Bangkok retail supply climbs

In  Q2  2015,  the  total  Bangkok  retail  supply was 6.9 million sq.m., according to CBRE, increasing 6 per cent year-on-year with an additional 73,040 sq.m. of net lettable area.

Two  new  retail  centres  opened  this  quarter: the  70,000  sq.m. The  Hub,  which  is  an expansion  of  the  Zeer  Rangsit  shopping  mall, and  the 3,040 sq.m.  The  Rest  Area community mall  at  Prachachuen  Toll  Plaza  on  Srirat expressway. 

The  volume  of  occupied  retail  space, though, also increased to 6.3 million sq.m., up by 4.8 per cent year-on-year. The overall occupancy rate was 93.1 per cent, although its sustainability "remains uncertain".

Indeed, in June 2015,  Thailand's Consumer Confidence Index decreased to 77.7 compared  to  an  average of  79.1  in  Q1  2015. The retail sales index was at 201.15 as of May 2015, falling by 3.4 per cent year-on-year.