Japan's Canon upbeat on surge in Thai sales

 “Canon will grow with the Thai economy and society,” Wataru Nishioka, president and chief executive officer of Canon Marketing (Thailand), the local sales and marketing arm for Canon products, said yesterday.
The company is optimistic that its sales this year will soar 24 per cent to Bt10 billion, spurred by strong consumer spending amid the rapidly rehabilitating economy.
Over the next decade, the firm intends to sustain its growth at 20 per cent annually. In 2015, its sales will reach Bt20 billion via aggressive marketing activities, especially sponsorship programmes, and the launch of innovative products.
Of total sales this year, Bt6.34 billion will come from camera products, Bt3.01 billion from printer products and Bt1.37 billion from photocopier products. The firm is making a big effort to hold the leading share in all three product categories.
Last year, its sales grew 11.4 per cent to Bt8.65 billion, despite the massive flooding in the final quarter. Healthy sales in the first three quarters helped offset missing sales during the flood. Last year’s performance was considered the best in the 17 years that the company has been doing business here.
Canon is engaged in three product lines for business and home use – multifunctional photocopiers and office equipment, printers and presentation equipment, and cameras, lenses and accessories.
The firm holds a leading share in some markets. For example, it has maintained its leadership in digital photocopiers for four straight years with a share of 18 per cent as of the third quarter of last year. Also, it controlled 65.1 per cent of the DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera market last year.
The firm will keep an equal focus on the three product groups, backed by a marketing budget of Bt700 million, Wataru said. It will also look for more distribution channels nationwide, including universities.