MALL BATTLE ROYALE FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

Photo Source: www.samuiontour.com

Retail competition will heat up this week as giant retailers try to entice shoppers during Chinese New Year celebrations.

Central Department Store (CDS), The Mall Group, Future Park Rangsit, Big C Supercenter, Siam Piwat and Robinson Department Store will spend combined budgets of 200 million baht on their promotions. It is projected over 10 billion baht will circulate during the festival.

Chamnarn Maytaprechakul, senior chief marketing officer of The Mall, said the group is spending over 50 million baht at its branches (The Mall, The Emporium and Paragon) from Jan 12 to Feb 5. The 25-day event is expected to generate 3.5 billion baht in sales.

Piyawan Leelasompop, vice-president for marketing of CDS, said it increased its budget for the period by 15% to 80 million baht. Customers have a chance to win a 2.5-million-baht Audi car with every 1,500 baht in purchases and a 5% discount for every 2,000-baht purchase. The company expects its sales for the Chinese New Year at all 15 branches nationwide will reach 2.6 billion baht, up from 2.4 billion last year.

Jittinan Wanglee, vice-president of Rangsit Plaza Co, the operator of Future Park Rangsit, said the company plans to spend 300-350 million baht on its marketing activities this year including the 10-million-baht Golden phenomenon of Henan from Jan 20-29.

It expects visitors to rise by 20% from 150,000 per day during the campaign.

Phattaraporn Phenpraphat, vice-president for marketing and public relations of Central Food Retail, the operator of Tops Supermarket, said it is spending 20 million baht for its campaign from Jan 11-Feb 11.

CFR expects sales during the period will grow by 20-25% or 500 million baht per week.

Big C offers 10-50% discounts on 5,000 items of food, decoration, clothing and accessories, in addition to giving away 25 diamond-embedded golden dragons via lucky draws. Customers can enter the draw with every 500-baht purchase at Big C or 100 baht at Mini Big C. The Big C chain will feature a Shaolin Temple Kung Fu performance and lion dance on Jan 21.