Business
Social Media Sales Soar in Facebook-Friendly Thailand
BANGKOK – The son of a Thai fisherman, Anurak Saruethai never really took to life at sea. But seafood has been good to him.
Hawking dried shrimp, squid and fish in nightly Facebook livestreams, Anurak, who is quick with a joke and adept at interacting with customers, can draw up to 300,000 viewers at a time.
He’s backed by a team who help respond to orders, answer questions on Facebook Messenger, monitor payments to his bank account and shout out tag lines off camera for comedic effect.
The formula works so well, Anurak says he made 26 million baht ($829,000) in sales in March alone.
“Facebook and Instagram give people an opportunity. If you do it right with good content, in just seven months you can make millions,” he told Reuters from the seaside village of Satun.

Anurak Sareuthai sells dried seafood products with his colleagues during a Facebook live event at his house in Satun province, southern Thailand – Photo Jiraporn Kuhakan
His success is emblematic of booming social media commerce in Thailand where entrepreneurs sell products directly to customers via Facebook, Instagram and messaging apps like Japan’s Line Corp.
Propelled by upgrades to mobile banking apps, sales via social media in Thailand more than doubled to 334.2 billion baht ($10.9 billion) in 2017, according to the latest report from the country’s Electronic Transaction Development Agency.
Moreover, those sales accounted for 44% of e-commerce in Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy, jumping from 21% a year earlier. Since then, banks have dropped transfer fees, likely driving the market further.
The popularity of so-called social commerce like Facebook Marketplace in Thailand owes much to the relatively late arrival of big e-commerce firms, cultural shopping preferences and the wide use of Facebook and Instagram. Some 38 million people or 57% of the population access Facebook every day, according to the U.S. firm.
Its growth also highlights the global business opportunities for Facebook and its Instagram unit.
“Social commerce is a market to monitor because Facebook has moved more sharply in a commerce direction recently with the launch of many commerce friendly features,” said Alessandro Psicini, co-founder of Crea which advises brands that want to boost their social media sales in Thailand.
Facebook said this month it wanted to expand into payments and launch its own coin. Instagram in March introduced a checkout button which allows users to shop without leaving the app, though that function is currently limited to a small number of brands and U.S. consumers.
Facebook and Instagram declined to comment on how they plan to make the most of social commerce opportunities.
Customers First
Within Asia, only Indonesia rivals Thailand in social commerce. There it accounts for about 40% of e-commerce but is worth a smaller $3 billion, says consulting firm McKinsey & Company. The market is less developed as many Indonesians do not have bank accounts and due to the challenges of delivering goods across the country’s archipelago.
In other parts of Asia, shopping on big e-commerce platforms like China’s Alibaba, Amazon.com’s Japan unit or Walmart’s Indian unit Flipkart is the norm, although selling via social media is on the rise in some countries.
Livestreaming by merchants has gained in popularity in China while in India, social commerce companies have emerged over the past year. Satish Meena, senior analyst at Forrester Research, says the firm’s preliminary estimates put India’s annual social selling revenue at $100-$150 million.
Completing a sale via social media can be cumbersome.
In Thailand, customers find products on Facebook or Instagram, while chats and payments usually take place on different apps. But for many Thais, the appeal of social media shopping is the direct communication with merchants.
Chonticha Srisawang, 35, who has her own brand of fake eyelashes and over 76,000 followers on her Instagram, prang_bohktoh, says customers became comfortable placing orders after she took the time to answer queries on chat app Line.
“The Thai market is very customer-centric,” said Vilaiporn Taweelappontong, partner at PwC Thailand, adding that Thai shoppers love to browse and share, which favours social media over big online shopping malls.
“Merchants do everything to ensure customers have a good experience. In the U.S and Europe there is more standardisation and there are fewer choices because the emphasis is on the back-end and things moving faster.”
The two biggest online malls in Thailand are now seeking to win over Facebook social media merchants – who industry experts estimate number more than a hundred thousand. Both added live-streaming services last year.
Alibaba’s Lazada, which launched in Thailand in 2012, also started an invitation-only program in August to bring social media sellers with a broad customer base onto its site. Around 300 merchants have since joined.
Sea Ltd in March raised $1.5 billion, part of which will go towards educating merchants on how to best use its Shopee platform, which debuted in Thailand in 2015.
Some merchants, however, are not convinced.
Patchararak Thanasintrakul, who sells swimwear on Instagram account Swimsaic, is hesitant due to concerns about copycats and potential pressure to discount.
“We’ve been thinking about it. Lazada approached us, but we worry about brand image. Lazada likes to support discounts, but our brand has never done discounts,” she said.
A Lazada spokeswoman said the company does not compel its merchants to discount.
By Chayut Setboonsarng
Thomson Reuters

Business
PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.

(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.
This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.
Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.
Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.
The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.
Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.
Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.
The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.
Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.
Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.
Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.
Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.
Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”
Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.
The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.
Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.
The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.
Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”
Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.
The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.
Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.
The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:
SOURCE: CNBC
SEE ALSO:
Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.
Business
Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.

(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.
This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.
For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.
This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.
Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”
This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.
This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.
Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.
Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.
Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.
This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.
It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.
Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”
This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.
We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.
Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.
SOURCE: THBL
SEE ALSO:
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children
Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight
Business
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack

The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.
According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
SOURCE | AP
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