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Thailand: Malls confident about third-stage reopening
Central Pattana Plc (CPN), the operator of Central shopping complexes, and Siam Piwat Co, the operator of Siam Center, Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon, confirmed on Thursday they are ready to comply with requirements if the government lets more businesses reopen in the third stage of lockdown easing.
Wallaya Chirathivat, CPN’s deputy chief executive, said the company has already prepared additional measures for its business segments, including beauty salons, gyms, cinemas, bowling alleys, wellness centres and convention halls, when they are allowed to resume their operations under the third phase.
Three additional proactive measures include adjusting the density limit in shopping centres to one person per four square metres, compared with per five sq m previously. Operating hours are also extended to 9pm from 8pm.
With restaurants still experiencing some difficulties in providing services for customers, the company will propose additional measures for the seating arrangement, providing family dining zones for three people but no more than eight family members. They may share a hotpot, but each individual must use a separate serving spoon.
The table arrangement for distancing for every store is at least one metre of distancing between each table. If the space is less than one metre, a table shield must be provided.
According to Ms Wallaya, the Thai Chana (Thais Win) antiviral contact-tracing mobile app would be more convenient for customers if the system could automatically check out when customers check in at new stores to minimise time spent.
Chanisa Kaewruen, senior deputy managing director of Siam Piwat Co, the operator of Siam Center, Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon, said the company has prepared complete measures ahead of businesses and activities reopening in the third phase.
Some 90% of stores in the second phase have reopened, with all stores set to completely resume services by June, she said.
According to Ms Chanisa, after the malls were allowed to reopen on May 17, just 50% of customers at One Siam (Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery) and Iconsiam have revisited the shopping malls.
She said foreign tourists have yet to come back to Thailand.
Under normal conditions, One Siam draws 250,000 visitors a day and Iconsiam attracts 80,000.
“People’s shopping behaviour has been found changing,” Ms Chanisa said. “Shopping centres are no longer the place for them to spend their life. They have to have a clear mission for revisiting the malls and buying something they want and taking two hours in stores.”
In order to rebuild Thailand’s retail activities, Siam Piwat has joined forces with its partners to launch the “I Love Siam — Smile Together” campaign, aiming to stimulate economic activity through a new retail model called the “retail ecosystem”, which prioritises balance and connects manufacturers and buyers in such a way that fosters sustainable success.
This campaign encourages all Thais to show support for one another by purchasing locally made products, with Siam Piwat serving as a hub and providing spaces for employees and SME entrepreneurs who sustained an impact during the coronavirus crisis.
Siam Smile Marketplace will allow affected employees and entrepreneurs to sell their products without any rental fees from June 24 to 28 at Royal Paragon Hall and from July 1 to 5 at True Icon Hall.
Co-working spaces will also be provided free at Siam Discovery, Siam Center and Iconsiam from June onwards.
The Feun Jai Thai project at Iconsiam’s Sooksiam is another pilot project to help those affected by the pandemic from now until June 30.
The “Thai Help Thai Smile Together” campaign will be held from July at Parc Paragon to sell fruit from all parts of the country.
“We believe that the way for us to overcome this crisis is to unite and support one another,” Ms Chanisa said. “The power of unity will certainly give us the strength to rise and stand tall again and continuously propel our country’s economy forward.”
Sompong Rungnirattisai, chief executive of Ek-Chai Distribution Center, the operator of Tesco Lotus, said the company expects weak consumer purchasing power to continue for the next three months.
But the group will continue to open four large hypermarkets and 150 Tesco Lotus Express stores this year as part of plans to open a total of 750 stores during 2020-22.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1925964/malls-confident-about-third-stage-reopening