Christmas becoming more popular in Thailand
Play
DESPITE being traditionally recognised in the West, Christmas is increasingly celebrated in Thailand, according to Dunnhumby Thailand, a customer-science company.
“While Christmas is not a traditional Thai festival, our research into the buying habits of shoppers reveals that Thais are beginning to embrace this important time of year,” said Teeradet Dumrongbhalasirt, head of Connect Media at Dunnhumby Thailand.
“Whether it’s putting up a Christmas tree, sending friends or family a hamper, or throwing a party with festive-season food and drink, our data can provide insights into how consumers in Thailand are shopping, giving valuable information to retailers as they plan for one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.”
Using insights into the buying habits of 8.2 million Tesco Lotus shoppers around the country, Dunnhumby found that shoppers in Bangkok and its surrounding area were most likely to spend on gift hampers during the Christmas season.
Shoppers in Southern region, which includes areas such as Krabi, Phuket, Songkhla and Phatthalung, were more likely than any other Thais to buy Christmas trees and related accessories.
The company revealed that hampers were more popular in the Bangkok, Central and Eastern regions, appearing in 11 per cent of festive-season shopping baskets, but less popular in the Southern, Northern and Northeastern regions, where they appeared in just 9 per cent of baskets.
The three provinces most likely to include festive-related items in their basket were Bueng Kan in the Northeast (38.1 per cent), Krabi in the South (28.5 per cent) and Tak in the North (28.3 per cent).
Overall, the regions most likely to celebrate the festive season were the South and Northeast. More than a third (37.4 per cent) of southern customers buying Christmas festival products, including hampers, cards and gift wrap, alcohol, meat, party accessories, and Christmas trees and accessories. Festive products appearing in one in five (20.9 per cent) of northeastern baskets.
Buying habits also tended to be influenced by the cool season, with many customers cross-shopping, and the research revealed that customers who bought Christmas trees would often buy them together with children’s winter clothes.
