KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — It’s confirmed. After 29 years, Peter Hoe Beyond is bidding us farewell.
Peter Hoe, who built the eponymous brand, has literally been making us and our homes beautiful in that time.
It’s not the end though. Just maybe a new chapter for the brilliant 58-year old who has singularly built a brand he describes as "based on good design, value-for-money intergrity and above all honesty."
The brand has a devoted following cultivated by Peter who spends his time nurturing relationships with his customers.
"It’s not just about selling. After 20 over years, you don’t have to sell any more, they will buy. There’s no hard sell. You share a piece of yourself with the customer... when you talk to someone, you talk to someone!"
This chapter first began back in 1990. Peter had stumbled upon a space in Dayabumi where he championed batik from the east coast, hoping to give it a fresh look.
“Our first customer was a Malay lady who bought a batik shirt,” he recalled. As stocks for batik dwindled, they had to diversify to other products to stock the shop, taking products from Indonesia, Thailand and India.
Nine years later, they had two locations within the building and a following.
Next, it was the corner shop opposite Central Market. A chance encounter during lunch led to his second location.
He added, “Everything fell in place.” Nearby, there was the Art Deco-inspired Wisma Lee Rubber which Peter eyed for a long time.
His persistency paid off. One day, they called him to view the whopping 8,600 square feet space, giving him two days to make a decision.
Even though it was located upstairs with neither signage or window display, they still pulled in a crowd, thanks to their relationship with customers.
Peter added, “We managed to run that place for 13 beautiful years, where we had parties, events, brunches, dinners, fashion shows and singing (he laughs) inside there. It was a joy to be there."
About two and half years ago, they moved into The Row at Jalan Doraisamy. Again, fate played a part, where another chance encounter led to him making this place home for Peter Hoe Beyond.
In August last year, Peter listened to his inner voice and decided not to renew his lease at The Row. "This is a milestone obviously in my career where I am taking a very brave decision to say... okay, I am getting off this beautiful carousel after 29 years."
When news of the closure trickled out, the KL community went into shock. Peter tells us he even had to write an explanation in an international school's chat group!
Looking back at their reaction, he is extremely touched that there are so many who care for this brand he had built up for half of his life.
Even his customers from abroad are sending their local friends to buy something from the shop, as a remembrance.
He added, "I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to all our customers and friends who have supported us over the years. Not to mention my team. Without them, the 29 years would not have happened. I will reflect upon those happy moments with a heart glowing with joy."
So what's next for Peter? Honestly, he tells us, he is open to the future. He envisions it as a blank page where the pen is in his hand... waiting to write the first line.
He added, "The café may reincarnate in another location. The Peter Hoe brand is definitely stopping for now. It may be reopened with a different concept but it won’t be far from its original DNA."
Peter rules out online retail though as he is strictly a brick-and-mortar retailer.
What he believes is, once you get out of the circle, the possibilities are endless. “Your world is as big as your imagination. My imagination is very big and I am receptive. When your door is open, anything can walk in... any opportunity can come in."
We await the next chapter with great anticipation. Thank you, next!
Peter Hoe Beyond, 62-1, First floor, The Row, Jalan Doraisamy, KL. The shop and cafe will stay open up to end May or June.
