Thailand's One-Price Stores Confident of Long-Term Edge over Street Vendors.

Byline: Natalie Suwanprakorn

Dec. 3--When it comes to low-cost merchandise, street stalls are a force to reckon with.

Competing with the traditional retailers, Bangkok's first branded one-price stores are finding that running fashionably decorated outlets offering all goods at 25 baht apiece might not be as viable as first thought.

Just 25 stores, launched a year ago by Central Retail Corp and operated by their new subsidiary, Retail Value Co, are modelled on Japan's 100 Yen Plaza and sell products ranging from women's accessories and stationery to kitchenware and toys.

While the concept is unique to Thailand, "right now we're finding that the profits do not justify the investment", said Wallaya Chirathivat, CRC's vice-president of strategic planning.

Just 25's direct competitors are street stalls that have little or no overheads and are able to match the stores in pricing everyday products.

But, it was clear, said the CRC executive, that vendors on the road could not offer the same quality and choice location as Just 25 stores.