No shortcuts to building credibility in home improvement, says Ace veteran

Starting his involvement with Ace in 2002 as a store manager in the Philippines, Lim moved to West Asia years later to learn the ropes of the Ace network in the affluent, if emerging, market. He first worked as a retail manager for the Kuwait operations until 2009, when he left to become operations manager for the Jordan franchise. In 2012, Lim moved to Iraq’s Kurdistan region to work as Ace’s retail manager in a market that is characterised by high security risk. He held his position in the unstable region until his move back to Southeast Asia to helm Ace Home Center Vietnam, which he helped build from the ground up through the Covid-19 pandemic.  

It is safe to say that Lim is no stranger to the challenges, opportunities, and workings of a developing home improvement sector, having been exposed to a range of demographics, shopper requirements, buying cultures, and disposable incomes – not to mention the varying levels of security and political stability -- of these young markets. He shares his insights on doing business under these settings on LinkedIn, weaving thoughts on customer focus, innovative fixes to unforeseen challenges, cross-cultural leadership, and other pertinent topics with their sociopolitical realities – for instance, catering to homeowners in Kurdistan who were rebuilding houses for the third time.    

Recently, DIY International’s Asia correspondent Jennee Grace U Rubrico communicated with Lim, who, among other things, spoke on his Ace experience so far and how his learnings have shaped his approach in Vietnam, what he thinks are the paramount values retailers should possess, and why there are no shortcuts to building customer trust. Excerpts follow.  

You advocate for customer centricity in the retailing business. What does that mean in a challenging home improvement market?  

Allan Rey Lim: In home improvement, customer centricity isn’t just service with a smile – it’s making sure the customer actually succeeds at the project they came in for, whether that’s a professional contractor sourcing materials on a deadline or a homeowner tackling their first repair. That means knowledgeable staff, accurate stock availability, and an assortment that reflects how people actually live and build here, not an imported template.  

In a market like Vietnam, where organized retail in this category is still earning trust, customer centricity is also how you…