Big C to resume store openings

The company will spend Bt2 billion next year to open four new Big C stores, both in Bangkok and upcountry.

Only one was opened this year, in Si Sa Ket province, resulting in a full-year estimate of flat or slight sales growth of 2 per cent from last year, when 12 stores were opened.

Jariya Chirathivat, vice president for marketing and communications, said Big C decided to freeze new-store expansion after the Si Sa Ket opening.

"Instead, we focused on controlling working capital and operating costs, resulting in an estimate of our profit before taxes growing 4-5 per cent this year," she said.

Big C posted a third-quarter net profit of Bt478 million, up Bt33 million, or 7.42 per cent, from the same period last year.

Jariya said the company had seen concrete signs of economic recovery, including increased employment.

"We believe the overall economy will return to normal gradually, and we're in a good position to start opening new stores again and cash in on the recovery," said Jariya.

Jariya said Big C planned to open four new stores each year from 2010-12 at a cost of Bt300 million to Bt600 million apiece.

She said the store openings would help the company achieve annual sales growth of 7 per cent over the next three years.

"We're carefully monitoring several relative factors that affect people's incomes - the price of oil, employment figures and prices for agricultural products. Oil has gone up, but the other factors are looking good so far this year," said Jariya.

Meanwhile, Big C yesterday launched its "Shop Sanook ... Took Sure" gift-basket campaign, offering a wide range of more than 1,000 different items with a lowest-price guarantee.

A wide array of hampers are also available from Bt259 to Bt2,369, including "healthy hampers".