BANGKOK: Thailand largest mall owner, Central Pattana Pcl on Tuesday said it plans to allow its thousands of mall tenants to sell through its digital platform, as the country’s most severe coronavirus outbreak keeps shoppers at bay.
Central Pattana has 33 shopping centres in Thailand, where malls must operate shorter hours due the coronavirus restrictions and restaurants can take only take delivery orders.
“Since customers are not coming to store, we are bringing it to them,” Head of Corporate Marketing, Central Retail Corporation Pcl, Piyawan Leelasompop, told reporters.
The platform, currently run by Central Retail Corp, will allow 15,000 tenants to sell through an app, via phone and instant messaging.
Central Pattana saw 13per cent of total sales come through these channels in the first quarter of this year, triple that of over a year ago, she said.
Central Pattana’s net income shrunk in the last four consecutive quarters on a yearly basis, booking 3.8 billion baht (US$118.6 million) in the three months ending in March.
It will move ahead with the opening of two new malls in Thailand this year, said Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, executive vice president of marketing, adding the company set a budget of 400 million baht for the rest of the year to manage tenant rent.
(US$1 = 32.0000 baht)
(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Martin Petty)
