Retail/The Mall

Editorial staff

The Mall Group Co, one of the country’s leading retail operators, will launch the first Gourmet Market smart cart at its Gourmet Market on December 12, to increase customer’s convenience and personalized shopping.

Ploychompu Umphuj, vice president-Gourmet Market of The Mall Group, said that the Gourmet Market smart cart, considered as Thailand’s first smart shopping cart, will be launched at its three Gourmet Market branches in Paragon Department store, EmQuartier and EmSphere on December 12, 2024. In an initial step, there are 200 smart shopping carts to debut on December 12 at Gourmet Market locations in Paragon, Emporium, and EmQuartier, with plans to expand to The Mall Lifestyle stores in 2025.

“Customers today have a better understanding of technology and are choosing to shop through both offline and online channels. At the same time, they are increasingly looking for real-time promotions and rewards, seeking a shopping experience that meets their needs for speed, time-saving, and personalization. Smart cart is therefore be launched to enhance the shopping experience,” she said.

Gourmet Market smart cart is designed to make shopping more convenient by helping customers find products and access promotions and pricing, all from the cart itself. Payment can be made directly through the smart cart self-check Out system.

At the same time, Supawut Chaiprasitkul, chief business officer-Gourmet & Food at The Mall Group, said that Gourmet Market is launching a range of campaigns and activities to celebrate Christmas and New Year. The market is introducing more than 160 styles of Blissful Hampers 2025, catering to customer preferences, and launching the “Gourmet Winter Wondersquare” event to mark the first anniversary of M District.

“Stepping into a new dimension of service with the introduction of Thailand's first-ever smart shopping cart will be a part of our 2025’s strategy that will be more focus on personalized offering,” Mr Supawut said.

He adds that the New Year hamper market is becoming increasingly vibrant, with data from Gourmet Market showing growth in 2023-2024. The demand for gift hampers has increased alongside the market’s share, with customers increasingly opting for gift sets and boxes featuring cookies and chocolates. The main customer group remains Thai locals and businesses (85%), while 15% are foreign tourists who prefer products packaged as gifts.

“While customers are looking for value and more diverse gift hampers, they still prioritize the product design and enjoy creating their own hampers to reflect their personal style,” he said.

Popular hamper items include fruits, health products, imported goods, and treats like biscuits and chocolates. To meet customer demand, Gourmet Market is offering hampers in over 160 varieties at different price levels, including local and imported goods, fresh and dried fruits, health and community-based products, lifestyle items, beauty products, and more.

The hampers also feature functional items such as stools, bags, and storage boxes. Offering convenience through pre-order services and purchasing gift baskets via the omnichannel Call Chat Shop, along with special promotions that include discounts from the department store, M Card Coupons, and cashback.

It is expected that this year there will be a growth of over 10% in customized gift baskets and box or gift set formats.

Mr Supawut added that the company plans to open 1-2 Gourmet Market stores on the space of 2,000 square metres next year and each requires an investment of 50-60 million baht. Currently, there are 17 Gourmet Market stores in Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima province.

“Retail market especially supermarket segment is expected to be tougher than this year because of uncertainty of war, unstable economy globally while the spending power of middle income people declined for the first time this year,” he said.

Ms Ploychompu said that sales of Gourmet Market in the first 11 months of this year have grown by more than double digits compared to 2023.