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Published on October 19, 2007

The strategy is aimed at lifting sales 12 per cent to Bt4 billion this year and cultivating customer loyalty.

The new service is expected to attract 1,500 new customers to its stores each month on top of current traffic of about 5,000 a month, Tanyaruck Chawaldit, marketing director for the local furniture manufacturer and importer, said yesterday.

Already, 300 interior designers have provided the service to 20,000 customers at their residences in greater Bangkok using the 3-D Pro Design programme. The service will be expanded upmarket later.

Half of its customers use the interior-design service at the outlets.

Customers are not required to place a minimum order to take advantage of the service, because SB's main objective is to give the company as much exposure as possible.

However, the company hopes the service will contribute at least Bt20,000 per user through purchases of its SB Furniture and Koncept brands.

A company survey found that consumers generally did not know how to contact interior designers and worried their fees might be too high.

About Bt40 million of the budget will be used to promote the service through various media, including television, magazines and billboards.

Citing information from SB outlets, Tanyaruck said home-owners budgeted between Bt80,000 and Bt100,000 for decorating.

Individual customers contribute 90 per cent of SB's sales, while corporate customers, including more than 18 developers, account for the rest.

The overall furniture market is worth Bt20 billion this year, but no surveys are available on market share, she said, adding that SB should be ranked among the top three brands in consumers' minds.

The market this year may not be that exciting, but many brands still keep driving the industry via many promotional activities, she said.

Nitida Asawanipont, The Nation