"We are now ranked as the fourth top direct-selling company in Thailand, with more than 30,000 active distributors. We also want to grow our active distributors to more than 90,000 by 2012," said Andrew Fan, president for Southeast Asia

Company sales reached Bt1.2 billion in Thailand last year, and the market here is given first priority by Nu Skin for potential growth. The company's strategy is to be the leading direct-selling player by continuing to introduce innovative products to the market.

"We will spend more on infrastructure here to support our local distributors. We are investing Bt30 million to develop a leadership-development programme to train our distributors from their first coming into the business through becoming more capable leaders in the field of direct selling," Fan said.

Already 12 showcase centres have opened where distributors can browse Nu Skin products and participate in training activities. More products are being launched under the concept of personalised skin care to increase business for all Nu Skin representatives.

Nu Skin Enterprise (Thailand) Co Ltd yesterday formally opened the Nu Skin Professional Beauty Centre for integrated facial treatment, which will become a pilot centre for Nu Skin operations around the world. The centre's opening also marked the 10th anniversary of the local subsidiary.

"The Nu Skin Professional Beauty Centre is an initiative of the Thai operation. It will let our distributors and prospective customers try Nu Skin products first hand before a making a buying decision," Fan said.

Thailand was the first market for Nu Skin in Southeast Asia when local operations started in March 1997, he said. From here the company expanded to the Philippines in 1998, Singapore in 2000, Malaysia in 2001, Brunei in 2004 and Indonesia in 2005.

"We enjoy very mature staff and employees in Thailand, and 30 per cent of our employees here started working with the company from the first day," he said, adding that staff now numbered more than 100.

Helen Knaggs, vice president for product research and development at Nu Skin Enterprise in the US, said consumers in Asia were alike in product selection and service preference when it came to beauty, especially women who were becoming more interested in personalised products and services.

"This group of consumers is constantly looking for new products to help strengthen their personality for greater social recognition.

"It is clear that the trend is for high-quality products and services that effectively cater to the actual needs of each individual, and these are becoming increasingly popular, especially among working women who pay careful attention to product details, from product ingredients to how to use the product properly to suit each person's needs," she said.

Pakapan Leevutinun, general manager of Nu Skin Enterprise (Thailand), said the market for facial skin care products last year had been worth Bt38 billion, with almost 30 per cent coming from anti-wrinkle and wrinkle-elimination products.

"Annual sales of products of this type rise by an average of 10 per cent per year. However, last year products designed to protect against and eliminate wrinkles increased about 15 per cent," she said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation