The sales contribution from Asean countries is expected to increase significantly from the 6-7 per cent estimated for this year to 10 per cent within three years.

Managing director Kridchanok Patamasatayasonthi said the company’s overseas expansion was in line with its vision to be the No 1 player in Southeast Asia in terms of brand awareness in this segment.

She said that in Thailand, Index Living Mall had opened a new branch in Nakhon Pathom in February with 7,500 square metres of retail space. Another store will be opened in Chachoengsao in June with 5,500sqm of space.

“We also plan to open another Index Living Mall store in Bangkok in January next year,” she said.

Outside Thailand, Index Living Mall has opened home-furnishing stores in Malaysia and Vietnam. The first store in Malaysia is in IOI City Mall in Putrajaya. The company opened another store at Aeon Mall in Shah Alam in March, and at Aeon Mall in Kota Bahru last month.

The expansion in Malaysia is via a joint venture with Japan’s Aeon Group. The fourth Index Living Mall store will be opened in Johor Bahru next year.

In Vietnam, the company has appointed a local franchisee to expand its retail network. The first Index Living Mall in Vietnam, at Vincom Mega Mall in Ho Chi Minh City, opened in January, and the second one last month at Vincom Mega Mall in Hanoi.

“We are negotiating with a potential joint-venture partner in the Philippines and a potential franchisee in Indonesia for partnership deals that are expected to be finalised next year,” Kridchanok said.

Index Living Mall posted Bt2.5 billion in sales revenue in the first quarter of this year, a 10-per-cent increase compared with the same quarter last year.

The company targets Bt10 billion in sales this year, up 10 per cent over 2015.

The company has also opened a concept store at Don Mueang International Airport, “Sky Living by Index Living Mall”, with 400sqm of retail space, which showcases its home-furnishing products and accessories to potential buyers, both Thais and foreigners.

After the official opening of the airport’s new Terminal 2 building, which was recently renovated byAirports of Thailand to accommodate the growing number of domestic passengers, Index Living Mall aims to create direct customer experiences by providing a premier passenger lounge designed around a wide variety of room settings, as well as a Kids’ Zone that offers a play area for young children.

Customers can also place an order and make payments onsite, and their products will be delivered to their preferred address by a professional service team.

“Sky Living by Index Living Mall boasts Thailand’s first home-furnishings and accessories store in an airport, and this new marketing initiative reflects Index Living Mall’s commitment to drive the furniture retail sector forward,” Kridchanok said.

Last year, passenger arrivals at Don Mueang International Airport increased by 40 per cent over 2014 to more than 28.5 million, of whom 20 million were domestic passengers and 8.5 million international. It is anticipated that the reopened Terminal 2 building will serve 20 million passengers each year.

She said Index Living Mall continued to develop its retail network, from the first store that opened its doors more than 20 years ago, to the first standalone speciality store in Thailand, to its current 26 retail locations nationwide, spanning 270,000 sqm of retail space.

The company has established footprints in major tourist destinations including Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Hat Yai and Phuket.