Thailand: Miserable year for retailers

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Miserable year for retailers

By THE NATION

 

 

The Thai Retailers Association estimates the retail index in the first quarter of 2021 will contract by 7-8 per cent, while it could contract by 4-10 per cent or more for the whole year.

 

“The projected contraction could be worse if there are no factors that stimulate economic recovery later this year, such as the ready availability of a vaccine, the government’s tax-break measures and soft loans to SMEs,” association chairman Yol Phokasub warned.

 

Earlier this week the association reported the 2020 retail index plunged from 2.8 per cent growth in 2019 to a deficit of 12 per cent – its first ever two-digit contraction.

 

“The Covid-19 crisis has heavily affected the retail industry,” Yol pointed out. “It is estimated that the industry has lost around Bt500 billion of its total value of Bt4 trillion because of the pandemic,” he said.

 

“The association has estimated that we have already passed the lowest point in the third quarter of last year, when the durable goods sector [electrical appliances, construction material, telecom products], recorded 15 per cent contraction due to lockdown measures at department stores, while semi-durable goods [clothes, leather products, cosmetics] suffered up to 40 per cent contraction,” Yol said.

 

“In the fourth quarter, the situation started to improve following the government’s ‘Shop Dee Mee Kuen’ [Shop and Payback] scheme that has driven the growth of semi-durable goods to an 18 per cent contraction.”

 

Yol said that besides tax breaks and soft loans, the government needs to expand sales channels for modern trade retailers to improve the retail index.

 

“For example, modern trade retailers should be allowed to participate in the state welfare card scheme, which should also help distribute revenues to farmers, SMEs and local communities,” he added.

 

Related Story: Thai retailers plead for hourly staff rate, protections after 12% contraction

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30401585

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2021-01-21

 

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[cyril sneer]

Might not just be down to covid. There’s a lot of retailers I’ve stopped using due to the plastic bag ban 

[colinneil]

Thai retailers association, yet they show a photo of a Malaysian supermarket, bit pathetic init.????

[Cake Monster]

Yet another Sector of the Thai Economy that is reporting a huge drop for 2019.

Not to worry ! The Powers that be are forecasting a 3-4 %  growth in the Economy for 2021.

I personally cannot see how that figure is arrived at when the Tourist Sector is down 99%, Exports are down about 9%, Farm prices is also about 8% and now Retail at minus 12%

[spidermike007]

5 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

Might not just be down to covid. There’s a lot of retailers I’ve stopped using due to the plastic bag ban 

Totally unustifiable. We all have to do our part. A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic.

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I force her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can.

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away.

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing. Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Cake Monster said:

Yet another Sector of the Thai Economy that is reporting a huge drop for 2019.

Not to worry ! The Powers that be are forecasting a 3-4 %  growth in the Economy for 2021.

I personally cannot see how that figure is arrived at when the Tourist Sector is down 99%, Exports are down about 9%, Farm prices is also about 8% and now Retail at minus 12%

Just a global re-set, things are going to slow down for a while...

[ivor bigun]

All the supermarkets here in Pattaya are half empty when we shop ,so many British and Japanese stuff being sold cheap as it goes out of date ,wonder if they will restock ,?

[Peterphuket]

4 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

Yet another Sector of the Thai Economy that is reporting a huge drop for 2019.

Not to worry ! The Powers that be are forecasting a 3-4 %  growth in the Economy for 2021.

I personally cannot see how that figure is arrived at when the Tourist Sector is down 99%, Exports are down about 9%, Farm prices is also about 8% and now Retail at minus 12%

Yeh, 3-4% growth, as compared to 2020 but  compare to 2019 still a big loss.

[Soikhaonoiken]

The Headline is a understatement... 

[Tim207]

9 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Totally unustifiable. We all have to do our part. A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic.

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I force her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can.

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away.

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing. Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference.

 

Um, plasic may be one of the best things ever. Recycle all you want, that is a benefit of plastic, but maybe stop being such an authoritarian about it with others. Your reusable bags are not only inconvenient but also have been shown to be unsanitary. They have actually been banned in most stores around this liberal hellhole in which I currently find myself trapped.

 

Instead of looking down on some poor checkout girl you should work on your language ability. When making small purchases and not needing a bag, I never have trouble with staff not imediately understading and complying. Being rude to a waitress because she is following company policy is disgusting. A better way to handle that would be to offer to pay for a water and drink what you brought.

 

Your superior attitude is very off putting. Save all the plastic you want but you don't need to be so disagreeable about it. Attitudes like that are why I often see panic on the faces of service workers that have never dealt with me before.