Bangkok--22 Feb--WeeM Communications
Mr.Ampa Yongpisanpop, Vice President, CP ALL Public Company Limited, says, “The 7-Catalog is now in its 14th year. It is enjoying consistent growth with the figure last year being as high as 40% due to the increase in consumer confidence where the Thai economy is concerned. The growth is also owed to the fact that we have used multiple marketing and sales promotion strategies such as the mail order, the branches and the www.7catalog.com web site. Our call center at 0-2711-7755 is also ready to serve all customers on a 24-hour basis.”
“We remain focused on the promotion of Thai products, particularly those from small and medium enterprises as they form the necessary foundation of the Thai economy. The presentation of their products in combination with those from other sources creates the level of variety that suits the customers well. The main categories of products featured in 7-Catalog are those related to beauty and daily routines.”
Presently, over 40% of partners to the 7-Catalog are SMEs. The figure is expected to rise to 60% by 2013. Further, where suppliers development is concerned, 7-Catalog is collaborating with the Panyapiwat Institute of Management (PIM) on the scholarships for 7-Catalog partners who wish to enroll their staffs to the institute’s MBA programs in retail business management or logistics management.
As for the direction 7-Catalog will take in 2013, Mr.Ampa reveals, “We will try to reach our customers through a diverse range of channels. Definitely we will focus on individual customers in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand with practical products such as household and electric appliances, home decorative items and lady apparels. We will bond with our customers using the media at our disposal. The strategy is for the communication to be two-way. We want customers to interact with our staffs through channels such as our call center, web site and other social networking platforms in order to make the purchasing experience one of great efficiency. As a result, our customer base has expanded significantly. We will also run promotional campaigns throughout the year with more credit card partners than before and over 4,000 more product items. The growth target is set at 30% for 2013.”
“The ASEAN Economic Community will be fully implemented in 2015. In my view, SMEs need to adapt to that change as the larger market presents more opportunities of transnational trading, of production base expansion and of online transactions. With the freedom of movement of capital, knowhow and workforce comes increased purchasing power. This is why SMEs need to develop products of their own to accommodate the AEC with appropriate and customized products to reflect the varying requirements of each market within the AEC,” adds Mr.Ampa.