When DIY became a trend

The Test Rite Group is Taiwan’s largest grocery retailer, the first publicly listed export company, and one that covers the retail market in both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Test Rite first started as a major exporter of hand tools, hardware, lighting and furniture in 1978. Over the years it expanded its business-to-business operations through bringing Taiwan’s suppliers together and gradually becoming a top Asian exporter. Today Test Rite’s long-standing customers include large grocery retailers that are familiar to European and American consumers, such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Kingfisher. The “Test Rite” name is derived from “test” and “right”, meaning that customers first try out and test its products – to their satisfaction. It is now deeply rooted as one element of the corporate culture. Mr Tony Ho, president of Test Rite, noticed that people began to aspire to a better living environment when Taiwan’s per capita GDP income rose above US $ 10 000. He felt that the consumer market would require ready-to-assemble furniture, appliances and home accessories. Having such well-founded relationships with major European and American grocery retailers, he invited Kingfisher, Europe’s largest home improvement retailer, to invest in and establish B&Q Taiwan. This became Taiwan’s first warehouse selling home improvement products and the group’s most profitable location outside Great Britain. Not until 2008 did Test Rite buy out all the Kingfisher shares and run the company independently. “Taiwanese men didn’t do much housework. At that time, when a new store opened, I was worried how many customers would come in and buy.” Mr Ho cannot forget his nervousness in the period when the first B&Q store started up. However, he was proved right: DIY was popular and soon became a trend in Taiwan. Later, in 1998, Test Rite established its own brand, Hola, which targets women consumers and sells home decoration articles. Today Test Rite has 41 stores throughout Taiwan. Test Rite is the only retail franchise which can claim that each of its branches has been declared a ‘green’ store by the Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. It has received the Green Marketing Award for 4 consecutive years since 2007. In 2010 Test Rite Retail combined all its own retail brands, which included Ter-Li-Wu (originally B&Q), Hola, Hola Casa, and Freer. Recently Test Rite has also launched new brands, such as TR Design and Test Rite Home Service, which…