Finnish lifestyle brand Marimekko expanding with more cafes in Thailand

The company is currently celebrating its eighth consecutive successful year as a daily fashion and lifestyle brand.

Tanapong Chirapanidchakul, CEO of Tanachira Group, said the brand was entering the food and beverage business with the recently opened Marimekko Kafé, which he described as an eatery featuring a fusion of Finnish and Thai cultures on the concept “Comfort Food, Clean & True with Essential Ingredients” in an ambience dominated by Marimekko home furnishings.

The café also functions as a showroom, he added, demonstrating how Marimekko products could be integrated into customers' lifestyles, particularly those of young people, women, and netizens known as the YWN for short.

“The opening of the Marimekko pop-up café at Central Embassy has received a positive response, and introducing cafes alongside Marimekko shops has helped increase brand recognition, expanded our customer base, and is stimulating sales of other product categories,” Tanapong said, adding that Marimekko's fashion product range has seen significant growth, with the number of orders rising annually.

That growth has prompted him to consider using this business model as a foundation to expand to other Southeast Asian countries where the brand has yet to establish a presence.

Marimekko’s earlier efforts to introduce the brand to the region in Singapore were unsuccessful because the company chose to focus on printing artwork and household items.

“People could not understand what Marimekko aimed to sell. It is crucial to tailor the brand to match the lifestyle of each specific country," he explained.

According to the Marimekko Thailand insights report, the brand has the second largest number of branches in Asia, trailing only Japan. The scenario highlights Marimekko’s success through marketing strategies that rely on customer word-of-mouth, resulting in long-term customer loyalty and repeat purchases.

The report also showed that ready-to-wear products account for 49% of total Marimekko sales. Following that is the bags and accessories group, which reached 30%, and the home collection, which reached 20%.

Tanapong noted that due to the positive response from Thai consumers, the brand intends to open another Marimekko Kafé at Central Festival Chiang Mai at the end of this year, albeit on a smaller scale. In addition, it will soon announce a collaboration with a European premium dining restaurant.

Marimekko is regarded as a major accomplishment for Tanachira. Last year, the company generated some 1.2 billion baht in revenue, with Marimekko rising to second place with 21% of its business, trailing only Pandora, which has 51%.