Politics becomes top entertainment source
Local VCD and DVD rental chain Tsutaya yesterday reported a 15-per-cent drop in the number of home entertainment products being rented by individual consumers, as customers are spending their time at home being entertained by politics.
Local media, including television and newspapers, have done a comprehensive job reporting the current political situation and activities of citizens both for and against the prime minister. "The current political conflict has been treated by consumers as their major entertainment source. They want to get involved, and that has affected our home entertainment business," said Wanchai Phlaphongphanich, CEO of Tsutaya (Thailand) Co Ltd, which operates more than 250 rental stores for video cassettes, VCDs and DVDs throughout the country. Tsutaya has more than 2 million members, with 70 per cent aged between 22 and 44."We've seen at least a 15-per-cent drop in the number of VCDs and DVDs being rented by our customers, down from about three or four titles each time," said Wanchai. He said people were now watching politics for their entertainment, following events daily and wanting to know the final episode of this long saga: "Politics, not VCDs or DVDs, is occupying people's time at home." Even Wanchai himself has been spending at least an hour a day watching television programmes providing political analysis and reports on the movements of the caretaker prime minister and his various protagonists. He said Tsutaya would like to become a provider of information, culture and ideas. "Movies can be a good source for people to absorb valuable information and knowledge." Meanwhile, Tsutaya yesterday announced a Bt30-million expenditure to upgrade its IT system, which will be integrated across all work functions, including accounting and finance, purchasing, points of sale, marketing and sales, inventory and personnel. The new system will support Tsutaya's expansion plans, which include more than 900 stores by 2010, with about 70 per cent of them franchises. Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn The Nation
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