For those who like the atmosphere of open-air shopping and the specialty stores of the traditional-style Klongtom market, there is now a new version called Klongtom Corner.
Located on Suapa Road, Klongtom Corner is the place where memories of shopping at Klongtom have been brought back with a traditional style blending with a variety of products.
Here, visitors can enjoy shopping for the same products that you find at Klongtom, but in cool air-conditioned surroundings, according to Somchai Jantanaprasartporn, operator of the renovated Klongtom Corner market and IT Plaza managing director.
The old five-storey building will receive a modern makeover, to be completed in May. The ground floor to the second floor house retail shops offering gadgets and electronics, the third floor has a service centre for Samsung, iPhone, Nokia Care and BlackBerry, and the fourth and fifth floors hold wholesalers and a warehouse.
The strength of Klongtom Corner is the service centre, which will offer customers a six-month guarantee for any device repaired at the centre.
"We focus on our differentiation [as] the Suapa area merges with the business at Klongtom open market, so here is the connection of Suapa and Klongtom," Somchai said, noting that the retail shops on the ground to the second floors now welcome visitors every day, while the service centres of suppliers will be gradually set up. All retail spaces are now fully booked.
Klongtom Corner will run as the prototype of the original, and if it works, the company will expand the concept into department stores.
Currently, the company operates three shopping concepts: IT Plaza where computers and mobile phones are available; Klongtom Corner, which focuses on accessories, spare parts and electric appliances; and Outlet Square where cheap but good-quality consumer products are available, including clothes, shoes, bags and home appliances.
Next month the company adds to its branches by opening an IT Plaza in Udon Thani.
"We have the most branches and many suppliers and so far we have tried to develop the marketplace of each product group," said IT Plaza's managing director.
Over the next four months, the company will introduce an "E-outlet" website which will combine the products in IT Plaza, Klongtom Corner and Outlet Square into an online store. It is now developing the website and recruiting suppliers.
The "E-outlet" will be different to other websites, offering every product the company has, while others have only limited products online. "We are in the position that [we] deal with businesses with a lot of products, so we have many resources [from which] to deliver to customers. Online will become a significant channel to efficiently distribute our goods at a very effective cost," Somchai said.
IT Plaza wants the "E-outlet" to become a popular e-commerce website in Thailand, providing the largest number of products.
