Tops operator in BT35m blitz

Central Food Retail, operator of Tops Supermarkets, has announced its largest-ever marketing campaign, which will see it spend Bt35 million over six weeks, starting today.

The event, marking the company's 12th anniversary, will involve exclusive sponsorship of the final performance in a concert series called "The Babb Bird Bird Show: Magic Memories", featuring veteran performer Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre, at Muang Thong Thani's Impact Arena. The Central Food Retail-sponsored final show will be on August 24.

The company says the concert is aimed at bringing happiness to and boosting the morale of its customers, who are currently burdened with stress due to the country's political and economic difficulties.

The campaign runs from today until August 5, allowing individual shoppers a chance to win free tickets for the final "Babb Bird Bird" concert.

"We've found most of our shoppers are suffering a higher level of stress, due to the current political and economic problems. So we want to give them a moment of happiness for at least three hours in the 'Babb Bird Bird' concert," said Phattaraporn Phenpraphat, vice president for marketing and public relations.

"Central Food Retail has been in Thailand's retail business for 12 years and now operates 101 supermarkets. One of our focuses is to understand customers and their needs. Under our Spot Rewards Card programme, we research consumer behaviour, in order to offer merchandise and introduce the kinds of services and marketing campaigns that will provide maximum benefits to our clients.

"Bird is a superstar and the best entertainer in Thailand, and the sponsorship of his concert will reflect the image of Tops as the country's best and largest supermarket chain in terms of its store network," Phattaraporn said.

Maytinee Pisutsinthop, vice president for customer-relations management and brand marketing, said the marketing campaign would break the company's record in terms of investment allocated to a single campaign.

Phattaraporn said shoppers could participate in the campaign and obtain concert tickets in different ways.

Under a lucky-draw programme, for each minimum purchase of Bt350, Bt800 and Bt1,200, customers can draw for two concert tickets worth Bt2,500, Bt3,000 and Bt5,000, respectively.

They will also be able to join an accumulative-spending programme designed to allow individual shoppers a chance to accumulate their shopping transactions to Bt30,000 or more over the six-week campaign in exchange for concert tickets.

Under this programme, the 200 highest spenders will each receive two tickets worth Bt5,000. The next 384 highest spenders will each receive two tickets worth Bt3,000, and the final 116 highest spenders will each receive two tickets worth Bt2,500, making a total of 700 winners. "We expect additional sales of Bt150 million to Bt200 million during the six-week campaign," Phattaraporn said.

She said Central Food Retail would also open six to eight new Tops stores in the second half of the year, including at Sukhumvit Soi 103, Lat Krabang Industrial Estate, Chaeng Wattana Road and Pattaya.