THAILAND – Friday 18 August: At 10.29 this morning King Power Group Chairman Vichai Raksriaksorn lit a candle to mark the beginning of a religious ceremony to open the new King Power Downtown Complex in downtown Bangkok.
In front of him on stage, resplendent in their bright orange robes, sat nine Buddhist monks who transfixed a large audience of guests, management and employees with chants of amazing intensity and rhythm.
| EXPLORE KING POWER DOWNTOWN COMPLEX Click on the thumbnail photos | |||
 | The opening ceremony |  | Fashion, accessories, toys |
 | Watches |  | Cosmetics and fragrances |
 | Gifts, crystals, stationery |  | Food & beverage, souvenirs |
 | Confectionery,fine foods |  | Spirits, wine, tobacco |
As they chanted, behind the stage a row of plasma screens flashed images of this profoundly ambitious retail, leisure and entertainment extravaganza.
It was a unique and very Thai moment that saw tradition and belief intermingled with modernity and commerce. And as the monks gave their blessing to this extraordinary place, dubbed “˜the mantra of the East’, King Power was simultaneously propelling itself into a whole new league as a travel retailer.
Make no mistake – this is one of the world’s great duty free and travel retail facilities. The 10,000sq m retail offer (in which UK company The Design Solution played a key role in design terms) is the heart of a complex spread over 12 acres that embraces King Power’s new offices, a four-star hotel due to open next May, a restaurant and a theatre for live Thai performances. Over the past few days some 500 workers have toiled around the clock to have the Downtown Duty Free Mall ready for opening.
They made it, and today Vichai Raksriaksorn’s dream came true. Group Deputy Chairman Chulchit Bunyaketu said that the downtown and forthcoming airport openings would redefine the company. He told The Moodie Report that the new store would double the company’s downtown business.
Next month via a special printed report we will examine this operation and King Power’s other great mission for 2006 – its commercial concession at Suvarnabhumi Airport near Bangkok, due to open on 28 September.
But for today, and to ensure the vivid impact of this impressive development is brought with immediacy to the travel retail world, The Moodie Report presents a special Picture Gallery that captures both the flavour and poignancy of the religious opening and takes readers on a virtual tour of the Complex.
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| Memorable scenes from the opening ceremony as Chairman Vichai Raksriaksorn receives the blessing of the monks for the new King Power Downtown Complex and together with his family cuts the ribbon to declare the centre open | |
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| Top: A unique, very Thai moment as tradition and belief intermingled with modernity and commerce; Below: Open for business – and already the first tour bus has arrived. Top | |
It’s an exciting retail environment – set over two storeys and offering a blend of fashion and luxury boutiques, concept stores and generic areas, specialist shops and traditional duty free items. There are many highlights and, surprisingly for such a vast store, no flat spots. And the best are very good indeed. Let’s take a walk through the store.
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Having taken the escalator up one storey from registration, travellers first encounter a series of upscale boutiques – some of the world’s biggest luxury names have opened or are set to soon | |
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Top:Burberry is set to open in coming weeks while VR is an acronym for Chairman Vichai Raksriaksorn’s own lifestyle brand; Below: Once Upon a Time, a magical upscale children’s shop. King Power Deputy Managing Director Susan Whelan says: “I wanted this to be like the most beautiful children’s shop that you would find in a little Parisian back street – and when you go in it’s like being in an old-fashioned children’s bedroom.” Top | |
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Vichai Raksriaksorn is one of the world’s great watch collectors – and it shows. Ranging from super-premium lines to the young and trendy, this is claimed to be Asia’s largest watches outlet | |
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The elegant, French-influenced architecture in the style of King Rama V lends a quiet elegance to the boutique area upstairs; while customers move down by escalator to the homeware, fashion, liquor, tobacco, delicatessen, confectionery and destination merchandise below. Top | |
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| The fragrances and skincare area begins with a ‘For Men’ skincare selection and combines modern, emergent brands such as L’Occitane and Jurlique with the back-wall pull of heavyweights such as SK-II, Shiseido and Clinique | |
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| Space, lighting – and brands. The beauty department is separated by zones embracing skincare, men’s fragrance and a high-end concept called ‘ME’, for the high-spending woman who likes expensive skincare and niche items she will have read about in glossy magazines. Top | |
GENERAL MERCHANDISE: GIFTS, CRYSTAL, CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS FOOTWEAR, SUNGLASSES, WRITING INSTRUMENTS, JEWELLERY AND FASHION WATCHES
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Top: The deep Swarovski boutique in its trademark rich blue hues offers a classy transition out of the fragrances and cosmetics department; Below: A chic, cool look for the latest consumer technology; (right) One of the store’s highlights, a vibrant, cheerful sports footwear store segmented by kids’, men’s and women’s lines with brands ranged horizontally on-shelf | |
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Top: From Ray-Ban to Oakley, King Power boasts a well-framed eyewear offer; (right) A lovely little writing instruments boutique, like a store from days gone by; Below: The jewellery range covers a wide variety of styles and price points while (right) Swatch enjoys a powerful presence as lead brand in the more fashion-orientated watches offer. Top | |
MOVING DOWNSTAIRS – NEW AND OLD WORLDS BECKON
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| From the top: Heady flavours draw travellers downstairs where they encounter a range of epicurean delights at the Thomas & Tonini delicatessen, a Susan Whelan-driven new concept; the Asian Food Court offers a range of beautifully-presented light meals and drinks. | |
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| A strongly Thai Sense of Place highlights the ground level, illustrated by a superb Destination Merchandise and homeware offer, the famous Jim Thompson silk range and a Suvarnabhumi Musuem store. Top | |
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Segmentation is the name of the game in the confectionery and foodstuffs department: Premium, Kids’, Destination and self-consumption items are kept together as well as a Pick ‘n’ Mix selection and some back wall personalisation. Top | |
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| The compact spirits department works brilliantly, with clean lines, a tight selection and elegant personalisation from the drinks ‘big boys’; Scotch whisky dominates, supported by Cognac and white spirits; Wine is another passion of the Chairman’s and that knowledge is expressed in a superb mix of Old World and New World wines and even a walk-in temperature-controlled cellar for classic Bordeaux and Burgundy (pictured is Deputy Managing Director Susan Whelan, a driving force behind the project) | |
CIGARETTES AND CIGARS
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A Chinese tour group on day one of trading powered into the tobacco section looking for (and finding) their favourite Chinese brands; there’s also a strong international selection and a walk-in Cigar humidor | |
