ORAWAN HOICHAN
THE NATION November 22, 2012 1:00 am
Meanwhile, the company's online shopping platform includes the Big C Mobile Shopping Application on both iOS and Android smart phones, QR (quick response) code ordering, and virtual shelves at high-traffic areas such as the Airport Rail Link and Siam Square. It plans to continue to roll out its online shopping innovations.
Kudatara said Big C had received a good response from shoppers to its online business.
It just launched its smart-phone application in September.
"Sales via online shopping grew by four times in the first nine months of this year and there are currently more than 40,000 shoppers with our application on their smart phones."
He said Big C foresaw online shopping as a big trend for retail businesses, as this new channel is able to cater to the dynamic change of shopping behaviour among consumers, especially urban people, who have little time for traditional shopping.
"With higher Internet speeds and the arrival of full-scale 3G [third-generation cellular] services, more and more customers are making online purchases via their computers or smart phones," Kudatara said.
"Big C has been offering an online shopping service through computers for three years. However, during the first nine months of 2012, we saw a strong surge in our website visits, online orders and Facebook fans. The number of our online orders grew 410 per cent, our website visits grew 46 per cent and more than 83,500 people clicked 'like' on our Facebook fanpage. We expect these numbers to grow even stronger in the future.
"Market research shows that new-generation customers have limited time and want a convenient, reliable and cost-efficient way to shop. Big C online shopping aims to satisfy the 25 million Internet users and 13 million smart-phone users in Thailand - and Bangkok's 8.6 million Facebook users, the highest number among any capital in the world," he added.
Kudatara said the company believed this was the right time to take online shopping to the next level by introducing the mobile app. QR codes, meanwhile, will enable customers to access and review products and make purchases in very little time.
He said the application carried more than 10,000 items, from dry foods and other groceries to health and beauty products, clothing and apparel, and home and electronic appliances. All items cost the same as in an actual Big C store with the same promotions and customer benefits.
He said the Bt300 minimum daily wage, which will be applied throughout Thailand at the beginning of next year, would affect the company's operational costs. Big C currently employs 23,000 people. However, the rising cost has been compensated by the reduction of corporate income tax to 23 per cent. As well, the higher wage will increase people's spending power.
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Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Big-C-pushes-mini-online-formats-30194782.html
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