MBK: Rebranding as a shopping center for Thais - not foreigners!

[rooster59]

MBK: Rebranding as a shopping center for Thais - not foreigners!

 

Image: Positioning Mag

 

Bangkok's famous MBK (Mah Bunkrong) shopping center is completely rebranding itself with a billion baht refurbishment shifting away from its image as a center for foreign shoppers to one for Thais. 

 

The pandemic has seen to that resulting in a hit that a senior executive revealed might have caused the store to shut its doors for good had the group not used other parts of its business to prop it up. 

 

Major work will be taking place at the store on each floor to change outlets and bring a fresh look that will be more appealing to the Thai market. It is expected to be completed next year. 

 

Thai media Positioning Mag said that MBK (on Phayathai road in the downtown area) was known as a "hang taang chart" - a store for foreigners. 

 

This was not far from the truth with 70% of their custom from foreigners, especially those from Indonesia, India and middle eastern countries. 

 

Senior executive Somphon Triphaphanat said that before the pandemic struck visitors were 100,000 a day, now they were lucky to get 30-40,000. 

 

It was the worst crisis MBK had faced in 36 years, easily outdoing the Tom Yam Kung (1997 financial collapse) and mob violence/political protests of 2010. 

 

But for the groups other businesses that were still doing well they would have gone bust, he said.

 

Now they are spending a billion baht on rebranding.

 

They hope to attract more Thais especially in areas like food, fashion retail and accessories, supermarkets, cinema, games and mobile phone supplies.

 

Source: Positioning Mag

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-10-17

 

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[saakura]

????????????

[KhunBENQ]

More somtam and durian will do the job

[sanuk711]

They had better lower their food prices then, especially (I think the one on  the ) on the 5th floor, where you get the card and pay on exit.........

 

 

 

[MadMac]

Makes sense without any foreigners left or expected to come back anytime soon.

[NCC1701A]

I was at MBK last month and they were having a huge casting session for girl Kpop bands. 

There were hundreds of girls running around in Cosplay outfits dressed like cats. 

 

Filled up my entire 128 gig external memory card. 

 

 

 

 

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed. 

[ezzra]

I think the re branding has a lot to do with he fact that MBK is like what? 30 years old by now and has to compete with newer more swankier malls that are still mushrooming around, no one gives a toss what is the foreignness image of MBK all they care is what is new and bragging qualities of the place...

[Seismic]

I would seriously question his 'claim' that it was predominantly foreigners who shopped there. In the many years I have shopped in MBK since it opened back in 1985 I have never seen anything close to a majority of shoppers being foreign. I also think that people like this forget that many Thai's are currently experiencing hardships and thus no longer visit malls like this.

 

[KhunKenAP]

Suggest shorter skirts, skimpier tops and call the girls personal shopping assistants. That should solve the problem.

[4MyEgo]

36 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

I was at MBK last month and they were having a huge casting session for girl Kpop bands. 

There were hundreds of girls running around in Cosplay outfits dressed like cats. 

 

Filled up my entire 128 gig external memory card. 

 

 

 

 

[Mavideol]

39 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

I was at MBK last month and they were having a huge casting session for girl Kpop bands. 

There were hundreds of girls running around in Cosplay outfits dressed like cats. 

 

Filled up my entire 128 gig external memory card. 

 

 

 

 

and you "selfish 555" don't share, please, please, please, show us some skin

[JusticeGB]

Open more agogo bars with happy hours and cheap lao whisky with smelly somtam a sure hit with the Thai pensioners!

[Justgrazing]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

There were hundreds of girls running around in Cosplay outfits dressed like cats

You must've been purring with delight like the cat who got the cream there NCC ..

[Orton Rd]

Anyone been MBK top floor?

 

م

[Techno Viking]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I was at MBK last month and they were having a huge casting session for girl Kpop bands. 

There were hundreds of girls running around in Cosplay outfits dressed like cats. 

 

Filled up my entire 128 gig external memory card. 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you upload to onedrive and send me a link please.

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Usual backward thinking Thai's; next thing they will refuse card payments !

Usual reaction of a non critical thinking TVF user.  This is simply a click bait headline from TV to get you lot seething and posting.........and it works every single time.  There are so many of these now every day it is getting ridiculous.  But they work - look how many pages they generate!

"Ancient Shopping Centre Refurbishes During Downturn" could have been the headline but that wouldn't get the mob angry.  Let's stick "For Thais - Not Foreigners" in there and watch the clicks come rolling in even though it has absolutely no basis in truth.  None.  This site sinks lower and lower.

Did you even read the article?  Or just the headline?  (Pretty sure I know the answer).  So, did you read it?  If you did, tell me where there was anything in there that even remotely inferred it was not for foreigners or was somehow anti-foreigner?   Please tell me and then please explain why refurbishing a turd hole shopping centre to attract more custom is backward thinking?  I'm waiting.

[heybuz]

3 hours ago, KhunKenAP said:

Suggest shorter skirts, skimpier tops and call the girls personal shopping assistants. That should solve the problem.

No need i have X-ray vision.

[DaLa]

A very poor business decision.  They will miss the 18 tourists due next year  and it will savage their bottom line.

[Scot123]

The absolute hatred some on here for foreigners/expats makes me wonder why they go onto Thai visa in the first place, a site setup for expats. I wonder the intellect of these spokesmen who spout insane rubbish.  In one breath he has alienated a high percentage of foreigners and Thais. Thais actually like going to malls which are western just look at T21 with its floors designated to country's, look at the new malls poping up which are all very western in theme and if you venture into a Thai style Mall you will find it very much cheap, cheap, cheap which attracts its customers. I have seen malls that cant attract the western brands/outlets and they are empty and rundown. It shows a very arrogant attitude thinking that thais dont want western style shopping experience. Good luck MBK you are going to need it. For me it's very sad as it is where my wife and I went on our first date.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

I went there last week. One of the upper floors dedicated to clothing is decimated. Many of the roll down door shops are shut. Areas in the center where racks of clothing had been brought out are empty. One of the shops where I once bought some nice dress shirts from an elderly couple is now gone. Sad. But they've got a lovely new coffee and tea shop, set up outside next to the escalators, done up like a garden with a selection of air fresheners to match.

 

The cell phone area was still going strong. Many local expats still about. I was quoted 400 baht for a generic phone case. Uhh, you do realize the tourists are all gone? Hah.

 

Not a tourist mall? Complete nonsense. They've got your overpriced phone cases. They got tailored suits advertised in USD and JPY. They got cell phone sales and repair, with signs in English, and everyone speaks English, and other foreign languages. The lovely cell phone vendors will also give you their number to service your other needs. Then of course there's the ultimate, must see, infamous tourist trap, the photo studio where you can get all decked out in traditional Thai gear to show the folks at home, which surprisingly was still busy.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

24 minutes ago, Scot123 said:

For me it's very sad as it is where my wife and I went on our first date.

Mine was at Chatuchak. ❤️

[Orton Rd]

Mine was at Napali cafe Bang Bon to see Jintara. Never keen on MBK all the floors looked the same.

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, Scot123 said:

The absolute hatred some on here for foreigners/expats makes me wonder why they go onto Thai visa in the first place, a site setup for expats. I wonder the intellect of these spokesmen who spout insane rubbish.  In one breath he has alienated a high percentage of foreigners and Thais. 

"In one breath.....blah blah blah".  What did he say exactly?  Please tell.  I didn't see a single quote from anyone in the entire article.  Did you even read it? How did you reach your conclusion and what rubbish did the spokesman spout?  Please tell.

 

[blackcab]

A post has been removed.

[flexomike]

6 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

I was at MBK last month and they were having a huge casting session for girl Kpop bands. 

There were hundreds of girls running around in Cosplay outfits dressed like cats. 

 

Filled up my entire 128 gig external memory card. 

 

 

 

 

The question is did you get lucky

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

Filled up my entire 128 gig external memory card.

Did you offer your casting couch for private interviews?

[billd766]

3 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

I went there last week. One of the upper floors dedicated to clothing is decimated. Many of the roll down door shops are shut. Areas in the center where racks of clothing had been brought out are empty. One of the shops where I once bought some nice dress shirts from an elderly couple is now gone. Sad. But they've got a lovely new coffee and tea shop, set up outside next to the escalators, done up like a garden with a selection of air fresheners to match.

 

The cell phone area was still going strong. Many local expats still about. I was quoted 400 baht for a generic phone case. Uhh, you do realize the tourists are all gone? Hah.

 

Not a tourist mall? Complete nonsense. They've got your overpriced phone cases. They got tailored suits advertised in USD and JPY. They got cell phone sales and repair, with signs in English, and everyone speaks English, and other foreign languages. The lovely cell phone vendors will also give you their number to service your other needs. Then of course there's the ultimate, must see, infamous tourist trap, the photo studio where you can get all decked out in traditional Thai gear to show the folks at home, which surprisingly was still busy.

From many years ago I remember a philately shop on the ground floor near the the front door, but that has probably been gone for a few years now.

[EricTh]

I didn't know MBK is seen as a foreigner mall. Then which popular mall do Thai usually go to in Bangkok?

 

[Letseng]

7 hours ago, MadMac said:

Makes sense without any foreigners left or expected to come back anytime soon.

Many businesses worldwide made the mistake to rely on for ever more tourists. The small town where I'm stranded in EU had 1.5 mill Chinese yearly. All highend shops were set up for them. It is quiet these days.