Bangkok--23 Mar--Hill & Knowlton
Watsons, the number one health & beauty retailer in Thailand with the highest sales for the past six consecutive years, has provided an overview of its performance in 2010 and outlined its strategies for maintaining market leadership in 2011.
Speaking at a press conference today, Mr Toby Anderson, Managing Director Central Watson Co., Ltd. said, “Our performance in 2010 was exceptionally encouraging. We reached, and often exceeded goals on many fronts while maintaining our leadership in Thailand with a sales growth of 12.1 per cent for skincare products, and 8.9 per cent for cosmetic products, according to Nielsen research. Store opening was also an indicator of our achievement. In 2010 we successfully opened 24 new stores nationwide.
“As we look ahead in 2011 we are very much on track to maintain our leadership in Thailand. We will continue our 210 million baht investment programme to expand and refurbish stores nationwide. In fact, by the end of this year we expect to open more than 30 stores across the country,” said Mr Anderson.
“Another area of success in 2010 has been in Watsons’ own brand products being introduced to the market. It is also the year in which we tapped into new product categories such as derma skincare for ‘Watsons DermAction Plus’, and health supplement pills for ‘Watsons Vitamin’ as part of Watsons’ own brand products which recorded a 20 % sales growth. The performance of the H-Bella skincare range introduced in April of last year exceeded our expectations with its launch seen as a key achievement for Watsons in the premium mass market.
“Since its launch in 2009, ‘Watsons Membership Card’ has played an important role in driving Watsons’ business growth. In 2010, we achieved our goal of a hundred per cent increase in membership (from 300,000 in 2009 to 600,000 members in 2010) and plan to garner over 850,000 members within 2011,” said Mr Anderson.
Continuing his overview of Watsons’ achievements in 2010, the Managing Director pointed to the success of the "Make a New You", a customer engagement programme that brings Watsons closer to the customer, and presented in four regions across the country and generating excellent feedback. Deeper understanding of customer needs was also made possible by information from regular Watsons research as well membership cards which together allowed Watsons to tailor its products and services. This has also been seen in the ‘Health & Beauty Specialist’ initiative which provides customers with up to date and independent beauty and healthcare advice.
“It’s perhaps not surprising that with our strong overall performance in 2010, that Watsons was recognised as a Superbrand for the second consecutive year. Those impressive achievements have of course spurred us to do even better for 2011, a year in which we will continue to forge ahead, building on our current success with innovations, new products and new initiatives,” said Mr Anderson.
He continued, “Over the past several years, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been seen as an essential part of every business enterprise. To Watsons it has long been much more than a set of initials — we have previously worked for example, with the Association of the Promotion of Status of Women and in 2011, inspired by a new ‘Live Beautifully’ campaign, we will work to raise fund to support the Thai Red Cross Society, Thailand Environment Institute, and the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women.
“This year-long effort will involve using the talents of three top celebrities who will be on hand at key Watsons stores to inspire a spirit of giving among our customers to raise funds. We expect this practical example of Watsons’ style CSR to enjoy the same level of success we aim for in our business goals,”
“In everything we do we aim to bring more to life, more value, choice, quality, service, reward, return, style, inspiration, opportunities, sustainability and learning. As a result, we enhance the lives of everyone we touch.” concludes Mr Anderson.
*Media/TNS Asia's Top 1,000 Brands Survey 2010 of over 3,000 Asian respondents
Please visit www.aswatson.com for more in-depth information about A.S. Watson Group and its brands.
For more information, please contact:
Sornsopin Puttachartsaewee / Tawn Chatchavalvong
Hill & Knowlton Thailand
Tel. 0-2627-3501 ext. 101 or 118
Fax. 0-2627-3510
Email:
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