HEALTH MARKET
Men slimmer as Body Shape gets bigger
A Body Shape presenter demonstrates how the company’s products can help you obtain the same slim figure that she enjoys.
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Male recruits lead firm's 30% growth
Body Shape Corp, which offers slimming courses and products, enjoyed 30-per-cent growth in the first eight months of the year, thanks to capturing more of the men's market, president Pranee Suebwonglee said yesterday. Consumer spending on slimming products showed only a slight growth due to the political uncertainty, she said, adding however that this has not had a negative impact on Body Shape as business picked up when the company introduced a slimming service for men at Shinawatra Tower 3 in July. Body Shape also managed to maintain its number of female members at 100,000. Pranee said the company's male customers spent an average of Bt50,000 to Bt100,000 on slimming courses, which is higher than the Bt40,000 to Bt50,000 spent by women. As a result, the company recorded higher growth than the market average. Body Shape now has 50 male members following the launch of the men's course three months ago, and Pranee hopes this will rise to 500 by the end of the year. It plans to boost its women's membership from 100,000 to 115,000 by year-end. To help achieve these goals, it is opening four new branches of Body Shape for men. The second branch will open in Central Rama III in Bangkok next month, while the next three will open next year at a cost of Bt10 million each. The company will also spend Bt20 million opening two new branches for women - at Esplanade Ratchadapisek in Bangkok, and in Hua Hin - before the end of the year. Pranee expects Body Shape to increase its share of the Bt1.5-billion slimming centre market from 38 per cent to 45 per cent by the end of the year. If successful, Pranee said the company would maintain its place as market leader, followed by Marie France, which has 38 per cent. The company is also expanding overseas and has just signed a contract with an Indonesian firm, which will become its exclusive distributor for Body Shape slimming products. It will begin exporting products this month. Pranee said the company was negotiating with possible foreign strategic partners in Vietnam, Singapore and Dubai that are interested in importing its products. She expects the company's exports to reach Bt50 million next year. The company has also teamed up with the Commerce Ministry with a view to introducing franchise businesses in China, the Middle East, Singapore and Vietnam.
Somluck Srimalee The Nation
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