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Published on September 26, 2007

However, after a year made difficult by the country's economic situation, Amway is confident of improvement.

"The whole business fundamentals, as well as consumer confidence, should improve over the rest of the year, because there are clear and better signs of political stability," Preecha said.

Amway (Thailand) achieved growth of 7-8 per cent year on year in the first nine months of this year, Preecha said. However, last September the company launched a new water-purification product and was able to make additional sales of Bt1 billion in that month.

"We don't expect a great sales record this September to match that of last year, so we have set a conservative sales target for this year," he said.

Preecha said Amway was in the business of giving people hope. The company is conducting itself in the expectation that things will get better. It currently has about 440,000 active sales members and is in the first year of a business transformation aimed at doubling sales within five years, he

said.

Under the transformation plan, Amway will focus on three key strategies: a consumer focus, performance-driven operations and innovation.

Preecha said the company was able to double its sales from Bt5 billion in 2001 to Bt9.7 billion last year and was confident of repeating that performance by 2012.

Meanwhile, Amway (Thailand) launched a new flavour in its Nutrilite range of food supplement products yesterday. Nutrilite Green Tea Nutri-Protein targets health-conscious consumers who have a city lifestyle. The company expects to achieve total sales of Bt3.3 million this year from Nutrilite products, up from Bt3 billion last year.

"Thais are placing more importance on better healthcare," Preecha said. "Consequently, food supplements have gained in popularity, particularly those containing vitamins, proteins, calcium and herbs."

Market researcher Euromonitor valued Thailand's total food-supplement market at Bt6.8 billion in 2005, up 5 per cent from the previous year. The same annual growth was estimated for last year.

Preecha said Nutrilite Green Tea Nutri-Protein was aimed at providing customers with more flavour choices in food supplements. It was suitable for customers wanting a quick and convenient health-product intake.

He said the Nutrilite line was the biggest seller for Amway (Thailand), contributing about 35 per cent of company sales. Other flagship products include Artistry cosmetics and Durable water- and air-purification products, which contribute 23 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively, to the company's total business, he said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

 The Nation