M’sian fruit juice brand is shutting down & seeking buyers
Watching Smooshie Juice’s online video from the Alliance Lender BizSmart Problem 2013, it felt like the pure juice manufacturer was here to continue to be. The co-founders, Lee Hai Lin and Reduced Wan Chiun, ended up ambitious, daring, and vivid. At the conclude of the online video, Lin even explained, “the sky’s the limit.”
Nine yrs down the highway, it would seem that the duo has met the sky. Co-founder Lin told Vulcan Write-up the staff has made the decision to shut down Smooshie Juice.
That is not to say that Smooshie Juice has not been fruitful in the course of the past 10 years. Considerably from it.
For one, Smooshie Juice had shut ties with Improve Juice Bars for a lengthy time, supplying to their kiosks for many years. The juice was also stocked in supermarkets these kinds of as Ben’s and Family Mart. The corporation was even approached by cinemas and airways to offer juices as very well.

“At our peak, we equipped some 45 cafes/dining establishments around KL and the Klang Valley, and even in Penang,” Lin shared. “We’ve also had a great deal of seriously amazing gigs, giving juices to launches and massive occasions, such as the launch of Facebook Malaysia.”
So, offered its bountiful monitor document, how did it all fall apart?
1st, let us rewind
Lin and Wan Chiun are childhood close friends who analyzed in Australia just before transferring back again to Malaysia. They found a gap in the sector for pure fruit juices and for that reason quit their complete-time work, pouring their initiatives into Smooshie Juice.
“Both of us experienced definitely no experience in F&B or managing a small business, so it was nuts!” Lin shared. “We genuinely did not know what to expect, but we believed that Malaysia wanted great good quality, pure juices as there are so quite a few mouth watering area fruits offered right here.”
Immediately after months of R&D, they ultimately opened a retail outlet in Berjaya Time Square in April 2011. In the commencing, men and women had been not employed to the juice. Some would complain that they weren’t sweet enough and incorporate packets of sugar. On the other hand, the breakthrough ultimately arrived when Smooshie Juice made a decision to source to cafes as an alternative.
“We tested out the juices at some cafes that we experienced contacts with, notably The Purple Beanbag and Artisan Roast Café,” Lin defined. “The juices were being a hit, and we realised that café shoppers had been our target industry, so we shut down our retail outlet and targeted on distribution instead.”
But it wasn’t sufficient
It was not just 1 huge issue that made Lin and Wan Chiun determine on allowing Smooshie Juice. It was additional of a mixture of several factors.
Initial of all, the enhance in the charge of merchandise, in particular raw components, created a heavy impression on Smooshie Juice, which relies on 100% natural components.

The business enterprise has had to increase the selling price of its juices a number of moments over the a long time owing to price inflation, and that led to the reduction of offer partners.
While the staff could have additional drinking water or concentrates to the juice to cut down price tag, they refused to compromise on the high quality of the juices.
“We felt that going down that route would defeat the intent of our existence in the to start with put!” Lin reported.
But another significant purpose why Lin and Wan Chiun are contacting it a working day with Smooshie is due to their own commitments. Equally founders recently grew to become initially-time mums. So, they’ve experienced considerably less time to target on the small business.
However, it is an remarkable feat to have lasted this long. On best of slim and effective operations, the innovativeness of the workforce is to be respected also.
Smooshie has also diversified from just juices to items these as yoghurt, kefir, and lower fruit. It has also collaborated with other brands to generate new products and solutions. For the duration of the MCO, the enterprise also employed net marketing to provide the juices as cafes ended up closed and there have been no situations.
It’s time to transfer on
The breaking issue came when the staff was contacted by their customised bottle provider, who told them there would be a 30% raise in bottle costs.

This paired with the improved charges of fruits and greens designed the firm realise a huge change would be needed to continue to keep Smooshie jogging. It was a alter that neither Lin nor Wan Chiun could manage offered their new roles as mums.
Lin and Wan Chiun are consequently holding an eye out for everyone who’s willing and equipped to carry on Smooshie’s dream to make nutritious juices available to Malaysians. Lin believes there’s a great deal of probable for Smooshie Juice supplied its knowledge, staff, methods, contacts, devices, and list of present customers.
“All that is desired is some funding and individuals with the exact same generate, enthusiasm, and insight that we experienced 10 many years back when we had been youthful,” she completed.
For now, the two founders are targeted on their possess family members, waiting for someone to breathe new daily life into Smooshie Juice.
- Master a lot more about Smooshie Juice in this article, and if you’re fascinated in taking above the business enterprise, you can call them right here.
- Go through additional content we have composed about Malaysian startups right here.
Showcased Impression Credit history: Smooshie Juice