ROBINSON SET TO OPEN 25 STORES

Robinson Department Store plans to invest 2.8 billion baht to open five new stores this year as part of a plan aimed at boosting revenues by 20%.

Jiraphan Thongtan, general manager for finance for Robinson, told investors at a briefing yesterday that the company would aim to open five new stores per year over the next five years.

Investment for each store is projected at 500 to 700 million baht, she said.

RETAILERS PLAN FOR POSSIBLE FLOODS

Retailers and manufacturers are taking steps to protect themselves from natural disasters. They want to avoid a repeat of last year, when massive floods severely damaged stores and factories.

Facilities were inundated, products could not be delivered, and consumers were left without necessities such as food and water.

So companies are making efforts now to minimise or completely avoid future damage and disruptions.

Manufacturers are busy improving plants and working to resume full production as soon as possible. Some companies uncertain about the future are opting to hire subcontractors to manufacture for them.

Last year's floods left the retail sector with losses in the billions or even trillions of baht when actual property damage and lost business are considered.

Normal operations are not expected until the second half of this year.

RONBINSONS EYES BRANCH BINGE

Mr Preecha (centre) with actress Mint Chalida Vijitvongthong and actor Naded Kugimiya at the launch of Robinson Department Store’s Rama IX branch.

Robinson Department Store Plc plans to double its branches and sales over the next five years after expanding slowly over the past several years.

The number of branches in 2016 is expected to reach 50, up from 25 by the end of this year. Sales would rise to 34.6 billion baht over the same period.

Robinson president Preecha Ekkunagul said at least 2.5 billion baht would be spent to add five new branches each year for five years, with the funding to come from the company's cash flow.

Next year's five new branches will be in Bang Na, Bang Khae, Surat Thani, Lampang and Suphan Buri, each creating 500-600 new jobs.

TESCO READY WITH MORE ESSENTIAL GOODS

Tesco Lotus has opened a temporary distribution centre at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (Bitec) to ensure that essential products will reach its stores in the capital as flooding threats mount

Distribution director Dusit Panmanee said the hypermarket chain had rented 20,000 square metres for 20 days at Bitec, with a capacity to handle up to 500,000 cases of products a day.



Tesco Lotus staff arrange pallets at the hypermarket chain’s temporary distribution centre at Bitec yesterday. KITJA APICHONROJAREK



After 20 days, the company expects to reopen its two distribution centres that had been closed due to water inundation in Wang Noi district, Ayutthaya, and in Sam Khok district, Pathum Thani.

Another two distribution centres in Bang Bua Thong and Lam Luk Ka are also closed. Products worth one billion baht kept at the four flooded distribution centres cannot be delivered to its stores.

Apart from Bitec, the company has also established temporary distribution hubs in Surat Thani, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Lamphun. One more will be added in Ubon Ratchathani soon.

James Scott, the company's operations director, said customer demand was rising substantially while product deliveries were being delayed due to the flooded roads. The company is seeking other means of transport including trains and airplanes.

It has also been increasing supplies of essential products by importing 3 million litres of drinking water and 8 million packages of noodles from Malaysia.

Tesco Lotus also is using the global sourcing team from its UK parent to import water, noodles, canned fish, eggs and UHT milk from Malaysia, China and Vietnam.

Mr Dusit said product shortages at its stores were now easing and each store had about 90% of products available on shelves.

The company has closed about 100 stores, mainly Lotus Express outlets, because of the severe floods.

Big C Supercentre Plc, meanwhile, has opened seven temporary distribution centres to shorten transport times. They are located in Suwintawong in Bangkok, four in Chon Buri and one each in Chanthaburi and Chachoengsao.

Spokeswoman Kudatara Nagaviroj said the chain had also set up a distribution hub in Ubon Ratchathani and Khon Kaen for the Northeast and would set up another in Krabi for the South.

CENTRAL ชิงประมูลที่ดินจุฬาฯ จ่อเพิ่ม"ค่าเช่า-เซ้ง"ศูนย์การค้า

"ซีพีเอ็น" เดินหน้าลงทุน 5 หมื่นล้าน ภายใน 5 ปี เผยสนใจร่วมประมูลที่ดินจุฬาฯ แยกสามย่าน เล็งขึ้นคอมเพล็กซ์ "มิกซ์ยูส" พร้อมเตรียมปรับโครงสร้างเก็บค่าเช่าศูนย์การค้าแบบใหม่เน้นคิดตามยอดขายของร้านค้า-ลดรูปแบบเช่าเซ้งยาว เตรียมฟ้องศาลเรียกเงินประกันเซ็นทรัลเวิลด์

นายนริศ เชยกลิ่น รองกรรมการผู้จัดการใหญ่ สายงานการเงินและบัญชี บริษัท เซ็นทรัลพัฒนา จำกัด (มหาชน) หรือซีพีเอ็น เปิดเผยว่า จากนี้ไปบริษัทยังคงเดินหน้ารุกธุรกิจต่อเนื่องตามแผนการลงทุน 5 หมื่นล้านบาท ภายในปี 2015 สำหรับการเปิดสาขาใหม่ ทั้งในประเทศและต่างประเทศ อาทิ การเปิดศูนย์การค้าเซ็นทรัลที่ จ.พิษณุโลก และพระราม 9 ในช่วงปลายปีนี้ และเซ็นทรัล สุราษฎร์ธานี กลางปี 2555 จากนั้นเตรียมเปิดเซ็นทรัล เฟสติวัล เชียงใหม่ ในปี 2556 ส่วนพื้นที่สวนลุมพินี ยังคงรอการส่งมอบพื้นที่ โดยจากการเปิดสาขาใหม่ต่อเนื่องทำให้บริษัทตั้งเป้ารายได้โตเฉลี่ยปีละประมาณ 15% ต่อเนื่องหลังจากนี้

ROBINSON ADDING 7 MORE STORES

Robinson Department Store Plc will spend 4 billion baht to open seven new outlets this year and next.

Customer response to first lifestyle centre in Trang has exceeded expectations since the opening four months ago, says Mr Preecha.

Included in the two-year expansion plan is Robinson Suphan Buri, its second stand-alone lifestyle project, worth 800 million baht, where outside tenants will be invited to rent space next year, said president Preecha Ekkunagul.

The first lifestyle centre opened in Trang last November to penetrate secondary provinces where big shopping malls were not present.

"The feedback in Trang has exceeded our expectations with double-digit growth every month since it was opened four months ago," he said.

Apart from Suphan Buri, the other six new stores will be in Chiang Rai, Phitsanulok, Bangkok's Rama IX and Bang Khae areas, Mega Bang Na and Surat Thani. By the end of 2012, Robinson will have 30 branches.