Thai retail giants unveil ambitious Chinese New Year campaigns

 

Thailand's major retail groups are launching their most ambitious Chinese New Year campaigns, bolstered by the government's latest "Easy e-Receipt 2.0" tax incentive scheme. 

 

The initiative, which runs from January 16 to February 28, allows shoppers to claim tax deductions of up to 50,000 baht on their purchases.

 

 

          Central Group invests THB500m

The Central Group has announced its largest-ever Chinese New Year investment of over 500 million baht through its "The Great Chinese New Year 2025" campaign. 

 

The initiative coincides with the 50th anniversary of Thai-Chinese diplomatic relations and UNESCO's recognition of Chinese New Year celebrations.

 

 

Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, president of marketing at Central Pattana, highlighted the campaign's centrepiece: a spectacular "Cultural Immersion" lantern festival featuring 20,000 lanterns across 38 shopping centres. 

 

"We are confident this will stimulate first-quarter spending, generating more than 15 billion baht for the Central Group, with foot traffic expected to rise by 25-30% above normal levels", he said.
 

 

 

 

          Mall Group’s THB200m campaign

Not to be outdone, The Mall Group has invested 200 million baht in its "Joy Luck Love Chinese New Year 2025" campaign. 

 

 

Voralak Tulaphorn, chief marketing officer, revealed that the initiative includes eight major highlights, including a pioneering glow-dragon dance competition featuring over 2,000 participants across 20 teams.

 

 

The campaign introduces unique attractions such as the Temple of the Green Dragon God replica at The Mall Life Store Ngamwongwan and exclusive dining experiences, including the debut of Xi'an Restaurant, bringing 2,000 years of culinary history from China's Shaanxi Province.

 

 

 

          Robinson's family-focused strategy

Robinson Department Store has taken a different approach with its "Robinson Happy Chinese New Year 2025" campaign, collaborating with artist "NEWYEAR" to create family-oriented marketing materials. 

 

 

Managing director Anan Tantipanyakun emphasised their partnership strategy, working with Central The 1 Credit Card, Nok Air, Tops Supermarket, and others to enhance the shopping experience.
 

 

 

 

The retail sector's aggressive marketing campaigns align with positive economic forecasts. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's Center for Economic and Business Forecasting projects 3% economic growth in 2025, with the services sector expected to expand by 4%.

 

The Mall Group expects the festival to generate around 3.5 billion baht revenue, while Central Department Store projects a 10% sales growth with a 20% increase in customer traffic.

 

 

 

 

           Government support

The "Easy e-Receipt 2.0" scheme allows shoppers to claim tax refunds of up to 17,500 baht, providing additional incentive for consumer spending during the festive period. 

 

The initiative runs across major retail destinations including The Mall Life Store, Emporium, Emsphere, and Paragon until February 17.

 

This coordinated effort between government stimulus and retail marketing campaigns marks an ambitious start to 2025, as Thailand's retail sector positions itself for strong first-quarter performance amidst improving economic conditions.