Power Buy Co, the electronics retailer under Central Group, is scaling down store sizes and focusing on the online channel in a bid to boost sales growth this year.
Theerin Koosmith, the company's vice-president for marketing, said Power Buy will start opening new stores in the second half of the year, but with 300-500 square metres of space instead of the usual 1,000-5,000 sq m.
The new Power Buy concept store will offer about 1,000 electrical items. The company will make more items available online via the Click and Collect shopping system on the website, whereby consumers can buy products and pick them up at Power Buy stores nationwide.
Moreover, customers at the stores can buy items via the e-ordering platform and pick them up at 40 Power Buy stores.
The company tentatively began opening 10 Power Buy stores of 300-500 sq m last year and found that the smaller size helped save on investment cost.
"Online shopping via the Power Buy website continues to grow, as it matches the current lifestyle of our customers," Mr Theerin said. "Sales of Power Buy via the online channel have so far contributed about 5% of the company's total sales, up from only 2% in the past two years."
He did not disclose the precise number of new Power Buy stores set to open this year.
As of Dec 31, 2018 there were 106 Power Buy stores in Thailand, under three size formats: 4,000-5,000 sq m, 2,000-3,000 sq m and less than 1,000 sq m.
Power Buy's 2018 sales totalled about 18 billion baht. The company expects to increase sales by 8% this year to 19.44 billion baht.
Sales in the first four months of this year grew by 15%, on a par with earlier expectations, driven by air-conditioner business that grew by 30%.
Moreover, widespread air pollution in the first four months of the year spurred a buying spree in air purifiers.
"Sales of air purifiers grew by 100% over the same period last year," Mr Theerin said. "The dust problem has also stimulated people to worry more and pay more attention to air purifiers."
