These M’sians are using AR tech to innovate the local kurma gifting industry

Augmented Reality (AR) technology is not a new technology. It has been around as early as 1990, but it hasn’t found widespread use among common consumers yet.

Realising the capabilities of the technology and its potential to empower local products, international date distributors, The Saheeh Company, have applied AR technology to every box of their first product, The Saheeh Kurma.

Genesis of the brand

For Mohd Fahmy, 38, and Hariz Abdul Hadi, 32, their venture into the dates industry with The Saheeh Company was driven by a desire to redefine how consumers perceive dates, particularly during festive seasons like Ramadan and Hari Raya.

Before delving into the dates business, both Fahmy, the Chief Executive Officer, and Hariz, the Chief Operating Officer, had extensive experience in various sectors.

Fahmy dabbled in merchandise, F&B, and retail, while Hariz honed his skills in F&B and event organisation. Their diverse backgrounds laid a strong foundation for their entrepreneurial journey.

According to Hariz, the inception of The Saheeh Company stemmed from a simple yet profound idea: revolutionise the dates industry by focusing on packaging.

The name ‘Saheeh,’ meaning ‘authentic’ in Arabic, reflects their mission to provide consumers with genuine products and an authentic experience.

Filling the void in dates packaging

Launched in early 2022, The Saheeh Company gained traction by offering quality dates in visually appealing and reusable containers.

Recognising a gap in the market where dates packaging often lacked appeal and quality, Fahmy and Hariz aimed to create packaging that not only preserved the freshness of the dates but also elevated the gifting experience during festive seasons.

“Dates packaging is often boring, made from low quality materials and does not look attractive. As we Muslims in Malaysia love to exchange gifts during Ramadan or Raya, we came out with a packaging that was suitable as gifts,” Hariz told Vulcan post.

With the container being versatile, Hariz added that their consumers usually reuse their containers for other things such as storing kuih raya, nuts, and more.

“Currently, we don’t offer refills [for kurma] yet but we plan to make a refill pack in the next season,” he added.

Introducing an AR personalised message feature on packaging, they ventured where no dates company had seemingly gone before.

Hariz shared that everything related to AR is done in-house, including the features and elements.

“We want to further enhance our customer experience when receiving gifts. We made a personalised video message in place of the customary wish card, which is then turned into an augmented reality experience.”

“Customers can send their video messages and we will include them in our AR feature and send a unique QR code to the receiver to activate the AR video message,” he added.

Something you might be wondering about is the incorporation of Japanese writing on the packaging. Albeit driven by a love for anime, it also serves a strategic purpose, Hariz said.

“Another reason why we decided to proceed with the Japanese writing is because any packaging with a Japanese font on it will be perceived as a quality brand or product, as that is what the Japanese industry is known for,” he said.

They offer a variety of dates ranging from ajwa dates, safawi dates, mabroom dates, medjool, and sukkary rutob dates to mixed dates. Their dates price starts from RM 19.90 for a single container and can go up to RM 1,418 if you purchase their carton option which consists of 40 containers.

Seasonal peaks and beyond

While Ramadan marks their peak season, The Saheeh Company aims for longevity beyond the festivities.

With plans to expand their dropshipping and stockist programme, targeting markets in Borneo and Singapore, they envision a future where The Saheeh Company brand is synonymous with quality and innovation.

Despite primarily targeting the Malay Muslim demographic, The Saheeh Company has witnessed growing interest from non-Muslims, due to their educational approach highlighting the health benefits of dates.

Currently, 80% of their sales are retail-driven, 15% is from corporate or bulk orders, and another 5% is from their agents or stockists and resellers.

Looking ahead, Fahmy and Hariz aspire for The Saheeh Company to be the go-to choice for quality dates and gifting options during festive seasons.