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Published on April 2, 2008

Assistant managing director Mayuree Chaipromprasith said the campaign would cost more than Bt25 million and last throughout the second quarter.

"We're preparing for the 'Siam Centre Splash Festival 2008" campaign, to celebrate the Songkran festival, and as a key magnet to increase customer traffic over the hot season," she said.

The campaign is expected to boost shoppers' spending 20 per cent during Songkran, mainly from tourists and upcountry residents visiting Bangkok during the holiday period.

"Our shopping centres' business was not good in the first quarter, with only a 5-per-cent increase in the number of shoppers. Average spending also dropped, from between Bt8,000 and Bt9,000 to only Bt5,500 in the first quarter," Mayuree said.

"We also had sad news at the beginning of the year, and so all entertainment activities were dropped."

However, she said many tenant stores reported better sales in February and March.

"With better a political and economic atmosphere, we've noticed consumer confidence is returning. But consumers remain cautious about spending money after having experienced the burst of the 1997 bubble.

"We're quite confident a well-planned marketing campaign during this second quarter, which is the high season for the tourism industry and the semester break for students, will create constant revenue growth for our tenant stores," she said.

Various activities have been planned at both Siam Centre and Siam Discovery Centre to suit the different lifestyles of each complex's customers.

They will be focused mainly on entertainment, to create fun and liveliness, but will also include "irresistible" sales promotions.

The campaign will be held from April 12-15 at Discovery Plaza for teenagers and tourists to celebrate the Songkran Festival.

At Siam Discovery Centre, travel enthusiasts are invited to attend a Discovery Holidays Fair from May 8-11, featuring package tours, luxury hotels, fashionable resorts and air tickets at special low prices.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation