SF Development, the operator of Megabangna Shopping Center, is implementing a digital transformation strategy to cope with fiercer competition in eastern Bangkok as more retail complexes open in the area.
Sirinchat Sangsri, the company's vice-president of marketing for Megabangna, said it is spending 100 million baht to implement the digital transformation strategy, revamping all digital channels and platforms to cater to customer behaviour.
"Customers have less loyalty to malls because there are more choices. We've found Thais spend an average of nine hours a day on the internet, and 59% shop via their smartphones. Most activities happen through mobile applications," she said.
Yesterday the company launched the Megabangna application that has several features related to shop details and a loyalty programme. The app will use marketing technology tools and customer data management to personalise offerings for users.
SF Development is hopeful the app will help draw more foreign tourists, particularly Chinese, to Megabangna. It targets foreign visitors making up 10% of its clients this year, up from 5% now.
Ms Sirinchat said better transport to and from the government's flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) should mean more visitors shopping in eastern Bangkok in the near future.
Several large retail projects are now under construction in the area, including Central Village, a luxury outlet from Central Pattana near Suvarnabhumi airport; Bangkok Mall at Bang Na intersection; Robinson Lifestyle Centre in Lat Krabang district; and a Siam Piwat project near the motorway. The four projects will total 790,000 square metres of retail space.
The EEC has its own tourism development plan that was approved in February 2018. The purpose is to upgrade tourism to make the area a world-class destination focused on quality visitors and medical tourism.
The action plan covers 47 projects with a total investment of 30.2 billion baht during 2017-21, with public-private partnerships spending 23 billion, the government supplying 6.89 billion and state-owned enterprises chipping in 350 million.
