Retail News CRM

Tag: Thailand

  • AEON collaborates with Siam Piwat to launch “Siam The Ultimate Giving” campaign

    AEON collaborates with Siam Piwat to launch “Siam The Ultimate Giving” campaign

    Praphan Rangsiyopas, Vice President Marketing of AEON Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Public Company Limited, together with Chanisa Kaewruen (third right), Deputy Managing Director Marketing Event and Business Relations Division, and Saruntorn Asaves (third left), Assistant Managing Director Marketing Promotion and Customer Relationship Management of Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., attended the recent launch of “Siam The Ultimate Giving” campaign.

    The Siam Ultimate Giving campaign offers Aeon credit cardholders special privileges, such as movie tickets for two at Major Cineplex cinemas with every 5,000 baht of accumulated purchases at Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery. With every 2,000 baht of accumulated purchases, cardholders receive two coupons for a lucky draw for chances to win prizes worth over 7.8 million baht, including a brand new BMW 218i GT. The campaign runs until January 15, 2017. 

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  • Thai AirAsia X Awaits ICAO Approval

    Thai AirAsia X Awaits ICAO Approval

    Thai AirAsia X (TAAX) will suspend route expansions until at least mid-2017, after Thailand’s aviation industry receives international safety approval.

    The long-haul, low-cost carrier sees a good chance to launch new routes after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has decided to remove the red flag imposed on Thailand for its aviation safety shortcomings.

    “A good timing for our new route launch will come only after [ICAO’s] red flag is off, maybe in mid-2017,” TAAX chief executive Nadda Buranasiri told the Bangkok Post.

    The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has earlier this month expressed hopes that it will pass the next ICAO audit in June next year, thus clearing the major impediment to the country’s aviation industry put in place in June 2015.

    Mr Nadda declined to name specific countries TAAX wants to fly to and whose governments frown upon the flights of carriers registered in countries on the UN agency’s blacklist.

    The essence of ICAO’s red-flagging means that Thai-registered airlines are not allowed to open new routes, nor raise the frequency of existing flights to foreign countries, nor change aircraft types already deployed for current services.

    But it is up to individual countries to follow the ICAO ruling. Some such as Japan, South Korea and Australia, are known for strictly following the rulings, while others like China use their own judgement whether to allow Thai-registered airlines.

    But Mr Nadda said countries in Eastern Europe and Down Under are under study for future coverage.

    TAAX will spend time over the next six months to look at the ideal routes.

    In that period, the airline will make use of its spare aircraft capacity, resulting from the termination of its Tehran and Muscat services, on Dec 5 and Jan 19 next year respectively, for charter purpose.

    TAAX has already shifted some the spare capacity for charter flights between China and Thailand, he said.

    There are six Airbus 330-300 wide-body jets, each configured with 377 seats, in TAAX’s current fleet and, there is no plan for additional aircraft acquisitions next year.

    He affirmed that TAAX’s core services from Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport to Tokyo and Osaka, Seoul and Shanghai continue unabated.

    While the clampdown on inbound Chinese tourist scams hurt business in the past three months, Mr Nadda said TAAX’s Chinese flights are back on track.

    TAAX expects to finish 2016 with 8 billion baht in revenue, 1.1 million in carried passengers with a load factor of 82-85%.

  • Thailand becomes 10th largest investor in Vietnam

    Thailand becomes 10th largest investor in Vietnam

    Thailand’s foreign direct investment into Vietnam has been increasing sharply in recent years, according to a survey report by researcher Pittaya Suvakunta from Thailand’s Thammasat University

    Suvakunta’s report on Thai FDI in Vietnam was circulated at an international conference on Vietnam studies held in Hanoi recently.

    The researcher cited data from Vietnam’s Ministry of Planning and Investment as saying that as of June 2016, Thailand had had 466 projects in Vietnam with total pledged capital of US$9.44 billion, ranking 10th out of the 116 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.

    In 2015, as many as 53 new Thai projects were licensed into Vietnam, besides many others allowed to raise their investment capital, totaling US$262 million of fresh capital.

    Key Thai investors in Vietnam include CP Vietnam Corporation with US$328 million of investment capital, SAS CTAMAD with US$72.6 million, Long Binh Development Joint Venture Company with US$46 million in Dong Nai Province, and TCP VINA Chemical Plastic Company with US$90 million in Go Dau Industrial Park, Dong Nai Province.

    Thailand’s FDI in Vietnam flows into a wide range of sectors such as energy, retail, agriculture, processing, building material, and animal feed.

    “Thousands of Thai firms wish to join hands with Vietnamese partners to leverage the existing potential of both countries,” said Sanan Angubolkul, president of the Thailand-Vietnam Business Council, at a recent press conference in Hanoi.

    According to Tharabodee Serng-Adichaiwit, general manager of Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited in Vietnam, Vietnam is one of the best destinations for Thai investments in Asia and there will be more Thai investments into Vietnam in the near future.

    Bangkok Bank has recently tripled its capital so that it can provide more loans for Thai investors to expand business in Vietnam.

    Many Thai firms have plans at hand to expand their Vietnam operations.

    For example, CP will spend US$150-200 million building a fish feed processing plant, and a processed chicken and cold storage plant in Vietnam.

    Meanwhile, Siam Cement Group (SCG) is also seeking additional funds to increase investment in the domestic market and Southeast Asia. SCG is currently building a new petrochemicals complex in Vietnam and recently announced plans to inject at least 100 billion baht (US$3.3 billion) to expand operations in Southeast Asian markets.

     

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  • 11street launches online marketplace

    11street launches online marketplace

    The South Korean e-commerce leader 11street has opened an online marketplace in Thailand during the festive season to capitalise on rapid growth in online shopping. The wholly owned subsidiary of the mobile operator SK Telecom aims to become Thailand’s biggest e-commerce player by 2020.

    Hong Cheol-jeon, chief executive of 11street (Thailand), said he was excited about giving Thai shoppers the chance to experience the innovative platform from Korea. On its soft opening day last Weddnesday, 11street beat its target with more than 10 million baht in transactions.

    More than 600,000 customers have experienced the platform so far. The 11street platform has attracted more than 6,000 local sellers and aims to have 20,000 by the end of 2017.

    Earlier in August, the company opened its first “sellers’ campus” to train Thai entrepreneurs interested in conducting business online. The 11street platform is designed to work across different operating systems with a seamless experience from desktops to tablets and mobile devices. One feature is a Korea Street, offering products from Korea for sale in Thailand at competitive prices.

    Mr Hong said that in the digital era where data and people are connected, security is one of the most important elements for the platform developer. “Our platform is equipped with latest technology for escrow to ensure the security of online transactions,” he said. Online sales account for lees than 2% of the total retail market in Thailand, meaning there is still huge potential room for growth.

    “Compare that with South Korea where the e-commerce market is worth approximately US$47 billion, which is 18% of the $252-billion retail market,” he said.

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  • Salvatore Ferragamo changes the game in Asia

    Salvatore Ferragamo changes the game in Asia

    Italian fashion label Salvatore Ferragamo has taken over four JVs created in partnership with Trinity (Fung Group), which distributes the brand in South Korea and Southeast Asia.

    Ferragamo says it has bought the companies’ 20 per cent share, still owned by Trinity through Trinity Luxury Brands Holdings and Ferrinch. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed.

    Impacting Ferragamo Korea, Ferragamo (Malaysia), Ferragamo (Singapore) and Ferragamo (Thailand), the takeover follows an agreement signed in 2012. This included a purchasing option allowing for Salvatore Ferragamo to take full control of the JV companies.

    At the time, Ferragamo had already increased its stake in the four companies to 80 per cent.

    In the past few years, the Asia-Pacific region has become Salvatore Ferragamo’s main market, accounting for 35.5 per cent of its global revenue. At the end of September, the label’s sales in the region amounted to €360 million (US$375 million), equivalent to a 0.3 per cent decrease compared to the first nine months of the previous fiscal year.

    The label has 70 monobrand stores in the region.

  • Thai AirAsia X ends Middle East service

    Thai AirAsia X has completely pulled out of the Middle East, a market that appears unready for TAAX’s long-haul, low-cost business model. The airline, part of Asia’s biggest no-frills airline group, is axing Bangkok-Muscat and Bangkok-Tehran routes launched in June this year, due to poor traffic demand at both ends of the each of the routes.

    The termination of Bangkok-Muscat takes effect on Jan 19 and the suspension of Bangkok-Tehran flights became effective on Dec 5, according to insiders. TAAX has struggled to keep the two routes afloat by rationalising capacities to match actual demand. In November, the carrier reduced the frequency of service on both routes to two flights a week, the minimum level acceptable by the market, down from three flights a week at launch.

    TAAX deploys Airbus 330-300 wide-body jets configured with 377 seats on all its routes. The arrangement did not work out well, leading TAAX to terminate Middle East flights altogether. When TAAX inaugurated its Tehran flight on June 22 and Muscat service on June 28, the airline became the first low-cost carrier to offer regular non-stop services on those routes. TAAX’s departure means that all connections between Bangkok and the two Middle Eastern capitals will be handled by full-service airlines. Bangkok-Tehran flights are operated by Iran-based Mahan Airlines and Thai Airways International (THAI), which commenced service in October. The non-stop Bangkok-Muscat flights are flown by Oman Air, while Thai Airways offers regular services to the Omani capital with a stopover in Karachi.

    Insiders said the poor performance by TAAX was in sharp contrast with a rosy outlook perceived earlier this year. TAAX chief executive Nadda Buranasiri said in May the lifting of economic sanctions against Iran in January had turned Tehran into a new economic frontier and an emerging tourism market.

    “There seemed to be strong initial demand for both routes, but it tapered off to become unsustainable eventually,” said an insider who asked to remain anonymous.

    In a release, TAAX apologised for ending its Middle Eastern services and offered full refunds for affected passengers.

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  • Performance remains key metric in Thailand

    Performance remains key metric in Thailand

    Performance ratings continue to determine pay decisions in the majority of Thai organisations, a recent Aon Hewitt survey found.

    With high turnover rates highest among junior managers and supervisors in the Land of Smiles, there is growing pressure on these staff to maintain their performance levels and prove their worth.

    According to the Total Compensation Measurement Study and Benefit Survey 2016 by Aon Hewitt, performance continues to determine pay-related decisions for 95.1% of organisations in Thailand.

    With junior management and supervisor levels recording voluntary turnover rates of 14%, and involuntary turnover rates of 5.3%, one tactic being utilised is to offer wage increases, with salary increments ranging from 4.7% to 6% in 2016 across industries polled.

    Across the Thai economy, the retail and life sciences sectors offered the most generous wage increase in 2016, with an average increment of 6%.

    On the other hand, the travel industry witnessed the lowest average salary increase, at 4.7%.

    The study also showed that other strategies were used to keep hold of employees.

    For example, 72.2% of employers offered individual performance awards, while 38.9% offered special recognition as short-term incentives to retain staff.

    “The high turnover rate among junior managers should warn employers in Thailand to think about their compensation policies in the context of their overall talent retention strategy,” said Panuwat Benrohman, Country Leader, Aon Hewitt, Thailand.

    Panuwat cautioned that companies have a responsibility to arm junior managers with the skillsets necessary to make the step up from individual contributor roles.

    “With ‘better external opportunities’ and ‘limited growth opportunity’ among the top three reasons for attrition, a focus on learning and development will help employers in Thailand build a strong leadership pipeline from within, while still compensating high performers attractively,” he added.

    A total of 174 organisations across all key industries in Thailand participated in the survey.

  • ‘Cloud’ powers Thai e-commerce group’s regional expansion

    ‘Cloud’ powers Thai e-commerce group’s regional expansion

    In August this year, Thailand’s e-commerce enterprise Ascend Group has finished migrating its existing businesses as well as new ventures to the cloud, a move that is expected to support its ambitious regional expansion plans.

    The Ascend Group owns and operates business-to-consumer (B2C) marketplaces WeMall and iTrueMart, and the consumer-to-consumer (C2C) platform WeLoveShopping. It also operates TrueMoney, a wallet solution for digital payments, among other allied businesses.

    Chaiwat Ratanaprateepporn, Chief Technology Officer of Ascend Group, said the company is looking beyond the country’s borders to expand its e-commerce business in the ASEAN region.

    “Most of the operations we have now in ASEAN are under the TrueMoney business. We have Myanmar and Thailand as headquarters, then we have businesses in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines,” he said. Services currently consist of mobile wallet, remittance, top up services, bill payments and the e-commerce payment gateway.

    With a combined population of approximately 600 million, the ASEAN region has a booming e-commerce landscape, which is only logical for the Thai group to target.

    The Ascend Group’s cloud journey started in November 2014 when the company adopted a “cloud first” policy. This has allowed the company to reduce infrastructure build time, improve flexibility and accelerate speed-to-market.

    Chaiwat said the cloud journey is among the preparations it is doing for the expansion move.

    “Why we are moving to the cloud? Our TrueMoney business in Thailand has been around for more than 10 years, while our e-commerce business has been around for just over three years. But we want our start-up companies (though they are no longer startups) to have the same capabilities. They were born in the cloud and are using cloud technologies to move fast and offer customers better services,” he explained.

    In the first quarter of 2015, iTrueMart, an e-commerce retail destination for home appliances and electronic products, hit critical mass.

    “We looked for alternative solutions on how we can manage the traffic and cost and using the technology so we decided to move to Amazon Web Services (AWS). Later that year, we also moved some of the services of TrueMoney to AWS as well,” Chaiwat recounted.

    In the second quarter this year, Ascend also moved the services of WeLoveShopping.com completely to AWS. Thus, its three flagship e-commerce websites are already 100 percent in the cloud. For TrueMoney, however, the company is opting for a hybrid cloud strategy because of the different banking regulations in each of the six ASEAN countries, which make it difficult to operate purely on the cloud.

    Chaiwat, who oversees the digital transformation of the company’s IT infrastructure, shared that when the company launched the WeMall in Thailand, they did so without adding new technical staff to implement, operate and support in addition to iTrueMart.

    “And that is because we leveraged the innovative tools and technology of AWS,” he said. “Ultimately all of this innovation will allow us to better serve our customers and create efficiency that will result in better value for people who shop on Ascend Group’s e-commerce properties.

    The company’s goal is to become the leading e-commerce business in the ASEAN region and leverage the digital technology to expand business opportunities for merchants in Thailand and the region.

    Next steps in the cloud

    What is next for Ascend Group’s cloud journey?

    Chaiwat disclosed that the company’s cloud strategy comprised of three steps. The first step or Version 1.0 is moving the services to the cloud, which they accomplished in the past two years. The second step or Version 2.0, which is being implemented now is using the technology the technology to do more optimizations for cost savings, more automation so they can gain better productivity in the workforce.

    The next step or Version 3.0, which will be implemented starting next year, is really moving to more high-end technology as the data and analytics, machine learning and other capabilities that will help us serve the customers better.

    “What we are aiming ahead are data and analytics. Right now, we are data-driven, meaning we use analytics to do reports on how the transactions are growing. But this is business intelligence, not yet analytics. We are aiming to move there using the capabilities of AWS,” he said.

    For companies starting on their own cloud journey, Chaiwat said it is important to identify or define the benefits that they would want to derive from the cloud. It should help in creating guidelines and the roadmap.

    He stressed, however, that going to the cloud is not all about the benefits. “The company has to transform the workforce, upskill them, and adopt a different mindset and way of working,” he said.

    Nick Walton, Head of ASEAN at AWS, affirmed that e-commerce in Southeast Asia is booming, especially e-commerce on mobile devices.

    “AWS has analytics for mobile, which I think will be relevant for Southeast Asia,” he said. “There are two types of e-commerce – the new e-commerce providers (online only) and the bricks and mortar retailers that are adding the e-commerce experience to the mix. We look at the ability to quickly scale up, get promotions to market quickly, make the needs very successful sales. The last thing you want is a very successful marketing campaign that is let down by the website not performing.”

    The other place for e-commerce is analytics. “This is where we see a good application of the AI technologies like Amazon Polly, a service that turns text into lifelike speech,” Walton noted.

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  • Siam Retail Development plans 10 more malls

    Siam Retail Development plans 10 more malls

    Siam Retail Development plans to open 10 shopping malls and mixed-used projects in Bangkok and upcountry Thailand at an expected investment cost of Bt50 billion (US$1.3 billion) over the next five years.

    In Bangkok, the group has developed Fashion Island Shopping Mall, Terminal 21 Asoke and The Promenade and Life Center. Terminal 21 Korat, in the northeastern region of Nakhon Ratchasima, opened this month as the company’s first upcountry shopping mall.

    Under its five-year investment plan, the affiliate of Land and Houses Group plans to open another Terminal 21 complex in Pattaya in 2018 at a cost of Bt7 billion, which will also include a 500-room hotel and is already under construction.

    Investment opportunities are also under consideration in other provinces such as Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phuket, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani as well as Bangkok.

    Siam Retail Development executive director Prasert Sriuranpong says the 10 proposed malls will have an average cost of Bt5 billion.

    Some of the extra projects, including Terminal 21 Korat, include hotels and/or residences, convention centres and common halls. The company has invested Bt6 billion in the Terminal 21 Korat project.

    Nakhon Ratchasima, the second-most populous province after Bangkok with 2.6 million people, is one of the most appealing provinces in Thailand for investors, says the Registration Administration Bureau of the Department of Provincial Administration. It has the highest GDP in the region, and is a tourism centre with more than 5 million visitors a year.

    Siam Retail Development expects its Terminal 21 Korat complex to attract 55,000 visitors a day and anticipates revenue, mainly from retail-space rental, of Bt700 million in the first year. Highlights of the complex are a 110m-high Skydeck, plus a convention hall and sport podium, with 400 hotel rooms in the works.

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  • Visa and TAT launch festive campaign with great rewards for tourists

    Visa and TAT launch festive campaign with great rewards for tourists

    Suripong Tantiyanon (left), Visa Country Manager, Thailand and Noppadon Pakprot (right), Deputy Governor for Tourism Product and Business, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), launch Thailand Spectacular Year End 2016, aiming to boost inbound tourist spending during the festive seasons.

    The joint promotional campaign rewards non-Thai Visa cardholders with special privileges and complimentary gifts when they spend at 14 shopping complexes throughout Bangkok, from now until January 31, 2017. TAT forecast that more than 375,000 tourists will visit Thailand during the four-day New Year period, generating more than THB 5.5 billion of revenue for the country, a 12-percent increase from the same period last year.

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  • AEON joins The Mall Group in “The Magic of Giving” Campaign

    AEON joins The Mall Group in “The Magic of Giving” Campaign

    Waraporn Nilpanich (third left), Vice President Credit Card of AEON Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Public Company Limited, together with Voralak Tulaphorn (middle), Senior Vice President Marketing of The Mall Group Co., Ltd. has launched “The Magic of Giving” campaign to reward AEON credit cardholders this New Year.

    Accumulated spending of every 3,000 baht at the Mall shopping center with AEON credit cards, entitles cardholders to receive a gift voucher of up to 1,000 baht. Besides, cardholders will receive x3 lucky draws for chances to win prizes valued over 1 million baht when spending every 1,000 baht. The campaign runs until January 11th, 2017

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  • Thailand targets counterfeit branded goods

    Thailand targets counterfeit branded goods

    Thailand is clamping down on counterfeit branded goods with plans for a campaign to target tourists.

    The Thai Commerce Ministry is seeking the support of foreign embassies as it launches its “Stop Fake Goods” campaign, aimed at travellers.

    Meantime, the government says it will stringently inspect traders for counterfeit goods, including examining their tax-payment history.

    New Year visitors to Thailand will be urged not to buy fake goods, says director-general Thosapone Dansuputra of the ministry’s Intellectual Property Department. He says the aim is to ensure Thailand moves away from its bad reputation for trading in fakes.

    He says it is illegal for visitors to buy counterfeit products, and the government will set up billboards in tourist spots to warn shoppers and traders not to buy or sell fakes. Both in Thai and English – and Chinese is some areas – the billboards will be posted at airports, BTS and MRT stations.

    Also, Commerce Ministry officers in each province will be on watch for any trading of counterfeit products.
    The department will also join forces with copyright owners, police and the Internal Security Operations Command to inspect areas known for selling fake goods, such as flea markets.

    Thosapone said that to boost the penalties for trading in counterfeit goods, the department is co-operating with the Revenue Department to investigate the tax history of suspected violators.

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  • Siam Discovery Launched Year-End Campaign to Spread the Love and Spirit of Sharing

    Siam Discovery Launched Year-End Campaign to Spread the Love and Spirit of Sharing

    Siam Piwat, the owner and operator of Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery, invested over 30 million baht in the greatest year-end marketing campaign, which integrates the customer-centric strategy. Interpreting the festive season as the time when people send their love and good wishes to others, the Company launched “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love” campaign.

    The shoppers will not only find a wide array of gift items for themselves and loved ones, but also enjoy a big promotion that serves the government’s Shop for the Nation campaign. To add the sentimental value to the campaign, Siam Discovery hosts an art exhibition displaying the genius of the late King Bhumibol, including his great love and generosity for his citizen. In response to the royal wish on endless giving, Siam Discovery will organize “Gifts for Them” CSR activity that gives the gifts to 300 children in Community Children Foundation (CCF) under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. During the festive season, the shopping center expected to welcome 80,000 – 100,000 Thai and foreign shoppers a day.

    Year-End Campaign: “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love”

    Mr. Charnchai Cherdchoowongthanakorn, Senior Executive Vice President – Retail Business Development, Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., said, ” In each year, December is considered the high season with the greatest spending. However, the shopping sentiment this year differs from the past. Siam Discovery, considering itself as a friend of shoppers, understood their feelings and translated the season of joy into the joy of sharing. It therefore hosts the integrated campaign called “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love”. Siam Discovery started from creating its ambience, in which encourages everyone to participate under the concept of ‘exploration, creation, and cultivation’. In addition, it holds an art exhibition to commemorate the talent of H.M. the late King, who worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life of his people. He did this out of love and wanted nothing in return. Moreover, Siam Discovery offers Thai people a space to express their love and give the moral support to one another. The shoppers can take photos and share their love in the Living Room of Love. It also displays the art installation that presents the Royal Rainmaking Initiative Project and Reforestation Initiative Project. The exhibitions are open for the public to help them feel connected.”

    Siam Discovery spent more than 30 million baht on “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love” campaign, which includes the creation of shopping ambience, promotion and CSR activity. It expected to daily attract 80,000 – 100,000 Thai and foreign shoppers on average, with 50:50 ratio. The survey revealed that 80% of foreign tourists are Free Individual Traveler (FIT), which are considered high-quality tourists with high purchasing power.

    Launching a big promotion to boost the holiday shopping in response to Shopping for the Nation campaign

    Siam Piwat responds to the government’s economic stimulus policy that encourages the people to shop and use the tax invoice of December 2016 for the tax deduction. Expecting an influx of shoppers, Siam Piwat prepared the staff and equipment to facilitate the shoppers who request the formal tax invoice and to ensure the fast and convenient service.

    In addition, Siam Piwat holds special promotion, to create the unique shopping experience at Siam Paragon shopping mall , Siam Center , and Siam Discovery from now – December 31, 2016. Spending at least 15,000 baht, the shoppers will receive Siam Gift Card worth 1,500 baht. VIZ cardholders and the members of Siam Discovery Mobile Application will enjoy more benefits

    “Gifts for Them” CSR activity for the disadvantaged

    Miss Chanisa Kaewruen, Senior  Deputy Managing Director of Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., revealed, “Besides the value-added promotion, Siam Discovery infuses the sentimental value into the customers’ mind because we believe that our customers care for the society and wish to share good things with the people around them. We therefore come up with “Gifts for Them” activity, inviting the customers to spread the joy to others by giving the gifts to 300 children in Community Children Foundation (CCF) under the Royal Patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The customers can buy gift items for the children on 50% discount and Siam Discovery will subsidize the other half. We will host an event where the donors can present the gifts to the children themselves.

    In preparing the product  to serve the customer demand, Siam Discovery, with the expertise in matching the right products for each lifestyle, has selected the perfect gift items for each target segment. It also displays the recommended gift items on each floor.   To increase the value to the gifts, it offers the personal gift wrapping as the customized service in addition to the regular gift wrapping service.

    In “Think Giving”, Siam Discovery offers a wide variety of products from the Royal Project Foundation, PatPat shop under Chaipattana Foundation, Phufa and Doi Kham as the special gifts for special people. The event will take place on the 5th floor from now until February 19, 2017.

    Customer-centric marketing focuses on capturing the customers’ interest. Siam Discovery therefore launched the marketing promotion activities that add the sentimental value to the shoppers. It expected that “Citizen of Love: It’s time to Give Good Love” campaign will not only increase the sales volume by 15 – 20%, but also make the holiday shopping more meaningful and bring the spirit of giving to this season of joy.

  • Element Fresh plans Asian franchise roll-out

    Element Fresh plans Asian franchise roll-out

    Chinese international restaurant brand Element Fresh plans to grant development rights to franchisees across Asia, with an initial focus on Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Singapore.

    Founded in 2002, the group has nearly 40 restaurants in China, mainly in Beijing and Shanghai.

    It forecasts 80 outlets across China by 2020 while it moves to franchise in key countries across Asia.

    “We seek retail-focussed companies that view our cosmopolitan brand as complementing their existing portfolio and aligned with their business strategy,” says Element Fresh international franchising director Paul Barbone. “Our systems and operations have been fine-tuned and engineered to ease the start-up process through to multi-unit management.”

    Most of the brand’s dishes incorporate superfoods, with the seasonal menu innovation cycle giving diners the chance to try innovative ingredients.

    “We are passionate about fresh food, great taste and quality ingredients, making ‘eating right’ easy for our guests,” says CEO Frank Rasche. “People from dozens of countries come to us every day for our diverse menu and seasonal touches.”

    Recent examples include Salmon & Warm Buckwheat Salad, plus the Spicy BBQ Chicken Cobb salad that includes avocado chunks and chimichurri ranch dressing.

    Element Fresh has also just launched www.elementfresh.org, which details the advantages and benefits for franchise partners while showcasing its latest restaurant prototype.

    Barbone says the website offers information and videos for potential franchise partners. He plans to visit key markets in the coming months to meet with qualified groups, with the goal of having outlets open in select key cities by the second half of next year.

    Founded in Shanghai in 2002, Element Fresh is known for its gourmet salads and made-to-order fruit juices and smoothies, its diverse international menu including American-style breakfasts, and its casual dining ambience and service.

  • Titan Launches Thai Commemorative EDGE Wristwatch

    Titan Launches Thai Commemorative EDGE Wristwatch

    Titan Company Limited, the world’s fifth largest watchmaker and part of the Indian conglomerate giant TATA Group, is releasing a limited edition timepiece in Thailand created especially for the Thai market.

    Titan selected its Red Dot award-winning EDGE, the world’s slimmest wristwatch in the universe, to create the exclusive wristwatch, commemorating the timeless respect and honor for His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

    The royal emblem marking the 70th Anniversary Celebrations of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Accession to the Throne is placed at 12 o’clock and the Thai numeral for nine at 9 o’clock. 

    The Titan Thai Commemorative EDGE wristwatch is available with a black, blue and brown dial and color-matched leather strap. The blue and brown dial watches are set in rose gold plated case while the black dial watch is set in a gold plated case, both of which gives this exclusive wristwatch an extra-special elegance and sophisticated quality. 

    With a total slimness of just 3.6 mm and a wafer-thin movement of 1.15mm, the Titan EDGE is a technological marvel. It is water resistant up to a depth of 30 meters. The classic hallmarks of the EDGE design include a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass front, stainless steel case and specially designed slim battery. 

    The inscription, “In Honor of His Majesty the King”, is engraved on the watch back as a tribute to the King, creating a wonderful memento for owners to treasure for years to come.

     “The intricate craftsmanship of the Titan EDGE, its timeless design and incredible innovation resonate with the Thai market,” said Sonia Yamdagni, Managing Director of Omni Co., Ltd., the sole distributor of Titan watches in Thailand. 

    “A sense of  tradition and appreciation for quality are valued and passed along from one generation to the next whilst moving toward a future of hope and success for the country and the Thai people; a symbol of the importance of finding time to give back to the nation and to others,” added Sonia.

    Titan watches are retailed in 32 countries worldwide. The Titan Thai Commemorative EDGE wristwatch, presented in an attractive velvet-lined wooden box, retails at THB 8,900 and is currently available at Central, Robinson and The Mall Group department stores nationwide, including Siam Paragon and Emporium in Bangkok.

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