Pratunam Centre: Wholesalers Hub To Overhaul Image

[george]

PRATUNAM CENTRE: Wholesalers’ hub to overhaul image

Cheap imports from China prompts change to retail plaza

BANGKOK: -- The impact of cheap imported goods from China has forced a major change in one of Bangkok’s landmark shopping complexes.

The Pratunam Centre, near Pratunam intersection, announced yesterday that it would abandon its familiar role as Thailand’s largest wholesale centre to become a new trendy retail plaza.

The change, from Thai manufacturers wholesaling fashion apparel, footwear, bags and casual ware, to retail shops selling Chinese imports, will be completed by the beginning of next year.

The complex intends to become a second Mah Boonkrong, attracting teenagers and young working people.

The transformation has been forced by the changing circumstances of the Pratunam Centre’s tenants, according to Worapong Buparsiri, marketing chief of Great China Millennium Co Ltd, which operates the complex.

Originally, they were medium to large manufacturers who opened outlets at the shopping complex to wholesale their goods.

“In my opinion, the wholesale activities for these kinds of goods is over, because Thai manufacturers cannot compete with cheap Chinese products,” he said. “Our tenants have changed their businesses to become agents for the Chinese goods.

“We [Pratunam Centre] have to change our picture and positioning from Thailand’s biggest wholesale centre, adopted in 2003, to a new image of a trendy retail plaza in order to cope with the change in our tenants’ business.”

Worapong said about 50 per cent of existing tenants at Pratunam Centre had already changed their stores from wholesaling to retailing, particularly of Chinese goods.

“Under the new retail concept, we want our 100,000-square metre plaza to become a second Mah Boonkrong. Our target shoppers will be teenagers and young working people,” said Worapong.

Mitri Yimyam, a director of Great China Millennium, said about 70 per cent of the retail complex had already been leased by individual tenants.

About 160 tenant stores will be on the 3,200-square-metre retail area, with some having recently moved from Naraiphan Plaza.

“We have zoned the complex from B1 level up to the third level in the first phase,” Mitri said. “This area, occupied by more than 2,500 tenant stores, has been divided into different zones for different merchandise.”

The B1 level will be a zone for silver products and ornaments, while the B2 level will be a superstore area for consumer goods. The ground and first levels will be a shopping zone for One Tambon One Product products, and the second level will be a zone for the Thailand Tourism Centre, with 250 booths for hotels and resorts throughout the country.

Boy magazine is also opening a centre on the second level, featuring a modelling studio and training centre for teenagers wanting to become models.

Mitri said the centre’s third level would be a zone for Thai and international restaurants. The Canton House will open a 700-seat dim sum restaurant in the area by the end of the month.

“On the third level, we will soon open a new zone for shops selling imported products from China as well as an IT Zone,” Mitri said. “Popular TV stars will open more than 30 shops on the third floor, selling fashion garments, cosmetics and ornamental products.”

The company is also negotiating with Pornpailin Co Ltd, the operator of the Centre Point retail plaza at Siam Square, which has plans to develop a retail area for teen and trendy products on the fourth and fifth levels of the Pratunam Centre.

--The Nation 2005-11-08

[Jai Dee]

The change, from Thai manufacturers wholesaling fashion apparel, footwear, bags and casual ware, to retail shops selling Chinese imports, will be completed by the beginning of next year.

The end of an era...

I wonder where the missus will go now to select her favourite no-name fashion items...