P. Lal Store

The Beginning

It all started with one man’s vision – a man who came here with nothing but made a success of his life. With no money and a few relatives scattered in Malacca and Kuala Lumpur, Prabhulal G. Doshi (1901-1988) who came to Malaysia from India went to work as a salesman earning the then princely sum of $20 (Malayan Dollars) a month. The story goes on to how P. Lal Store was founded.

1922

In 1922 he started his own mercantile business with two bicycles and some merchandise bought on credit. Although business in the beginning was difficult, the bicycles soon gave way to a tricycle, which was replaced by a $300 jalopy.

1929

In 1929, Prabhulal rented a store in Batu Road (now Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman) and named it P. Lal Silk Store. One of his four sons, Bhansukhlal P. Doshi (1929-1997) who took over running the then second generation business was instrumental in the rapid growth and maturity of the store.

1947

Prabhulal’s son, Bhansuklal joined the company in 1947 at age 17 and under his supervision, P. Lal Silk Store flourished. The company began to be more focused – changing its name to the current P. Lal Store. They created a niche market, concentrating on imported men’s shoes for the middle and upper income group and winter clothing. Bhansuklal worked in the shop for 50 years till his death in 1997 at age 68. Both his sons now run the store. Shyam runs the shoe section while his brother Minesh takes care of the winter clothing section.

2009

In 2009, the company discontinued operations at its Jalan TAR location, opting instead to relocate to two larger premises, along Jalan Gasing, PJ. Between 2009 and 2011, the Shoe Department was temporarily situated near Bank Negara, while the Winter Department's inventory was put in cold storage. (No pun intended)

2011

Following operational licensing and renovation delays, the company resumed operations at Jalan Gasing in 2011. P. Lal Store currently occupies two buildings, one for footwear and the other for winter apparel. The store has the largest selection of branded shoes including Loake, Barker and Crockett & Jones from England, Sledges from France and Sioux from Germany. The winter clothing section offers everything needed in a cold country from thermal underwear to gloves, trench coats, socks and windbreakers.

2020

The challenges presented by the 2020 pandemic significantly impacted brick-and-mortar retail, and the company is actively adapting to these evolving market conditions.

2024

In May 2024, the Shoe Department relocated to the lower ground floor. In March 2025, the Winter Clothing Department joined the Shoe Department on the lower ground floor. Both departments now operate exclusively from the lower ground floor.

2025

Today, Shyam and Minesh both exhibit the same entrepreneurial spirit as their father and grandfather, implementing new strategies and ideas that has made the company even more more successful than before. P. Lal Store now has the distinction of being Kuala Lumpur’s Oldest Established Store.