BFM 89.9
The Business Station
Unstaffed And Profitable: Inside Malaysia’s Pre-Loved Book Empire
30 mins·10:00, 2 Apr 2026
Unstaffed And Profitable: Inside Malaysia’s Pre-Loved Book Empire
30 mins
·
10:00, 2 Apr 2026
·
Recommended
30 mins
Guest: Adrian Ung, Founder, Books For A Better World
Is it possible to run a highly profitable retail business in premium shopping malls by selling products for just RM5 on the honour system?
Adrian Ung, a seasoned commercial leader with 30 years of corporate experience, believed it was. In 2022, he co-founded Books For A Better World (BFBW), a social enterprise dedicated to giving pre-loved books a second life. Sourcing books from public donations and organisations like The Salvation Army, BFBW operates a network of affordable bookstores across the Klang Valley—including IPC, Avenue K, and 1 Mont Kiara. To keep overheads low, BFBW relies heavily on a self-service QR-code payment system and a dedicated workforce of senior citizen volunteers. Today, the bootstrapped social enterprise generates six-figure annual revenues while donating a portion of its proceeds back to charity.
Adrian joins us in the studio to unpack the operational tightrope of running a hybrid social enterprise, retail theft, the logistics of sorting thousands of donated books, how to negotiate with premium mall landlords, and why purpose-driven businesses actually command stronger community loyalty.
Presenter: Audrey Raj
Producer: Audrey Raj, Carol Wong
volunteer managementsmesocial enterpriseretail economicscircular economybookspublishingbootstrappedesg
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