The Mustafa Experience

Across the interviews we conducted, public consensus about Mustafa can be summed up in one word: variety. This is due in no small part to Ahmad's business foresight – Mustafa’s product assortment changes accordingly with customer needs, which is obtained from regular customer surveys and market research (Ahmad & Aziz, 2004). With six levels, 172 departments, and over 300, 000 items, it has become the Mustafa associated with variety as we know it.

 

Employees M.D. Barkatali and K. Anbarsu are not shy about showcasing the product range either; they list the following import countries just off the top of their heads: China, India, Korea, Malaysia, Brazil, and Germany. From the international to the exotic, Mustafa houses products ranging from readymade garments to electronics, daily necessities and fanciful jewelry to trend items – you name it.

 

Yet, one of our more interesting observations was that Mustafa does not sell alcoholic beverages; non-alcoholic whiskey and brandy-flavoured drinks are sold instead (Tsang, 2007, p. 127).

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As we continued on our journey, we took a walk down memory lane, down the vinyl records and record players section, to a time we have never been; we continued to the land of wonder, where we saw venison meat, adult milk powder, air-flown Indian sweets, apple produce from 20 different suppliers, and eggplants that came in different shapes, sizes, and even colours; we spotted binoculars and drones, and two racks full of fidget spinners, and were brought back to current times; and finally, we recognized household brands – of soaps and detergents, and butter and sauces – that reminded us of home.

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