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Published on January 11, 2008

Next week, it will bring out a pack of two hard-boiled eggs selling for an introductory price of Bt10, available only at 4,000 7-Eleven convenience stores, which are also under the Charoen Pokphand Group.

CPF is also studying production of a nutritional drink made from eggs that it expects to market in the second quarter, Suphat Sritanatorn, senior vice president for marketing, said yesterday.

The target customer group will be modern, health-conscious consumers.

Despite high oil prices, which have pushed up feed prices, CPF will maintain its retail prices as long as possible, he said.

Eggs are one of CPF's three product categories. Eggs and other chicken products contribute half of all sales, while pork generates 30 per cent and shrimp 20 per cent. The three categories will be backed by a marketing budget of more than Bt100 million this year.

Other products in the pipeline for this year are processed eggs, processed pork and processed boiled eggs.

The company operates 300 CP Fresh Marts and will open another 100 this year towards its goal of 1,000 branches within three years.

A Bt20-million budget has been earmarked for marketing and advertising eggs, in order to increase consumption of the product. The plan is to raise awareness that eggs, a cheap source of protein, can be turned into various dishes.

Yesterday, CPF previewed its first brand ambassador for egg products, Methus "Jack" Treeratanavareesin from the "Academy Fantasia 4" reality show on television, who will help CPF reach out to modern, health-conscious consumers and housewives.

Suphat insisted there was no sign of declining egg consumption. However, he admitted that Thailand's intake of 160 eggs per person per year had a long way to go to catch up with 350 in Japan, 210 in Hong Kong, 230-240 in Malaysia and 270-280 in Singapore.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation