Emporium buoyed by increase in visitors
BUOYED by a brighter outlook for Thailand’s economy, with a related boost in spending power and expectations for more tourists, the Emporium Shopping Complex Co forecasts sales growth of 10 to 15 per cent this year.
The deputy managing director of the upmarket retailer, Manatase Annawat, said the number of visitors to its Emporium and EmQuartier shopping malls rose by about 15 per cent last year.
“Growth was especially strong in the festive season at year-end when the government came out with measures to stimulate spending and waive VAT on purchases,” he said.
“The company continues to see many positive factors to driving growth this year and expects more stimulus packages will follow to promote business and growth in the retail industry this year.”
The luxury retailer expects to be a beneficiary of the projected increase in foreign tourist inflows, eyeing a rise in the proportion of foreign customers from 35 per cent of the total last year to 40 per cent this year.
The retailer is also seeing a rise in the number of tourists from Asean countries, especially Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos.
Manatase said that some of these Asean visitors had not only visited the Emporium and the EmQuartier malls for shopping and dining, but had also been on the lookout for business opportunities. “As we are positioning ourselves as middle to high-end shopping centres, many visitors with strong purchasing power as well as investors have visited our malls with a view to these investment purposes,” he said.
On weekdays, visitor numbers at the Emporium and EmQuartier centres range from 60,000 to 70,000, climbing to between 80,000 and 120,000 a day on weekends, the company says.
Chinese and Japanese visitors are also drawn to the company’s malls, Manatase said, including those living in Bangkok.
Tourists from the Middle East likewise are prominent. To drive sales growth and draw more visitors this year, the Emporium and the EmQuartier malls have planned a range of special activities for key shopping seasons throughout the year.
For the upcoming Chinese New Year, celebrations on the theme of The Emperor Dragon's Golden Spells will be staged from January 16 to March 15.
Diverse menus from more than 40 restaurants at the Helix, a dining destination at its malls, will be served.
The company will also launch special activities and offer gifts to shoppers.
