Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie launched AladdinStreet.com (AladdinStreet) in Malaysia in January last year, and followed that with its Singapore operations taking off in July. But this is just for a start as he hopes to expand the business to the rest of the globe within the next two years.

AladdinStreet brands itself as the “world’s first exclusive premium halal e-marketplace.”

And therein lies the main challenge for Sheikh Muszaphar and his team, that is, keeping strictly to the halal quality expected by consumers.

Speaking to Marketing magazine (A+M), the former astronaut said it is a constant challenge trying to find the right partners and merchants within different countries.

“This is in addition to making sure the products are halal, at a premium quality,” he was quoted as saying.

Sheikh Muszaphar added that the main problem is that different countries have different halal standards.

“For instance, Malaysia has a very high and well-respected standard when it comes to halal products. But in China, the halal standard is not as firm with products such as halal beer and halal pork.

“As such, we don’t want people from Malaysia to buy products online from China as the products are different,” he explained, adding that Aladdin Street was working closely with trade associations and ministries in each country.

“On that note, we are also keen on developing the halal industry for these countries and intend to form a halal academy in each country.

“This will then be the best guide for that particular country, on what is the acceptable halal standard,” Sheikh Muszaphar told A+M.

The other challenge would be on reaching the target audience of Muslim consumers and, for the longer term, also making non-Muslims come on board as customers.

For the latter, he said it is about changing the mindset over what is halal.

“We have to change the mindset of non-Muslim consumers so as to make them be aware that halal is not just about religion, but also about hygiene and lifestyle,” he was quoted as saying, on how cleanliness, working conditions and other factors related to the production of the food is as important as what goes into the food.

Speaking of the Muslim consumer base, Sheikh Muszaphar said their choice is limited today despite the thriving global Islamic economy.

Quoting a report by Ogilvy Noor, A+M said Muslim consumers are now the world’s most rapidly developing consumer group, yet the group remains largely untapped. Many Muslim consumers are also now increasingly calling for brands to respond to their needs.

And with more than 60% of the world’s Muslims living in Asia, two-thirds of whom are under 30 years old, the demand is there from consumers who want brands to simply understand them and be genuine.

Understanding this need, Sheikh Muszaphar said he believes his company can eventually be one of the top 10 most profitable e-commerce ventures in the world.

“But first, AladdinStreet aims to be the largest premium halal e-commerce platform which caters to both B2B and B2C consumers.

“I believe that AladdinStreet can go far and 10 years from now, we can be as big as Alibaba,” he said, referring to the China-based e-commerce portal founded by Jack Ma.

With such high targets, Sheikh Muszaphar and his team are investing about US$100 million (RM450 million) in the first three years of operations, for its expansion to more than 30 countries worldwide including China, Indonesia, India, the Middle East, and parts of Europe.

Nationwide roadshow

Based on the sales and response from merchants in the two countries launched so far, Sheikh Muszaphar said he is confident of achieving targets in the coming years.

For the immediate future, he is going to be active in promoting AladdinStreet with a nationwide roadshow starting this month. He said his 10kg spacesuit will be part of the attraction as he promotes the website to schools and universities in the country.

“We are looking at one state per month and the campaign will last about a year. We are also working with the respective states’ agencies, starting with Johor,” he was quoted as saying by A+M.

However, recognising the need to reach a wider audience on a global scale to build the AladdinStreet brand, he clued in on how the company is in the final stages of striking an exclusive and first-ever brand partnership with one of the world’s biggest football clubs.

After having the mental and physical fortitude to beat 11,400 plus candidates to become Malaysia’s first astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar knows he is prepared for the challenge ahead.

“If I want something, I know I will get it. It’s just a matter of time because I work so hard, I also use the power of visualisation. I imagine, I imagine, I imagine, it will come!” he said, adding that the trick is to be fearless.

“Many ask me if I’m scared or worried, but we’ve been trained to be fearless. You should take risks in life. Just tell yourself, if you die, you die. So be it. Don’t be ‘takut’ (afraid).”