JUNGCEYLON'S parent, Phuket Square, has decided not to proceed with overseas expansion plans in the teeth of the global economic downturn.

But Patong shoppers can look for bargains of up to 70 percent off when the shopping centre announces its second birthday promotion to run from March 28 through to Songkran.

Superstars are expected to come from Bangkok. And on March 29 there's a swimsuit show involving a Playboy cover model. A toy festival runs from March 30 to April 8, with 5000 bikers involved for Phuket Bike Week from April 10-12.

The sale and special lucky draws are anticipated to push revenue to 45 million baht a month.

And there are still some adventures to come: the upscale 1250-square-metre Sound Phuket pub, operated by the Bangkok-based Bed Supper Club, is set to open at Jungceylon in May this year.

Like so many businesses, Jungceylon is focussing on its core enterprise: retailing to local residents and tourists through its Patong lifestyle mall.

Phuket Square CEO Pravit Janyasithikul said: ''We have seen a significant drop in basket value by individual shoppers, which has decreased significantly from between 4500 and 5000 baht to between 2500 and 3500 today.''

Jungceylon attracts about 30,000 shoppers a day, and the hope is that this will increase to about 50,000 during a normal high season.

''We have adjusted our marketing campaigns to be more focused on specific customer targets, as we want to spend our budget more effectively,'' Khun Pravit said.

''We have revised the proportion of foreign tourists visiting the Jungceylon shopping complex from 70 percent last year to about 60 percent this year,'' Khun Pravit said.

''Sixty per cent of our marketing budget this year will be spent on events that are specially targeted at local shoppers.''

He added, a little surprisingly: ''We have seen a big rebound in foreign tourists this month, as evidenced by higher occupancy at many hotels in Phuket.''

Phuket Square, which runs the Millennium Mall in Bangkok, had conducted a feasibility study to develop malls in potential markets elsewhere in Asia, including China, Vietnam and South Korea, but that idea is now on hold.

The company has also delayed for at least six months a plan to build its first Thai ''community mall'', a project in Bangkok's Sukhumvit Soi 20 that would have cost 250 million baht.

The revised opening target is by the end of next year.


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