Index shows off new concept

“It’s a win-win situation that a variety of products can draw higher traffic, resulting in higher volume in sales” of Index Living Mall’s products, said managing director Kridchanok Patama-satayasonthi.
The Walk Ratchaphruek was opened yesterday as the first of the company’s five planned mall venues, with total investments of about Bt5 billion over the next five years.
Ekalak Patamasatayasonthi, the company’s assistant vice president for business development, said The Walk was the first walking mall on Ratchaphruek Road being developed under the “village walking street” |concept.
The mall on Ratchaphruek Road is on a 25-rai (4-hectare) plot and represents an investment of Bt1.3 billion, of which 85 per cent is from bank loans and 15 per cent the company’s cash flow.
With total space of more than 70,000 square metres and a retail area of more than 25,000sqm, this two-storey indoor community mall is inspired by the walking streets of Santa Monica, California. The Walk Ratcha-phruek’s parking area can accommodate 800 vehicles, while more than 300 shops are ready to respond to any customer’s needs. These range from retailers specialising in a wide range of products and services such as Index Living Mall, Big C Market, electronics and information-technology stores, to restaurants, cafes, bakeries, training institutions, tutoring institutes, home-decor shops, beauty salons, commercial banks, telecom companies, fresh markets, apparel and jewellery. There is also a market promenade.
Ekalak, who is the second generation of the Patamasatayasonthi clan that has been in the furniture business for almost four decades, has taken helm of the family’s community-mall business.
“The Walk Ratchaphruek is the first and only indoor community mall in Thailand where the air-conditioning system is installed for the entire project to ensure the perfect temperature for customers,” he said.
The second community mall will be launched on Kaset-Nawamin Road by the fourth quarter of this year with an investment of Bt1 billion, he said.
Kridchanok said the company would also launch more community malls upcountry, but in a smaller scale of less than 15 rai.
“We’re now in talks with our partners and expect to unveil the project details by the middle of this year,” she said, adding that it planned to expand into six or seven provinces in the next couple of years.
Kridchanok said the company posted revenue of Bt8.05 billion last year and expected to grow to Bt8.6 billion this year.