Sept. 15, 2020
Lazada on Ground: Thailand’s first-of-its-kind pop-up store that integrates online shopping with the offline experience at Siam Center
Siam Center is a landmark in the regional shopping paradise that is Thailand. Built in the 1970s right in the heart of Bangkok, it was one of the city’s first malls. Renovations have kept it up to date in its evolution as a popular shopping destination known for its fashion brands catering to the young and trendy, from international names to boutiques housing the collections of local designers.
Recently, Siam Center underwent a “renovation” of another kind, one with a 21st-Century flavour. It became one of the first malls in Southeast Asia to go online, when about 40 of its tenants set up virtual storefronts on Lazada under the mall’s banner, effectively creating a mini online replica. As an extension of its partnership with Lazada, the mall provided about 130 sq m of space on the ground floor to launch Lazada on Ground, a pop-up store that is a first for Thailand, because it married the offline and online experience for shoppers.
“Our new Lazada On Ground concept is a physical showcase of more than 40 of our top brands on LazMall, our premium B2C virtual mall and the largest online one in Southeast Asia,” said Jack Zhang, chief executive officer of Lazada Thailand.
This concept enables consumers to order online and pick up offline, and if they want to, try a product offline and make recurring purchases online if they are satisfied with it. If shoppers prefer, they can also buy from the pop-up store (in some case, just by scanning a QR code) and have the option of having it delivered to their homes, so that they can keep on shopping without having to cart their purchases around.
“The integration of offline and online offers consumers the best of both worlds while it opens up new and innovative ways for brands to engage with their customers,” Zhang said. “An online presence can help drive traffic to offline stores, where brands can acquire new customers, while strengthening connections with existing ones. At the same time, this can improve stock efficiency.”
Samsung, JBL, Huxley, Birkenstock and LEGO are among the many top LazMall brands participating in this novel retail concept in Thailand. The pop-up store will operate at Siam Center until January, and will incorporate the Shoppertainment experience, with daily livestreaming sessions created by influencers, celebrities and leading brands such as realme, Boots, JUNG SAEM MOOL and ALAND.
Chanisa Kaewruen, Siam Piwat’s senior deputy managing director for marketing promotion and business relations, said: “We are glad to be partnering with the country’s leading eCommerce platform on this innovative approach. Measures taken during the pandemic to reduce crowds in public places have affected foot traffic to the mall. So I am glad that many of our brands can go online to diversify their income streams and we can have a physical Lazada store to bring new customers to their offline stores. Most importantly, our partnership makes shopping seamless for everyone.”
Thai Designer Club: Launch of LazMall’s dedicated fashion channel to help top Thai designer brands capture online opportunities
Lazada Thailand launched its Thai Designer Club, a fashion zone on LazMall that is home to more than 50 premium local brands, as they bid to capture online opportunities. For the launch event, Lazada teamed up with designer names such as Asava, Victeerut, TandT, Painkiller, Janesuda, S’uvimol, Disaya and Issue to showcase their newest collections on a runway show. It all started in March with just six Thai designers, when Lazada partnered with Bangkok Fashion Society in an initiative titled “Premium at your Fingertips.” Since then, the Thai Designer Club has grown to house 50 of the top Thai designer names, enabling them to extend their reach beyond Thailand’s major cities. That has boosted sales for the brands, such as Janesuda’s exclusive collection, whose sales increased by more than 200 times since the designer joined LazMall.
“This collaboration is a milestone for the premium fashion industry in Thailand. Lazada is the first eCommerce platform authorised to distribute premium products for Thai Designers,” said Thanida Suiwatana, chief business officer of Lazada Thailand. “With the phenomenal growth of the platform in such a short period of time, we believe that the Designer Club channel will help to drive the Thai fashion industry, and help sustain our local brands.”
Polpat Asavaprapha, founder of the Asava Group and president of Bangkok Fashion Society, described Lazada’s Thai Designer Club as a good opportunity to extend the brand’s target group. “This online platform has become the new main distribution channel for brands. Lazada’s Thai Designer Club leverages its strong relationships with celebrities and influencers to raise the brands’ profiles.”
