The optimism is based on the company's belief in the resilient purchasing power of shoppers despite the lukewarm economy.

Ravimon Thanitarom, general manager for merchandising, said the company's flagship department for women's ornaments and accessories had already achieved Bt250 million in sales in the first three quarters of the year.

Fifty per cent of the sales came from the Accessories Bazaar in all locations of The Mall, 30 per cent from Siam Paragon and 20 per cent from The Emporium.

Accessories Bazaar sales account for 10-15 per cent of The Mall Group's total sales.

Ravimon said people were still willing to pay for accessories and were dressing up more than they did in the past. Jewellery is one of the main accessories preferred by women.

Spending per person per bill so far this year has averaged Bt2,000, with prices in the department ranging from Bt1,000 to Bt10,000.

The department carries 100 brands, including De Prego and Modern Diamond for fine jewellery, Tippy & Mathew and Joai for costume jewellery and Bandit Queen and Rafiki for fashion accessories. About 10 per cent of the brands are exclusive and 10 per cent imported.

To pitch for the remaining Bt100 million in sales during this final quarter and welcome in the cool season, The Mall Group has laid out marketing campaigns for The Emporium and Siam Paragon. Promotional periods will vary from November 8-14, November 10-11, November 15-21 and November 17-18.

The campaign will feature discounts on different brands and showcase three special jewellery designs by the CEO of Working Diamond, the managing director of the company that distributes Joai products and the product manager for the Alizee brand.

Next year, the company will renovate the Accessories Bazaar in The Mall's Bang Kapi and Tha Phra branches, and the new look is expected to help the company enjoy double-digit growth.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation