The 13,000-square-metre store in Ayutthaya will cover two floors and be designed and built with the dynamic-simplicity concept used at one of its flagship stores in Rangsit.

With an investment of Bt350 million, the store in Ayutthaya Park will enhance local marketing activities.

Robinson, which was badly affected by the 1997 financial crash, moved out of its debt-rehabilitation programme at the end of last year.

As a unit of Central Retail Corporation (CRC), the country's leading retail conglomerate, Robinson now operates 19 outlets nationwide and employs more than 2,000 staff.

In August last year it opened its latest store, costing Bt170 million, on Rattanathibet Road.

"We will open one or two new outlets a year if we are able to obtain appropriate locations," said president Preecha Ekkunagul.

"We see great potential for new stores. There are plenty of opportunities to open medium-sized department stores in the provinces. There are also many new potential locations, even in Bangkok."

He said the company was considering four new locations, one in Bangkok and three upcountry.

The new store will serve shoppers from both Ayutthaya and surrounding provinces.

"Those provinces have great potential, as they still lack department stores. There are many industrial parks in the area. Ayutthaya itself attracts foreign tourists as one of Thailand's major destinations close to Bangkok," said Preecha.

Preecha said new locations for stores could be leased outlets inside a shopping complex each covering 10,000 square metres or they could be wholly owned properties. The investment in each leased property would be Bt150 million while an owned site would require about Bt600 million.

Robinson achieved sales of Bt5.06 billion in the first quarter of this year and recorded Bt2.12 billion in net profit. The company achieved total revenues of Bt10.96 billion last year, with Bt851.22 million in net profit.

Meanwhile Central Department Store announced its sales in the first five months had grown by only 5 per cent, lower than the 10 per cent targeted at the beginning of the year, according to president Yuwadee Chirathivat Bhicharnchitr.

She said Central was confident of achieving its sales target of Bt24 billion this year.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation