StoreHub said it raised US$5.1 million and had received support from Vertex Ventures. The company said that businesses must adapt to IT changes, but SMEs in Thailand look promising.

Wai Hong Fong, managing director of StoreHub, said it offers cloud-based solutions, smart inventory management, business analysis and customer management.

Founded in 2014 in Malaysia, with four offices in Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Shanghai and Bangkok, StoreHub has made it cheaper and easier for retailers to use an iPad to manage businesses to increase opportunities without investing heavily. StoreHub said it had been used by 3,700 stores in 15 countries over the past four years. StoreHub said it has helped these businesses achieve over US$270 million in sales in the last 12 months.

For 2018, the company is targeting Thailand as a vibrant market with 1.1 million SME retailers, it said. The company said it expected its Thai team to triple with e-commerce products becoming available this year that will help retailers launch online stores in a hassle-free manner, even if the staff are not tech savvy.

Pong Sakuntanaga, vice president of Central FamilyMart Co, Ltd, said: “FamilyMart keeps moving forward to offer products and services to reach all customer groups in university areas. We believe that we can differentiate ourselves and attract the customers to repeat their visits. Recently, we have renovated the store at Rangsit University by adding a wide selection of imported products and services and adjusting design, mood and tone to respond to customers in the 4.0 era.

“The design is under the concept of ‘fresh, fun and friendly’ with an emphasis on the freshness of food, great shopping and friendly service. Furthermore, we would like this store to be the community hub for school and university students in the area.”

Pong added: “The special feature of this branch is not only to offer the domestic and imported goods and services. We also focus on a variety of food selections, such as a fresh bakery.

“In addition, there is the printing service from Double A Fast Print, health and beauty products and a dining area inside the store.”

Kwankhao Kritsanasopa, a student from Rangsit University, was quoted saying by FamilyMart: “Having a store in front of the university really responds to the lifestyle of students. The dining area can be a meeting point and learning centre 24 hours for the students.”

With the promotion “Cheer Sud-Jai with FamilyMart”, with every purchase of Bt40, customers receive a chance to win a 40” LCD TV or gaming devices.

In an awards ceremony in Las Vegas, Siam Discovery took the top spot from among hundreds of projects from around the world in the ICSC’s Viva Awards.

The awards are presented annually by a jury to “recognise the best-of-the-best in the world of retail development”.

Chadatip Chutrakul, Siam Piwat CEO, said: “Siam Piwat’s strategy for growth is to do things in retail and retail development that have never been done before in Thailand or even the world. We are committed to being a thought-leader on the global stage through co-creation with retailers and other partners in our developments. It’s Thailand 4.0 in action, and it proves that Thai creativity and collaboration can take our country’s flag to the top, even on the world stage.”

Siam Discovery opened in 1997. It underwent a Bt4 billion re-build and reopened in 2016 as Thailand’s “largest lifestyle speciality store”.

During the past two years, Siam Discovery said it had won six global awards from prestigious retail competitions.

Among them is the World Retail Awards part of the World Retail Congress Global Series for store design in 2017, for being world’s best-designed development.

The judges at ICSC praised Siam Discovery for being transformative. “Siam Discovery is a highly imaginative project that gets away from individual stores and walls and into an immersive open experience. It is the first mall development that makes retail an experience as well as the spaces in between being exciting and stimulating. Siam Discovery brings the latest digital technology offerings to create an interactive and experiential retail environment.”

Chadatip said: “Siam Discovery is a game-changing, hybrid retail destination where products, services and activities are brought together in a way that suits the lifestyle of millennials.

“Products are grouped without the constraints of a particular brand or school of design, in a way that puts the needs of the customer at the centre. Millennials want to discover their own style while exploring new experiences with other people. Here they can experiment and discover what they like and what expresses their identity best.”

Wisate Chungwatana, WHAUP CEO, revealed its continuous investment plan over the 498-hectare site. The demand for industrial and waste-water treatment is estimated at around 12,000 cubic metres per day and 9,600 cubic metres per day, respectively.

Wisate said that the company directors approved the establishment of a new subsidiary, the WHAUP Nghe An Joint Stock Company, to invest in and operate water business in Vietnam with its first project in Nghe An.

​It marks WHAUP’s first step to expand its business into the international market, especially in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar.

As a key developing market for olive oil, Thailand was invited, with chef Nan Hongwiwat showcasing a fusion of Thai classics with an Italian twist. The chefs spent a week in Lucca, the town where Bertolli was founded in 1865, staying in a traditional 250-year-old farmhouse, while filming a TV series under the new Bertolli tagline, “The recipe is simple”. The event also coincided with the launch of new bottles, that will come to Thailand by August.

“Having Thailand represented at a global food event for an international product such as olive oil shows how well Thai food is regarded internationally. It was extremely interesting to learn about the olive-oil creation process, and to see where Bertolli first started,” said Nan.

Also attending were American YouTube star Laura Vitale, celebrity Indian chef Ranveer Brar, Finnish judge Sara La Fountain, Dutch food blogger Charlotte de Jong from Charlie’s Kitchen, nutritionist, author and chef from Australia Melanie Lionello, Bavarian blogger Ann-Christin Weber and Valentina Tozza, a blogger representing Italy.

The aircraft with the ANA logo already painted on the tail has moved to an outdoor station where structural completion, engine installation and cockpit furnishing will be done.

System testing for electric power, hydraulic power and air conditioning will be also conducted there.

The A380 will be equipped with an unusual configuration of eight First Class seats, 56 Business Class seats, 73 Premium Economy seats and 383 Economy Class seats, which includes 60 couches.

ANA Holdings Inc ordered three A380s in 2016, becoming the first Japanese customer for the superjumbo.

The first delivery is scheduled early next year and will initially ply the Tokyo-Honolulu route, featuring “Flying Honu” Hawaiian sea turtle livery, which symbolises good luck and prosperity.

The A380 is the world’s largest, most spacious airliner.

With two full, widebody decks, offering widest seats, wide aisles and more floor space, it can generate revenue, stimulate traffic and attract passengers.

The A380 will help to meet growth and overcome capacity constraints at airports in Tokyo.

Thirteen airlines currently operate 226 A380s at 60 destinations, and 240 airports can accommodate the A380.

The company reported a Bt14.10-billion increase in operating revenue, up Bt5.49 billion or 64 per cent from the preceding year.

The results were led by impressive performances in the mass transit business and VGI Global Media but were also supported by a gain of Bt1.88 billion from a property business restructuring.

“With these results, BTS Group has surpassed expectations,” Kavin said, referring to the company’s five-year guidance of net recurring profit to grow 25 per cent per annum on average.

The growth trajectory is expected to continue as “next year, we are expecting revenue growth of 200 per cent”, said Kavin.

The company has reaffirmed its 2017 position as Thailand’s leading rail mass transit system operator following the award of both the Pink and Yellow Line concessions and is expected to participate in the bidding process for all high-speed rail and electric rail systems concessions.

The media business seems set to surpass competition even further with an enviable media ecosystem and as pioneers of offline-to-online solutions.

Meanwhile new investments in Thailand and overseas will be the hallmark of its property business.

The mass transit business posted total revenue of Bt9.11 billion, increasing Bt4.87 billion or 115 per cent from the previous year.

The key drivers were organic growth and revenue from services related to the upcoming opening of the BTS Green Line Northern and Southern extensions.

The media unit earned Bt3.90 billion in revenue, an increase of Bt893 million or 30 per cent year-on-year, thanks to the thriving out-of-home and online media business segment.

Despite excluding recognition of real estate gains, the company’s net recurring profit still showed outstanding growth of 78 per cent, rising to 2.51 billion.

He said the company booked Bt20.17 billion in net profit, an increase of Bt17.20 billion or 581 per cent compared to the same period last year, which he credited to business performance and the divestment of three assets.

“The company disposed of its shares in East Water, GIDEC Co Ltd and Masinloc Power Plant in the Philippines and recognised total gains of Bt14.16 billion,” said Jakgrich.

“Those gains will prepare EGCO Group for expansion, both domestic and overseas, to generate a steady return in the long run.”

Progress has meanwhile been made on three overseas power projects in the pipeline – the Xayaburi and Nam Theun 1 dams in Laos and the San Buenaventura project in the Philippines.

They are scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2019 and 2022.

Jakgrich said EGCO Group is committed to sustainable growth this year and to a “steady and good return” of at least 10 per cent on shareholders’ equity.

He said the Company sees great opportunities for expansion overseas markets where it has a strong presence, primarily in the Philippines but also Laos and Indonesia.

The company is also exploring opportunities in other Asia-Pacific countries, especially in renewable energy, to increase its renewable portfolio to 30 per cent by 2026, said Jakgrich.

Its goal in turning to the EV business is to “make electric cars happen in Thailand” for the benefit of consumers, the company’s chief executive officer and president, Tevin Vongvanich, said last Wednesday.

Tevin said that for PTT, businesses relating to electric vehicles are an option as part of its growth strategy, in a world that is moving away from petroleum while shifting towards clean power from electricity.

He said the company was talking with a number of EV makers about this matter, including Germany’s BMW.

“Things should be clear by the end of the year,” the PTT boss told Thai media on a trip to learn about EV technologies in Germany.

He said PTT does not need to become an EV manufacturer itself. Instead, it can become an EV dealer in Thailand and produce batteries for these vehicles. Regarding the battery manufacturing, he said a joint venture involving PTT “can be seen later this year”.

In addition to making batteries for electric cars and becoming an EV dealership, PTT will also provide charging services for EVs at its service stations, Tevin said.

The planned electric-car dealership and battery production for EVs are part of PTT’s medium-term strategy for expansion that would focus on electricity and liquefied natural gas (LNG) value chains, regional growth, and taking its Cafe Amazon chain global, according to the CEO.

He called these goals a “big bet” in the company’s “treasury execution strategy” for 2018. But they would be what “PTT will certainly do,” Tevin said.

He said the traditional energy businesses, with PTT included, are facing such challenges as disruptive technology, changing consumer behaviour towards electricity, increased public awareness regarding climate change, and more demand for clean and environment friendly energy sources.

Tevin said he expected the petroleum business to remain profitable for at least another decade before electricity will become the dominant source of energy.

The natural gas business would continue to grow, however. “PTT gives priority to the LNG value chain,” he told reporters.

“Also, PTT is interested in the electricity value chain as our next business,” he added.

Certain affiliates under PTT Group are starting to invest in renewable energy, batteries and power storage, according to the CEO. “We opt to invest in small chunks in many places all over the world regarding batteries,” he said.

Buranin Rattanasombat, PTT’s executive vice president for lubricants business, said that with the fast improving technologies regarding EVs and batteries, the widespread use of the vehicles in Thailand would be possible in the near future.

Decreased prices of EVs and more efficient batteries that can store more power per charge and make EVs run a longer distance could make EVs more popular, he said. The price of a battery electric vehicle (BEV), which is fully electric, was expected to come down to that of a fuel-powered car by 2026, which would lead to a rapid expansion of the EV market, he said.

About 9,000 EVs are in use in the Kingdom, and the number is forecast to exceed 1.2 million in 2036, according to the Energy Policy and Planning Office.

Buranin said BEVs pose the biggest threat to petroleum companies like PTT because they are the only kind of EV to run entirely on electricity, having no engine or fuel tank.

All other major types of EVs still have engines and fuel tanks, whether they be hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), extended range electric vehicles (EREV), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). The latter have an engine powered by a fuel cell and a fuel tank for hydrogen.

However, some of PTT’s businesses will still be able to go well with electric cars.

Wittawat Svasti-xuto, PTT’s senior executive vice president for innovation and digital, said LNG remained a primary energy source used in generating electricity. Also, many EV parts are made of petrochemical products.

A typical EV has only about 50 parts, compared with more than 2,000 for vehicles with internal combustion engines, according to Wittawat.

He said petrochemicals could be made as raw materials in the production of parts for EVs that need to be light. Wittawat also said PTT was considering becoming a dealer for EVs from China, in addition to those from some other countries.

The senior PTT executives spoke to a group of Thai media on a recent trip to Germany, during which participants learned about the petroleum giant’s future projects involving electric cars.

The trip also brought the media to the head office of German carmaker BMW in Munich.

Laconic Technology Co Ltd was founded in Thailand in 2006. The company was promoted by the Board of Investment to operate web-based applications and services including applications that cover processing power, storage unit and cloud computing, in line with the Thai government’s “Thailand 4.0” policy to upgrade SMEs business and raise service levels to increase value.

The company’s platform simplifies IT with data capture and usability which is the key to the success of SMEs development. The company’s Asian customer base which utilises the ERP system has total revenue of $ 6 billion or approximately $ 190 million.

Today, organisations or companies using The “Laconic” management system have generated more than Bt6 billion in revenues, including income from its overseas customers.

“Since our first customer in Thailand 13 years ago, we have always been confident that we would see good growth here, We hope, Malaysia as a new customer, will strengthen the company’s earnings and performance. In addition, we are now negotiating business expansion into Cambodia and Myanmar, “ he said.