Bangkok--2 Nov--Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Tesco Lotus today confirmed that it is using trains and planes, has secured deliveries from Malaysia, China and Vietnam and has adapted BITEC to become a temporary storage facility, in order to help ensure it can get essential products to its stores to help customers through the flood crisis.
With increased customer demand and delays to deliveries by road caused by the flooding, the company has been seeking alternative ways to get product to store.
It has secured the use of trains, which are undertaking daily trips from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Surat Thani, carrying key essentials such as rice, oil, water and nappies. In addition, Tesco Lotus is partnering with Thai Airways to fly products around the country. Up to 10 flights are taking off a day from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Phuket and Had Yai, carrying canned fish, noodles and toilet tissue, with nearly 500 tonnes of essential goods being transported in this way.
The company’s sister business in Malaysia is providing 3 million litres of water and 8 million packets of noodles, which have started to arrive in stores across the country. Tesco Lotus is also using its global supplier contacts to secure the water, noodles, canned fish, eggs, UHT milk from Malaysia, China and Vietnam.
In order to increase capacity in its supply chain and ensure it can get essential products to customers, Tesco Lotus has secured BITEC (Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre) as a storage facility. This will be used in addition to a number of temporary distribution hubs that have been established across the country.
Tesco Lotus Operations Director, James Scott, said “The Tesco Lotus team is working round the clock and we’re doing all we can to get essential supplies to our customers and support our local communities and staff at this difficult time.
Like all Thai retailers, we face a major distribution challenge. At Tesco Lotus, we have remained determined to do all we can to overcome this and ensure customers in all regions of Thailand are able to buy the products they need.
The use of trains, planes, the arrival of deliveries from Malaysia, China and Vietnam and the use of BITEC and our temporary distribution hubs is significantly helping us to achieve this and we are looking to increase the amount of product we distribute using this network.”
In addition, Tesco Lotus remains committed to supporting and caring for its communities and staff. The company announced that it collected dry foods and essential products through its in store product donation campaign. It has also contributed over 23 million baht worth of essential products to the flood relief effort, helping communities in 40 provinces nationwide.
For Tesco Lotus’ staff affected by the floods, the company is providing financial support, currently worth nearly 25 million baht. It has also provided over 5,500 relief bags and food, temporary accommodation and transportation where required to those staff in the most affected areas.
For more information: Tesco Lotus
Eleanor Turner
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Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Puntarika Susuntitapong
[email protected]