Dear Framework Computer Inc., let me tell you how I can help you sell more of your wonderful laptops!
Recently, I noticed that you had plans to commence distribution to Australia. I’m not trying to disparage them, heavens no; I just thought I’d bring them in here for comparison, because the size of their population is only slightly smaller than Malaysia’s, the country in the title of this post. Here’s why you should consider Malaysia as a target market:
- Malaysia has among the highest percentage of Personal Computer ownership in Asia-Pacific, edging out even places like Australia:
APAC: computer ownership by country and type 2022 | Statista .
The culture of personal computer/electronics/device ownership is alive and well in this country!
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In terms of population, Malaysia is LARGER than Australia! Australia is home to 25.69 million people, whereas Malaysia has 33.57 million. Factor in Malaysia having a higher percentage of PC ownership than Australia, and anyone can see that if you want to grow in terms of sales volume, the safer bet just might be Malaysia!
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Malaysians shop online a lot, and are among the region’s top online shoppers. Nine out of ten Malaysians shop online. I’d love to include a link here… but I am only allowed to include two links, so I will include the link for this statistic in a reply to my own post!
The advantage of having a population so used to e-commerce is obvious: distributing laptops in this country via an online store would be a low-risk, high-return operation, since you would not have to set up a physical distribution network, and yet still be confident of sales rolling in.
- Malaysia is poised for a boom in disposable income in the next few years: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/07/25/malaysians-to-shop-more-with-significant-income-growth-says-fitch-solutions/
That means that Malaysians are going to have enough money to spend on a new product that provides greater value in the long run
- Low Geopolitical risk: Malaysia has a clearly stated policy of considering itself a neutral nation, and aspires only to be a middle/balancing power instead of taking sides in great power competition. That means no sudden shifts in licensing/import regulations. You are not going to be subject to import/export restrictions!
And because this is the Internet, my request would not be complete without some anecdotal “evidence”:
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I’m a Malaysian, born and raised, and I know that Malaysians would be thrilled with a device that would allow them to swap out broken parts. When something breaks down, the first question we ask is not ‘can we get a new one’, but rather ‘can we fix this’? Your laptop would likely become the de-facto national laptop of this country, and Malaysia would probably be the global ambassador for your brand.
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Malaysians are as digitized as any Western nation: In 2022, US states might or might not have a vaccine-record app, while at that time, Malaysians already had an app that was usable nationwide, could store a person’s vaccination record, and was integrated with the nation’s database of vaccinated individuals. It can also be used to build heat maps of COVID hotspots at the national level. It was so commonly adopted that you needed to use that app to enter most office buildings. Yes, this application a mostly-mobile app, but it does loosely support my assertion that Malaysians are avid adopters of new technology.
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I shopped for my laptop online, and I know people who shopped for theirs online. This anecdotal evidence seems to be an unnecessary retelling of point #3, but I felt that I should include it here instead of lumping it in with the statistical evidence.
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One last point: I would very much like one of your Framework 16 laptops, so you’ve got yourself at least one guaranteed customer!
Caveat Emptor: The writer of this little screed desperately wants you to set up shop in his country of residence, and might have presented it in a rather more rosy light than merited.
