Group as a director, shareholder and adviser. Founder of the Business, he opened
the first Mr DIY store in 2005 at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
Ong Chu Jin is the Chief Executive Officer of the Group and was appointed in 2019. A member of both the Institute of Chartered
Accountants in England & Wales and the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, he also holds an MBA from the Judge Business school
from the University of Cambridge. He started as an auditor with Kingston Smith, London before moving to KPMG Malaysia. He held
various senior positions in the CIMB Group, one of which was Senior Managing Director, and prior to moving to MR D.I.Y. was
Managing Director of Creador Sdn Bhd and its representative for its other retail sector portfolio companies.
Lim Chen Wee is the Senior Vice-President, Finance and joined the Group in 2017 as the Financial Controller. She holds a Bachelor
of Accountancy from Universiti Putra Malaysia and is a member of Malaysian Institute of Public Accountants and Malaysian Institute of
Accountants. Prior to joining MR D.I.Y., she was Senior Manager at TMF Administrative Services, Financial Manager at Time Zone
Sdn Bhd and also a Associate Director with BDO Consulting Sdn Bhd.
Tan Yew Hock is the Director and Head, Business Development and has over 13 years of experience in business development. He
has a LCCI Certificate in business statistics and management accounting. Working his way up, he joined MR D.I.Y. in 2006 and was
subsequently appointed as director in some of MR D.I.Y. subsidiaries and is a crucial member of MR D.I.Y.’s set-up team for its stores.
Tan Yew Teik is the Director and Head, Logistics and has 15 years of experience in retail business. He is instrumental in developing
MR D.I.Y.’s distribution management and responsible for overseeing its entire supply chain. He has a Bachelors Degree in Public
Management from Universiti Utara Malaysia and joined MR D.I.Y. in 2013.
PP7004/02/2013(031762) Page 7 of 9
MR D.I.Y Group Berhad Initiate Coverage
21 July 2021
PP7004/02/2013(031762) Page 8 of 9
MR D.I.Y Group Berhad Initiate Coverage
21 July 2021
Stock Recommendations
Sector Recommendations***
***Sector recommendations are defined based on market capitalisation weighted average expected total
return for stocks under our coverage.
This document has been prepared for general circulation based on information obtained from sources believed to be reliable but we do not
make any representations as to its accuracy or completeness. Any recommendation contained in this document does not have regard to the
specific investment objectives, financial situation and the particular needs of any specific person who may read this document. This
document is for the information of addressees only and is not to be taken in substitution for the exercise of judgement by addressees.
Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this document
or any solicitations of an offer to buy or sell any securities.Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad and its associates, their directors, and/or
employees may have positions in, and may effect transactions in securities mentioned herein from time to time in the open market or
otherwise, and may receive brokerage fees or act as principal or agent in dealings with respect to these companies.
PP7004/02/2013(031762) Page 9 of 9