Datin Joanne Wong with the recipients of the CSR initiative.

Bargain Basement, a community initiative of IOI Foundation, which provides quality used or new items at affordable prices for a good cause that puts it a potential for the StarProperty Readers’ Choice 2024 Award. Every year, three award categories with public voting for the StarProperty Readers’ Choice are conducted in conjunction with a virtual award showcase, which will be held in April this year. This year’s categories are:

1. Most Preferred Developer
2. Most Heart-Warming CSR (corporate social responsibility) Initiative
3. The Newsmaker of the Year

Bargain Basement, initiated by founder Datin Joanne Wong, began in 2016. The CSR initiative sells used and new items, ranging from clothing, shoes and bags to household items, books and fashion accessories, which are donated by members of the public. Bargain Basement recently contributed RM400,000 of its net proceeds to 18 beneficiaries, marking a significant milestone of nearly RM1,000,000 in total donations to 50 beneficiaries since its inception.

The following are the 18 recipients:

1. Cherishlife Home 
2. Epic Homes 
3. Hospis Malaysia 
4. Lifecare Community Services 
5. Malaysian Association of Paediatric Palliative Care (MAPPAC)
6. PAWS Animal Welfare Society
7. Persatuan Daybreak
8. Pertubuhan Amal Uncle Kentang Malaysia 
9. Pusat Jagaan Al-Fikrah Malaysia 
10. Rumah Charis
11. Sisters in Islam
12. SJK (C) Chen Moh
13. SJK (C) Tshing Nian
14. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
15. Society for the Severely Mentally Handicapped (SSMH)
16. The Edge Education Foundation
17. The Lost Food Project
18. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)

Wong believed that Bargain Basement is not only a platform that serves as a form of aid to the community, especially in times of great economic challenges, but also a good source of purpose for the environment. She said: “Our stores are also a sustainable form of aid to the environment as we inculcate the culture of recycling, reusing, and in many cases, repairing the items that we receive.”

The flagship outlet is located in IOI City Mall, Putrajaya and the second branch was opened in IOI Mall, Puchong. In addition, two branches are located in the Sungai Long and Kampar campuses of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), which are operated by UTAR students.