People

Making it trendy

Victor repositions Wo Kee Loong

By Joyce Lam

Victor Chan has turned tradition into trendiness and is making money for the old Chiu Chow cake shops. As the Marketing Director of Wo Kee Loong, he has repositioned traditional products in the contemporary market place. He is the father of newborn Wo Kee Loong.

“I was never bored with the nice smell of the freshly baked, tasty, Chiu Chow cakes since I was a child,” said Victor.

And it is this enthusiasm that has allowed this 28-year-old to bring Wo Kee Loong from the obscurity of Kowloon City to a growing commercial success throughout Hong Kong .

Victor's father opened Wo Kee Loong with several partners 57 years ago. Initially, it was just a grocery and mainly served the neighbored Chiu Chow people in Kowloon City . Things sold were the most common ones in every Chinese grocery, such as items for worship in the Chiu Chows tradition, snacks, as well as the most indispensable things, Chiu Chow candies and cakes.

As time passed, the Chiu Chow candies and cakes of Wo Kee Loong became popular and famous. The business was getting better and better. It then changed from a neighbored grocery to specializing in Chiu Chow candies and cakes.

“When I was young, I felt my family business not only interesting,” said Victor, “it was also extraordinary.”

Nevertheless, this unusual business could not attract the young Victor at first. After his graduation from secondary school at the age of eighteen, he did not join the family business. He tried a lot of different things instead, like sales, tourism and even being a policeman.

“There were many shareholders in our business at that time,” said Victor, explaining. “I really hadn't thought of the inheritance of the business.”

However, he returned to Wo Kee Loong finally. “The shareholders of Wo Kee Loong gradually quit the business,” said Victor. “My father really needed help.”

He then had to make an difficult decision. “Actually, I had considered that for quite a long time. I really didn't want to be trapped by Wo Kee Loong. And I still wanted to explore my world outside,” said he. Eventually, he chose to bring Wo Kee Loong with him and to take it out of Kowloon City .

He even attempted to do something that his father had never done before. Victor brought the brand of Wo Kee Loong to a Japanese department store, Yaohan, and bargained for a small promotion counter. It was the beginning of Woo Kee Loong's success.

“I would not have today's success if I didn't take that step forward,” Victor emphasized. “It was quite impetuous but it worked.”

He thought that this success might be one of the reasons that made his father feel confident to pass the business to him.

After the takeover, Victor's first triumph was the opening of the Shatin outlet in New Town Plaza. The start of the business was tough.

“The Leasing Department of the Plaza nearly banned our application,” he said.

“They thought Wo Kee Loong's image was unfashionable and could not help the Plaza to attract customers, especially the young and the ones with higher purchasing power,” he said. “Everything needed to start again at zero.”

Victor then understood the importance of brand image, especially the appearance of products and decoration. In contrast to the setting in the store in Kowloon City, more fashionable decoration was used in the Shatin outlet, for example the counters inside are all self-help.

Also, the candies and cakes sold are wrapped and packed individually, rather than being sold in bulk from a large dish.

“The trends of today's snacks are hygienic, convenient and delicate,” said Victor. “I was deeply impressed by the power of packaging since then,” he continued.

He said that, within two months of opening, he earned back the cost of the decoration in Shatin outlet.

Although the new image of Wo Kee Loong is successful, Victor knows that what Wo Kee Loong actually sells is tradition. That's why he still keeps the old setting and appearance of the Kowloon City store even though it has been criticized.

“Most of our products are machine-made, but we still retain the man-made ones, which are actually better. Nevertheless, they are at the same prices. It's because my father taught me that our products should be popularized by inexpensive price,” said Victor.

Enjoying small profits but a quick turnover is one of the essential factors contributing the success of Wo Kee Loong. They have 10 stores all over Hong Kong now.

Taking over Wo Kee Loong for over 10 years, Victor describes Wo Kee Loong as his valuable son.

“It was like bringing up a little child,” he said. “I educated him and provided what he needed. He is now a young man who has just graduated from the university, and he is going to work in the society.”

He hopes that Wo Kee Loong will be something like a teahouse in the future.

“In the teahouse, there will be some confectioners to make fresh cakes immediately for our customers. They can enjoy the cakes with tea comfortably in the teahouse.

“And Chiu Chow cakes will be the mark of our teahouse, just like French fries in McDonald's. It will be a new generation of Wo Kee Loong,” he said.

Victor said that his enthusiasm towards Wo Kee Loong never ends. And he would try his best to run this business.

“For me and for Wo Kee Loong, it is still a stage of learning,” said he.

Victor Chan is trying to bring Wo Kee Loong to a new generation. Joyce Lam

“The trends of today's snacks are hygienic, convenient and delicate. I was deeply impressed by the power of packaging.” ~ Victor Chan Joyce Lam