Jintana lingerie set to enter Japan

Jintana Intertrade chief executive officer Vichai Thanalongkorn and Sumikin Bussan president Mitsunori Okada signed the joint-venture agreement recently.

From January, Jintana will provide Sumikin Bussan with materials, machines and support services. Once the operation in Japan is set up, it should provide jobs for 400 people and will produce up to 2 million pieces of lingerie per year, Vichai said.

Jintana Intertrade currently has two plants in Thailand, one each in Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Pathom provinces.

According to the firm’s vice president, Savitee Thanalongkorn, Jintana has been in the lingerie market for more than 55 years and is aiming to expand further in Asia. It already has seven outlets in Myanmar, mainly in Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, and is aiming to open another 20 outlets in the near future.

It is also eyeing Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.

The firm aims to earn about US$10 million (Bt307 million) from Asian markets.

Jintana has been a leader in the Thai lingerie market for many years, with 30 per cent of its target customers in Bangkok and the remainder upcountry.

The local lingerie market is worth about Bt12 billion and the company hopes its total market share will rise by 10 per cent, with 25 per cent in basic bras. The company also plans to focus on promotions to build the brand next year.