Luxury brands shift to selling online in Thailand

October 10, 2020 | 10:45

(0) user say

Luxury fashion and auto brands in Thailand have turned to selling their products on Line – a chat app developed by Japan amid the coronavirus pandemic.

luxury brands shift to selling online in thailand

Illustrative image (Photo: Internet)

Bangkok - Luxury fashion and auto brands in Thailand have turned to selling their products on Line – a chat app developed by Japan amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Volvo were among those that opened official accounts on the messaging app, which outranks Facebook’s WhatsApp and Rakuten’s Viber in Thailand, aiming to connect with users during a coronavirus lockdown.

Thailand earlier this year imposed a nationwide curfew and closed malls for nearly two months to contain infections.

“The luxury category was forced to adapt because their stores were closed. During the pandemic, sellers became very active,” said Line Thailand chief commercial officer Norasit Sitivechvichit.

Line, which charges sellers for sending messages and live streaming, said its monthly active users in Thailand grew from 44 million to 47 million this year, its second largest market after Japan.

Volvo successfully sold cars on the platform after launching in May and studying customer data, its Thailand head of marketing and digitalisation, Jean-David Harel, said.

“We have an understanding of which models they own today, which interest they have and when they plan to change their existing car,” he said.

Line last year introduced a feature for merchants to organise inventory and online store fronts, which now has over 50,000 users.

Another tool to support sellers with customer relationship and data management is slated to launch next year.

Line will soon introduce “MyRestaurant” with its food delivery app, Line Man Wongai, to support restaurants.