Bangkok--15 Apr--Spark Communications
New dunnhumby research reveals which regions take the plunge during Thai New Year
Thais in the south of the country are most likely to indulge in Songkran festivities according to new research by dunnhumby, the world’s leading customer science company.
According to dunnhumby, which analysed Thai shopping behaviour over the 2014 Songkran period in 2014, the highest percentage of customers buying either of the two key products (water guns and Songkran shirts) was in the south of the country. This region includes the holiday island of Phuket and Samui which highlights the desire of many tourists to join in the fun at Thai New Year. In the south, 8 out of 100 customers purchased one of these two items.
In comparison, only barely 6 out of 100 customers in Bangkok made Songkran purchases revealing that upcountry Thais seem to revel in Songkran activities more than people living in the capital.
The research also reveals that most products related to Songkran are purchased within 48 hours of the beginning of the holidays.
Thais are renowned for their sense of fun and Songkran shifts this community spirit to a new level with water gun fights. Water guns are one of the most sought after item with shoppers last year purchasing nearly 300 km of guns – the equivalent distance between Bangkok and the Cambodian border.
The average price of purchase in Bangkok for water guns 158 baht while Songkran shirt purchases average out at 102 baht.
“Songkran is a special time of year for Thais to release some tension and have fun with family and friends. Our shopper research shows the Thais in the south are obviously well prepared on all fronts for their water throwing activities and also reveals that generally upcountry Thais are more likely to take part in Songkran activities than people living in Bangkok,” Teeradet Dumrongbhalasirt, Head of Connect Media, dunnhumby Thailand said.