Makro opens tomorrow

PHUKET: Wholesaling giant Makro opens its 27^th Thai branch on Wichit Songkhram Rd tomorrow, raising the number of hypermarkets on the island to three.

At least 1,000 guests are expected to attend the official opening, and the store has arranged three additional parking areas to accommodate them all.

Makro Southern Area Manager Noppachai Meetam told the Gazette that sales of memberships, which are required of all the store’s customers, have been brisk.

“We now have 30,000 members in Phuket. There are 11,000 retailers and 5,100 restaurants. The rest are companies, organizations and members of the general public. We expect sales of at least 100 million baht a month during the high season,” he said.

Customers unfamiliar with Makro can expect a more industrial feel to the building than is found at the two competing megastores.

“We don’t have any air conditioning. This new concept store is designed to save energy and pass cost saving along to our customers,” said K. Noppachai, adding, “We have 200 staff of whom 90% are from Phuket and nearby provinces.”

The store, which will initially be open daily from 6 am to 10 pm, has 5,550 square meters of sales area and stocks 9,000 items.