CRC launches chain of household-item stores

“An analysis of the property market revealed a growth rate that is on the rise,” Suthisarn Chirathivat, president of Baan & Beyond as well as HomeWorks, Thai Watsadu and Power Buy for CRC Thai Watsadu, said yesterday.

Baan & Beyond is expected to extend the group’s home-decor range to attract customers from all segments.

It aims to be a top-three player in three years with a strategy that lines up with the needs of the modern consumer and a clear trend of growth and expansion in the property and home-decor product markets. 

Branches will open in major provinces or cities with high growth potential.

“We have seen consistent growth rates – as high as 15 per cent – since mid-2012. Detached homes and condominium projects have been launched in massive numbers, while consumers’ lifestyles have shifted in favour of single, detached families. 

“These changes have led to higher demand for home-decor and maintenance products, and the market for furniture and home-decor products now has an estimated value of Bt60 billion,” he said, citing Kasikorn Research Centre.

With plenty of room for growth still in the home-decor retail market, CRC Thai Watsadu – with more than 15 years of experience – is set to introduce a new business model under the “Everyday New Home” motto.

The stores house an extensive range of home decoration products on 12,000 square metres of retail space that address both functional and aesthetic needs. Household maintenance and counselling services are also on offer to enable the stores to respond to customers’ needs.

Product categories will be offered in separate zones for maximum convenience, allowing customers easily to find decorative pieces, beds, bathroom items or maintenance tools that match what they are looking for. 

Customers can also enlist help in making their dream homes a reality through a three-dimensional virtual-room design service, advice from home-decor stylists on everything from paint colours to curtain choices, or even tips from physiotherapists on the ergonomics of sleep as well as seating. 

These services are rounded out with exclusive imported products, Suthisarn said.

“Our efforts in the first year will be focused on the Northern region, as the property market there – especially in Chiang Mai – has long established a pattern of consistent growth in both commercial and residential projects. 

“Lifestyle changes have pushed consumers in the North to seek out home-decor products and services that provide a combination of style, class and international-grade quality. 

“Our first Baan & Beyond department store will open in Chiang Mai this November, followed by a second branch in Khon Kaen by the end of the year. The property market in Khon Kaen, which is positioned in a geographically accessible location for Thailand’s neighbours, is attracting significant interest from Thai and foreign investors alike, and demand for related products is soaring as a result. 

“We are confident that Baan & Beyond will be able to fulfil the needs of our customers, and we have plans to open five to six more department stores in Bangkok and other provinces next year.”