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Published on August 7, 2007

The company has seen flat growth in retail sales since early this year, managing director Jon Rigg said yesterday. Meanwhile, a greater number of project clients with one- or two-year

contracts are focusing on condominium projects

with smaller and cheaper units.

Speaking at the opening of the company's first flagship store in CentralWorld, called American Standard Bathaus, Rigg said the economy sector of the sanitary-ware market would achieve higher growth than the middle and premium sectors.

He said a total of 15 new economy models would be launched this year, up from five last year. The new models will cost between Bt2,000 and Bt4,000 apiece, although he insisted the quality would be the same.

Al though retail sales were sluggish, the company has managed to secure contracts from corporate clients, Rigg said.

With American Standard still holding a significant share of the Thai market, recognised as one of the most developing markets in the Asia-Pacific, he was confident the company would achieve sales of Bt2.6 billion this year, up from Bt2.5

billion last year.

American Standard has allocated a budget of Bt100 million for sales and marketing campaigns, showroom development and promotional activities this year, such as the recently launched "Become a Millionaire with American Standard" campaign.

The company also recently opened a new customer-care centre in Pattaya, an addition to its other three in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

American Standard yesterday also launched the AS Club, specially targeted at architects and interior designers and set up inside its flagship store at a cost of Bt10 million.

The 410-square-metre club has a conference room, information centre, library corner, WiFi Internet access and all-day refreshments. The club is meant to strengthen company relations with architects and interior designers, who strongly influence end-users' bathroom choices, while giving them the opportunity to widen their networks.

It will also help American Standard receive feedback on its products and keep in touch with customer expectations.

The company has already received 1,000 applications for AS Club membership and expects to enrol 2,000 members this year.

Rigg said the AS Club was the first such concept to be tried by American Standard, but he was not sure whether it would be employed in other countries, due to varying market environments.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation