HYPERMARKET CAMPAIGNS

       Amid economic instability, especially in the retail sector, hypermarkets are coming up with strategic campaigns aimed at boosting sales.
       Big C Supercentre yesterday launched a new financing service to encourage shoppers to buy higher-priced and high-margin products.
       Shoppers can purchase products priced from Bt3,000 on up an instalment plan. They can make up to 12 monthly payments at zero interest or opt for 13-48 monthly payments at 0.5-per-cent interest.
       Rumpa Kumhomreun, chief financial officer and vice president for accounting and finance, said Big C's first-half sales beat the general economic slump to increase 4 per cent year on year to Bt34.3 billion for a net profit of Bt1.3 billion.
       Rental-space revenue also rose 15 per cent year on year, to Bt2.08 billion.
       "This proves we were correct to combine our retail and property-rental businesses. And the opening of the 67th Big C branch in Si Sa Ket province this past April widened Big C's customer base even further," said Rumpa.
       Meanwhile, Darmp Sukontasap, senior vice president of hypermarket chain Tesco Lotus, said the global recession bottoming out at both the global and the national levels. Thailand's Consumer Confidence Index improved for two consecutive months, while new export orders are rolling in.
       "However, in the retail sector we've yet to see any real signs of steady improvement. The sooner Parliament approves the government's proposed stimulus package, the better it will be on overall consumer sentiment," he said.