SSF Home focuses on growth amid cautious retail climate

KUALA LUMPUR: SSF Home Group Bhd remains confident in its strategic direction and long-term prospects despite near-term cost pressures.

“The group continues to position itself as a value-for-money home living brand, supported by refreshed store formats, right-sized outlet expansion in urban centres, and an improved customer experience.

“These initiatives form part of SSF’s broader rebranding agenda, which seeks to align more closely with evolving consumer needs,” the furniture retailer said in a statement.

In the first quarter ended April 30, SSF posted a net profit of RM168,000, or earnings per share of 0.02 sen, while revenue grew 3% to RM33mil.

The group’s improved revenue was largely driven by its ongoing marketing efforts, including intensified promotional campaigns and enhanced customer engagement activities, which led to stronger footfall and improved sales conversions.

However, profit before tax declined to RM0.36mil from RM1.82mil in the same quarter last year, mainly due to compressed gross profit margins and higher finance costs arising from right-of-use assets related to new retail outlets as well as lease modifications resulting from the exercise of renewal options.

“While the quarter reflects the expected post-festive normalisation and rising operating costs, our fundamentals remain strong. We are encouraged by the positive response to our targeted campaigns and refreshed retail formats, which reinforce our positioning in the value-driven home and living segment.

“We remain committed to pursuing operational efficiencies, strategic pricing, and curated customer experiences as we strengthen our national retail presence,” executive director Lok Kok Khong said.

Looking ahead, SSF expects the retail environment to remain cautious amid elevated logistics and production costs, inflationary pressures and global uncertainties.

The group said it will navigate these challenges through agile supply chain management, disciplined cost control and continuous product enhancement.