Kii'Z-brand bath and body-care products have survived the country's political uncertainty and global economic crisis, thanks to its unique concept: high quality at affordable prices.
Thanyaporn Kunakornpaiboonsiri, founder and marketing director of Kii'Z distributor Fukai Intertrade, said the company was established with capital of Bt1 million in 2007 in the wake of the previous year's military coup.
"That was a tough time to start my first business, during that gloomy market environment. But entering the market at a time of low competition was a good opportunity," she said.
Fukai Intertrade now has four Kii'Z shops, all located in shopping malls, and the high quality of the spa products have been acclaimed.
"Our strong brand and unique concept mean Kii'Z can survive even though the home-spa market is no longer booming," said Thanyaporn.
She said Kii'Z products were different from other spa products, coming in white instead of earth tones, translating into brightness and modernity. They are quality products at affordable prices, sold in high-end locales like CentralWorld, Siam Paragon and Isetan Department Store.
"We need a modern image but with an Asian sentiment, but not too traditionally Thai, as there's already a lot of that in the market. Kii'Z offers happiness and fun, making customers feel truly refreshed, both physically and emotionally," she said.
Kii'Z products cost Bt300 to Bt700 apiece.
Before Thanyaporn came along, the local spa-product market consisted of only two segments: high-end and One Tambon One Product brands. Prices were also of only two kinds: either below Bt200 apiece or nearly Bt1,000 apiece.
This prompted her to market products priced between the two extremes.
"As a newcomer, I decided to start go with both quality and affordability, say between Bt395 and Bt690. That persuaded our target group - middle-upper income earners - to try them out and then become hooked," she said.
Kii'Z also carries a line of non-spa bath and body-care products, including shower massage oil, shower jelly scrub, shower cream and shower gel, with a wide range of essential oils from Thai flowers, fruits and herbs.
The company has spa and hotel customers nationwide and exports the products, both under its own Kii'Z brand and customised, to South Korea, Taiwan, Morocco, India and Brazil.
Exports now account for 10 per cent of sales revenue, and that is expected to rise to 30 per cent next year after the company conducts more roadshows in foreign markets.
Fukai expects to see Bt8 million in retail sales this year and more than Bt15 million next year.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
ALL BRUSHED UP AND SHINY
Spa Cenvaree on the 26th floor of Centara Grand at Central World is a city oasis that's luxurious without being overly extravagant. Behind the warmly lit passage are the 14 treatment rooms, decorated simply but eleganitly with wooden furniture in natural tones and offring rejuvenating head to toe treatments for men and women guaranteed to de-stress both body and mind.
There are rooms for singles and doubles as well as for those seeking Thai traditional massage or hydrotherapy with the Vichy rain shower. There are also spacious changing rooms with lockers for him and her, which come equipped with infrared sauna plus a whirlpool with pool beds. Make a point of arriving at least 30 minutes before your appointment so you can relax in this impressive room before your personal therapist leads you away for your treatment.
The spa menu has been revised and the 150-minute "Our Signature Spa Experience" has recently been introduced as the new must-have treatment. This sequenced therapy featurs body brushing, herbal scrub and four-hand massage and starts with a wash with warm water to open the pors and a short foot scrub with neem extract and salt.
Therapist Pitthayaporn Waree begins the reatment with a soft bristle brush, working her way over the whole body for about 20 minutes. Dry body brushing is belived cellulite while exfoliating. It also cleanses the lymphatic system, tightens the skin to prevent premadture ageing and tones the muscles.
"We brush towards the heart and the lymphatic points in order to promote and stimulate blood and lymphatic circultaton," says the therapist.
To promote the scents and bnefits of Thai herbs, the next sequence is called "Siamese herbal scrub" and involves scrubbing the entire body for about 45 minutes with a range of natural remedies includign kaffir lime peel, lemongrass, olive oil, plush plai, turmeric and milk in powder form. The kaffir lime acts as an antiseptic and astringent while lemongrass has anti-bactrial properties. Plai powder softens and tones the skin and relieves muscular aches and pains and turmeric is a good anti-inflammatory. Milk powder softens and cleans and olive oil, which is high in vitamin E, is an excellent antioxidant.
The highlight of the treatment is the four-hand massge performd by two therapists. Pitthayaporn teams up with Tippawan Srisawat in coordinating this blend of soothing aromatic oil, Thai, Swedish, refloxology and shiatsu massage, applying prssure using only the fingers, particularly the thumbs, on points that relate to the central and autonomic nervous systems. The combination of different techniques is said to improve circulation, relieve stiffmuscles and alleviate strees. The pressure can be adjusted so ti meets the needs of the individual.
"The sizes of hands and the warmth of palms of the two therpists should be near in size and degree. I'm an earth element and have warm palms and Tippawan is the same. That makes us perfect partners in giving this kind of massage," Pittayaporn explains.
Once the body is totally relaxd, she turns her attention to my tired legs and feet with a 60-minute "Restorative Foot Therapy", which stimulates blood circulation and the nervs. First, she bathes my feet in neem extract and citrus peel. The treatment starts with a scrub that uses mint and almond oil to remove dead skin and continues with a pressure point massage with warm aromatic oil. A herbal clay mask is then applied and the feet are wrapped in plastic to maintain warmth for 15 minutes, while Pittayaporn applies a gentle massage to my head. The m ask, she explaints, is a combination of din saw pong (white mud) to tighten the skin, ginger to cur skin disase and cloves to improve skin condition. A relaxing foot massage with hto balm ends the session.
Thirty minutes later, I'm back in the chaos of Bangkok's traffic but my body - and my feet - are still in paradise.
>> AT A GLANCE
- The 150-minute "Out Signature Spa Experience" costs Bt3,450. The 60-minute "Restorative Foot Terapy" adds another Bt1,500.
- Call (02) 100 1234 extension 6516 or 6511 or visit www.SpaCenvaree.com.
There are rooms for singles and doubles as well as for those seeking Thai traditional massage or hydrotherapy with the Vichy rain shower. There are also spacious changing rooms with lockers for him and her, which come equipped with infrared sauna plus a whirlpool with pool beds. Make a point of arriving at least 30 minutes before your appointment so you can relax in this impressive room before your personal therapist leads you away for your treatment.
The spa menu has been revised and the 150-minute "Our Signature Spa Experience" has recently been introduced as the new must-have treatment. This sequenced therapy featurs body brushing, herbal scrub and four-hand massage and starts with a wash with warm water to open the pors and a short foot scrub with neem extract and salt.
Therapist Pitthayaporn Waree begins the reatment with a soft bristle brush, working her way over the whole body for about 20 minutes. Dry body brushing is belived cellulite while exfoliating. It also cleanses the lymphatic system, tightens the skin to prevent premadture ageing and tones the muscles.
"We brush towards the heart and the lymphatic points in order to promote and stimulate blood and lymphatic circultaton," says the therapist.
To promote the scents and bnefits of Thai herbs, the next sequence is called "Siamese herbal scrub" and involves scrubbing the entire body for about 45 minutes with a range of natural remedies includign kaffir lime peel, lemongrass, olive oil, plush plai, turmeric and milk in powder form. The kaffir lime acts as an antiseptic and astringent while lemongrass has anti-bactrial properties. Plai powder softens and tones the skin and relieves muscular aches and pains and turmeric is a good anti-inflammatory. Milk powder softens and cleans and olive oil, which is high in vitamin E, is an excellent antioxidant.
The highlight of the treatment is the four-hand massge performd by two therapists. Pitthayaporn teams up with Tippawan Srisawat in coordinating this blend of soothing aromatic oil, Thai, Swedish, refloxology and shiatsu massage, applying prssure using only the fingers, particularly the thumbs, on points that relate to the central and autonomic nervous systems. The combination of different techniques is said to improve circulation, relieve stiffmuscles and alleviate strees. The pressure can be adjusted so ti meets the needs of the individual.
"The sizes of hands and the warmth of palms of the two therpists should be near in size and degree. I'm an earth element and have warm palms and Tippawan is the same. That makes us perfect partners in giving this kind of massage," Pittayaporn explains.
Once the body is totally relaxd, she turns her attention to my tired legs and feet with a 60-minute "Restorative Foot Therapy", which stimulates blood circulation and the nervs. First, she bathes my feet in neem extract and citrus peel. The treatment starts with a scrub that uses mint and almond oil to remove dead skin and continues with a pressure point massage with warm aromatic oil. A herbal clay mask is then applied and the feet are wrapped in plastic to maintain warmth for 15 minutes, while Pittayaporn applies a gentle massage to my head. The m ask, she explaints, is a combination of din saw pong (white mud) to tighten the skin, ginger to cur skin disase and cloves to improve skin condition. A relaxing foot massage with hto balm ends the session.
Thirty minutes later, I'm back in the chaos of Bangkok's traffic but my body - and my feet - are still in paradise.
>> AT A GLANCE
- The 150-minute "Out Signature Spa Experience" costs Bt3,450. The 60-minute "Restorative Foot Terapy" adds another Bt1,500.
- Call (02) 100 1234 extension 6516 or 6511 or visit www.SpaCenvaree.com.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
SPA STORES TO BE LAUNCHED IN BANGKOK
Panviman Group of Resorts will launch two spa stores in Bangkok next month while adding new magnets to its three hotels.
The first spa shop will open in CentralWorld on September 3 and the second in Siam Paragon on September 14.
It will be the first time the group has diversified away from the hotel and resort business.
President Chakarin Chantaravisoot said the company would import two Italian spa product lines, Angel and Mediterranean, to sell in Thailand.
Angel products are aimed at those aged 15-20 and Mediterranean products at general customers more than 20 years old.
"These are all organic products, so we are targeting upper-level customers conscious about their health," he said.
The group expects to sell Bt12 million of the products in the first year of operation.
The group manages its own spa called Viman Spa in the Panviman Hotel in Chiang Mai. All in-house products are called Puviman. The group produces and supplies its spa products to other hotels in Thailand and also to customers overseas.
In the near future, it will open a spa in the Panviman Hotel on Koh Chang in Trat and the Panviman on Koh Pha-ngan in Surat Thani.
A spa academy will be up and running at the Panviman Chiang Mai by year-end to train and certify therapists to serve the spa business.
Recently, the first fish spa was introduced in Chiang Mai and has become a popular new draw.
Panviman Chiang Mai is featuring 42 units priced at Bt7,000-Bt28,000 per night. However, all hotels in Chiang Mai are facing tough times as visitors stay away due to the political instability.
About Bt120 million will be spent to add 45 rooms to the Panviman Koh Chang, which has been open for five years. Also 50 existing rooms will be refurbished by adding pool access. The renovation is expected to be completed within two months.
A posh pub will open at the Koh Pha-ngan hotel by year-end, while 10 pool villas will be added to the scheduled hotel.
Three hotels are on the drawing board for the next few years - on Koh Krud in Trat, in Sriboya in Krabi and on Koh Chang.
"The group hopes the hotel business will recover this coming high season and we are seeing new bookings for that time," Chakarin added.
The first spa shop will open in CentralWorld on September 3 and the second in Siam Paragon on September 14.
It will be the first time the group has diversified away from the hotel and resort business.
President Chakarin Chantaravisoot said the company would import two Italian spa product lines, Angel and Mediterranean, to sell in Thailand.
Angel products are aimed at those aged 15-20 and Mediterranean products at general customers more than 20 years old.
"These are all organic products, so we are targeting upper-level customers conscious about their health," he said.
The group expects to sell Bt12 million of the products in the first year of operation.
The group manages its own spa called Viman Spa in the Panviman Hotel in Chiang Mai. All in-house products are called Puviman. The group produces and supplies its spa products to other hotels in Thailand and also to customers overseas.
In the near future, it will open a spa in the Panviman Hotel on Koh Chang in Trat and the Panviman on Koh Pha-ngan in Surat Thani.
A spa academy will be up and running at the Panviman Chiang Mai by year-end to train and certify therapists to serve the spa business.
Recently, the first fish spa was introduced in Chiang Mai and has become a popular new draw.
Panviman Chiang Mai is featuring 42 units priced at Bt7,000-Bt28,000 per night. However, all hotels in Chiang Mai are facing tough times as visitors stay away due to the political instability.
About Bt120 million will be spent to add 45 rooms to the Panviman Koh Chang, which has been open for five years. Also 50 existing rooms will be refurbished by adding pool access. The renovation is expected to be completed within two months.
A posh pub will open at the Koh Pha-ngan hotel by year-end, while 10 pool villas will be added to the scheduled hotel.
Three hotels are on the drawing board for the next few years - on Koh Krud in Trat, in Sriboya in Krabi and on Koh Chang.
"The group hopes the hotel business will recover this coming high season and we are seeing new bookings for that time," Chakarin added.
Time for hair to get dressed up
Hot trends from a top hairstylist to keep you looking cool
Top hairstylist and global hair ambassador for Pantene,Sam McKnight created four key hair looks on the international catwalks this season. McKnight's hot trends are Future Retro, Neo Knots, Rock 'n' Romance and Maximum Contrast."This is the time for hair to get dressed," said Sam McKnight."The easy, carefree looks that have dominated past seasons have given way to more considered styles that take their cue from fashion. Now, more than ever before, hair plays a pivotal role as part of the total fashion look."
FUTURE RETRO
This trend sees Sam McKnight paying homage to 1980s cult sci-fi movie,Bladerunner , by adding a frisson of femme fatale glamour to the hair. It shows a sleek silhouette with a clean neck and sides, and hair rolled into super-scale cartoonesque kiss curls, or made into modernist 1940s rolls.
The key to these styles is shape and scale - with shoulder pads, complicated neckline details, masculine tailoring and non-linear silhouettes, it is essential for hair to provide the balance to the overall fashion shape.Height and control are the watchwords for these looks.
ROCK 'N' ROMANCE
This look is all about texture.Think of those famous groupies from the Sixties and Seventies and you get an idea of what this look is about."Think Pamela des Barres,Marianne Faithful, even Linda McCartney for this dreamy take on the girls that were 'with the band'," says Sam.
The tousled tendrils of long hair had the appearance of nonchalance associated with those rock muses,as Chanel's romantic drifters echoed the fascination with Edwardiana that informed the original Sixties groupie look, with long dresses and lace detailing. Although the hair appeared casually unstudied, the lasting impression was of a carefully composed look.
NEO KNOTS
Creating knots and spikes is key to this new look. This trend has hairstylists twisting,twining and wrapping hair into a multitude of sophisticated dos.
Tiny knots decorated the crowns of the heads with tiny wispy tails of hair left loose; a grand wrapped knot worn low on the back of the head, and messy topknots slicked back with black stretch hair bands."This season's knots are all about hidden depths," says McKnight.
MAXIMUM CONTRAST
This trend offers two completely contrasting finishes in one look: rough meets smooth for a sophisticated play on dual textured hair."This is about playing with differing scales," says McKnight."That combination of hair slicked close to the head,then fanned out through the lengths gives a sense of control and freedom in one hairstyle."
The look is all about being smooth and sleek: slick, side-parted hair kept close to the head and released into a cascade of length at the back; masculine slicked side panels with the top and lengths left natural;or skull-tight slickness juxtaposed with voluminous lengths.
Celebrity hairstylist SamMcKnight's work has regularly appeared in British Vogue and other international publications since 1980. The accolades for his work are countless. They include a three-year consecutive win in the 1990s for British Session Hairdresser of the Year. He also picked up the coveted "Venus"award in Paris and New York as well as being named Best Session Hairdresser of the Year at the UK Elle Style Awards 2002. The culmination was being named a Global Ambassador for Pantene, a title that he holds today.
Top hairstylist and global hair ambassador for Pantene,Sam McKnight created four key hair looks on the international catwalks this season. McKnight's hot trends are Future Retro, Neo Knots, Rock 'n' Romance and Maximum Contrast."This is the time for hair to get dressed," said Sam McKnight."The easy, carefree looks that have dominated past seasons have given way to more considered styles that take their cue from fashion. Now, more than ever before, hair plays a pivotal role as part of the total fashion look."
FUTURE RETRO
This trend sees Sam McKnight paying homage to 1980s cult sci-fi movie,Bladerunner , by adding a frisson of femme fatale glamour to the hair. It shows a sleek silhouette with a clean neck and sides, and hair rolled into super-scale cartoonesque kiss curls, or made into modernist 1940s rolls.
The key to these styles is shape and scale - with shoulder pads, complicated neckline details, masculine tailoring and non-linear silhouettes, it is essential for hair to provide the balance to the overall fashion shape.Height and control are the watchwords for these looks.
ROCK 'N' ROMANCE
This look is all about texture.Think of those famous groupies from the Sixties and Seventies and you get an idea of what this look is about."Think Pamela des Barres,Marianne Faithful, even Linda McCartney for this dreamy take on the girls that were 'with the band'," says Sam.
The tousled tendrils of long hair had the appearance of nonchalance associated with those rock muses,as Chanel's romantic drifters echoed the fascination with Edwardiana that informed the original Sixties groupie look, with long dresses and lace detailing. Although the hair appeared casually unstudied, the lasting impression was of a carefully composed look.
NEO KNOTS
Creating knots and spikes is key to this new look. This trend has hairstylists twisting,twining and wrapping hair into a multitude of sophisticated dos.
Tiny knots decorated the crowns of the heads with tiny wispy tails of hair left loose; a grand wrapped knot worn low on the back of the head, and messy topknots slicked back with black stretch hair bands."This season's knots are all about hidden depths," says McKnight.
MAXIMUM CONTRAST
This trend offers two completely contrasting finishes in one look: rough meets smooth for a sophisticated play on dual textured hair."This is about playing with differing scales," says McKnight."That combination of hair slicked close to the head,then fanned out through the lengths gives a sense of control and freedom in one hairstyle."
The look is all about being smooth and sleek: slick, side-parted hair kept close to the head and released into a cascade of length at the back; masculine slicked side panels with the top and lengths left natural;or skull-tight slickness juxtaposed with voluminous lengths.
Celebrity hairstylist SamMcKnight's work has regularly appeared in British Vogue and other international publications since 1980. The accolades for his work are countless. They include a three-year consecutive win in the 1990s for British Session Hairdresser of the Year. He also picked up the coveted "Venus"award in Paris and New York as well as being named Best Session Hairdresser of the Year at the UK Elle Style Awards 2002. The culmination was being named a Global Ambassador for Pantene, a title that he holds today.
Gym operators face scrutiny, regulation
The run-away fitness industry is about to be hobbled by the Office of the Consumer Protection Board which is investigating ways to clean up and standardise the contracts they offer to clients.
Having received 748 complaints of unfair and deceptive practices from gym clients since 2005, the OCPB called a public hearing on Monday to discuss the framework for new regulations to control contracts between gym operators and their customers.
The meeting heard fitness industry contracts were unregulated and there were no guidelines to follow.
That meant operators had complete freedom to insert their own conditions into contracts which could put customers at a disadvantage, OCPB deputy secretary-general Teerawat Chantarasomboon said.
"What they are doing is legally correct,but it's unfair," he said."Now it's time the OCPB made this industry a contractcontrolled business."
The OCPB had received complaints from people lured into signing or paying tens of thousands of baht for annual or lifetime contracts without being fully informed of their contractual obligations.
Contract forms were usually presented in tiny print which made it difficult for the clients to inspect.
Consumers were also deceived by sales representatives' tactics by being told,for example, to pick up a free voucher only to be pressured into signing a contract. Many were given false promises.
The majority of customers were cajoled into accepting a one-year contract and were not allowed to terminate it.
Many had their credit cards debited without their consent. In one case, a lifetime member was told he could end the contract only if he were dead or handicapped.
There were also complaints about a lack of standard prices for the same packages offered by each operator. Many clients complained about poor aftersales service and forced changes to packages they had paid for.
Virot na Bangchang, chairman of the Consumer Power Foundation, demanded the OCPB regulate the industry to bring about fairer contracts and give clients more negotiating power, including the right to terminate a contract.
Mr Teerawat said the bureau would review the complaints and input from businesses. Then it would issue a noti-fication to stipulate certain mandatory terms and conditions in contracts.
When the regulations were passed into law, it would make the fitness industry contract-controlled like real estate or financial lending services.
Eric Levine, founder of the listed fitness company California WOW, said it was too early to comment on the move but claimed there was nothing wrong with the industry.
"There are not many complaints,"he said."Our contracts are OK in 13 countries for over 30 years."
OCPB secretary-general Nirote Charoenprakob said it was not a question of the number of complaints but the issue of consumer rights.
"Even if there is just one complaint,we'd investigate it and demand changes if there were unfair conditions," he said.
Having received 748 complaints of unfair and deceptive practices from gym clients since 2005, the OCPB called a public hearing on Monday to discuss the framework for new regulations to control contracts between gym operators and their customers.
The meeting heard fitness industry contracts were unregulated and there were no guidelines to follow.
That meant operators had complete freedom to insert their own conditions into contracts which could put customers at a disadvantage, OCPB deputy secretary-general Teerawat Chantarasomboon said.
"What they are doing is legally correct,but it's unfair," he said."Now it's time the OCPB made this industry a contractcontrolled business."
The OCPB had received complaints from people lured into signing or paying tens of thousands of baht for annual or lifetime contracts without being fully informed of their contractual obligations.
Contract forms were usually presented in tiny print which made it difficult for the clients to inspect.
Consumers were also deceived by sales representatives' tactics by being told,for example, to pick up a free voucher only to be pressured into signing a contract. Many were given false promises.
The majority of customers were cajoled into accepting a one-year contract and were not allowed to terminate it.
Many had their credit cards debited without their consent. In one case, a lifetime member was told he could end the contract only if he were dead or handicapped.
There were also complaints about a lack of standard prices for the same packages offered by each operator. Many clients complained about poor aftersales service and forced changes to packages they had paid for.
Virot na Bangchang, chairman of the Consumer Power Foundation, demanded the OCPB regulate the industry to bring about fairer contracts and give clients more negotiating power, including the right to terminate a contract.
Mr Teerawat said the bureau would review the complaints and input from businesses. Then it would issue a noti-fication to stipulate certain mandatory terms and conditions in contracts.
When the regulations were passed into law, it would make the fitness industry contract-controlled like real estate or financial lending services.
Eric Levine, founder of the listed fitness company California WOW, said it was too early to comment on the move but claimed there was nothing wrong with the industry.
"There are not many complaints,"he said."Our contracts are OK in 13 countries for over 30 years."
OCPB secretary-general Nirote Charoenprakob said it was not a question of the number of complaints but the issue of consumer rights.
"Even if there is just one complaint,we'd investigate it and demand changes if there were unfair conditions," he said.
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