Mitsubishi targets exports amid slide in Thailand sales

Auto sales during the first seven months of the year has plunged by over 39 per cent to 486,000 units, and total sales this year could end up at 900,000-920,000 units, Masahiko Ueki, president of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co Ltd (MMTh), said.

“However, MMTh believes that sales volume of the car industry will improve during the final quarter of this year as the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board forecasts the Thai economy will grow by 1.5 to 2 per cent. This recession will be solved in the last half of the year, as the government has resumed its budget disbursements and consumer and business confidence in the economy is reviving,” he said, adding that Mitsubishi has a target of 9 per cent market share for the 2014 fiscal year (April 2014-March 2015).

Ueki said Mitsubishi plans to reach its sales target through the introduction of a new model as well as aggressive marketing strategies designed to reach out to customers such as road shows and showroom activities in Bangkok and upcountry.

Low interest offers as well as free insurance and other giveaways are also planned, he said.

“We also want our dealers to participate more in designating the direction of marketing activities in their area. We have recently joined hands with dealers in appointing officials responsible for marketing who will coordinate between the dealers and the head office, as well as create activities and take care of advertisement and public relations in each sales area. We believe that dealers are the ones who know what’s best for their area and this strategy is expected to create the highest benefits for customers as well as the dealers themselves,” Ueki said.

Ueki said that the number of Mitsubishi dealerships in Thailand will be increased from the present 217 to 230 by the end of the fiscal year.

“We also aim to raise the image and process of Mitsubishi’s after-sales service to a single standard countrywide by staging more than 400 training events per year as well as carrying out continuous evaluations of the employees’ capabilities. This is expected to help raise the level of customer satisfaction, which would lead to success of our long-term sales plan,” he said.