Thailand
Thailand: Mall Group backs e-shopping
The Mall Group Co, the operator of The Mall, Emporium, Paragon and EmQuartier shopping complex, is beefing up online shopping services for Gourmet Market in a move to respond to a lower number of people going out to shop amid the increasing number of Covid-19 infections.
Voralak Tulaphorn, the company’s chief marketing officer, said the online shopping service via gourmetmarketthailand.com, which officially launched on June 25, will increase alternative shopping options for customers who are not confident to go out amid daily reports of rising Covid-19 infections.
“It is the right time to launch an online shopping service because we’ve noticed people are still worried about going shopping,” Supawut Chaiprasitkul, the company’s vice-president for supermarket and food said. “People’s shopping behaviour at Gourmet Market has also changed as they are spending less time shopping in-store.”
According to Mr Supawut, a week after Gourmet Market started offering online shopping services, the response from customers has been much better than expected.
With many people working from home, online shopping for fresh food has become popular compared to the past when popular items were beauty, fashion and home appliances.
Gourmet Market will initially offer over 10,000 product items from 12 categories online.
It aims to bring in more than 3 million pageviews/month in the first three months after launch.
Gourmet Market is aiming to raise sales via online shopping to contribute up to 10% of its total sales in the next five years.
However, Mr Supawut said for customers who would like to shop in person, products are also still available at all of Gourmet Market’s 17 branches, including at The Emporium, EmQuartier, Siam Paragon and all The Mall branches and six standalone Gourmet Market stores including Terminal 21 on Asok Road, The Promenade, Lat Phrao MRT station and Don Mueang International Airport.
According to Mr Supawut, sales at Gourmet Market’s stand-alone branches were growing at a double-digit rate because people have shifted to shopping near their homes.
“Although the company has lifted its safety measures to the highest level, many people are still worried to go out,” he said. “We believe that people will like shopping near their home even after the Covid-19 pandemic is over.”
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2141927/mall-group-backs-e-shopping