Thai SME wares set for Daiso's shelves

For the first lot, Full Candle Co of Chiang Mai and Srima Scenic Co of Nakhon Ratchasima will supply 100,000-500,000 scented candles and terracotta items.

Pongsak Chewcharat, president of SME Bank, said yesterday that the orders marked an important step for SMEs.

The project was initiated by the SME Bank and the Office for Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion.

Daiso's screening process was tough. The 12 products were selected out of 42 submitted.

Full Candle's scented candles, which are moulded into shapes of Japanese food such as sushi, initially encountered some problems, Pongsak said. Daiso's buyers thought that they didn't look real enough.

"The bank will help our customers produce goods that meet their client's requirements," he said.

The bank will continue to encourage its customers to work with Daiso, capitalising on the Hiroshima-based company's extensive global network, stretching from Oman to the United States.

It will also facilitate customers' product development, dispensing advice that would increase the chances of seeing locally produced SME goods on international shelves.