Over a year under social distancing measures has allowed people to start adapting to the new normal lifestyle, especially in the digital age in which people are always searching for and adapting to new avenues to continue living their lives as normally as possible, both day-to-day and professionally, Including small retailers and business owners in Rayong. Thus the “Rayong Shop-Hi” Online Market was born as a new option for Rayong communities to come together and overcome the economic crisis, with Chemicals Business, SCG, as the organizer. Using Facebook as a platform, buyers and sellers can communicate directly, give and receive feedback, and share creative ideas, resulting in new products that better answer to customers’ needs. Meanwhile, customers are also able to browse and shop for a variety of Rayong specialties and delicacies, from fresh food and local fruits all the way to household and personal goods, with special promotions exclusive to this channel.

A Companion Through Every Crisis

   From its role as a mentor in production, marketing, and distribution for community enterprises throughout Rayong. Today, Chemicals Business, SCG has expanded its contributions to providing online marketing support in order to maximize the efficiency of the platform for better sales. To do so, Chemicals Business, SCG brings together over 100 retailers from Rayong, including both community enterprises and general businesses in communities, to be a part of this online market, initiating various promotion strategies to boost sales, and encouraging its own employees to support these local businesses.

   One important lesson that the communities had to learn together was how to generate visibility with attention-grabbing posts to help drive sales, both in terms of appealing product photography and the use of captions and tag lines that increase sales opportunities. In fact, bringing together a variety of product categories on the same platform provides another means of stimulating the economy and generating income for communities in Rayong.

   The Tulip Housewives’ Community Enterprise of Nern Payom Community, one of the vendors on “Rayong Shop-Hi,” shared, “Due to measures that prevented us from going out and selling our products at markets, our income went from hundreds of thousands to zero. However, thanks to SCG staff, we have gotten advice on where to post, how to take good photos, and what captions to use, and sometimes even feedback on how to add this and that to improve existing posts.” Even though e-commerce has changed the way goods are sold and triggered the need for many merchants to adapt, it has also brought additional income and happiness to all households.

Adapting to Changing Situations

   Adapting to an online platform, aside from restoring income for retailers and vendors, also presents an opportunity to connect and exchange ideas and generate new products that answer to consumers’ changing lifestyle.

   “Originally, we had produced tie-dyed shirts for sale during Songkran, but we weren’t able to sell any,” Tan of Tan Batik Community Enterprise recounted, “but we had staff from SCG helping us sell on Facebook. Then, we saw that there was a shortage of fabric masks on the market, so we made some to donate to hospitals. After that, people asked to buy them, so we decided to produce more for sale. Now it’s our group’s newest product.” Tan Batik has also modified their tie-dyed clothing products to be more colorful and appealing to the younger generation.

   Other than household and personal products, another category of goods that Rayong is famous for are fruits and seafood, such as dried processed seafood from Rom Ruen Shop of Map Ta Phut Market, Chanee Kai durian fresh from Krua Ban Petch in Hua Nam Tok Community, or Mon Thong durian and mangosteen from Lawan’s Orchard in Ban Nam Pen, Khao Chamao District. Not to mention a wide variety of other fresh fruits and local foods like golden Nam Dok Mai mangos, snake fruits, dried chili shrimp paste, and flower-shaped coconut jelly. The locally grown produce and more can be purchased on “Rayong Shop-Hi” and delivered to your doorstep, anywhere in Thailand.

   Words may not be adequate to describe the wide variety of offerings from vendors on the “Rayong Shop-Hi” group, so we invite you to browse and experience these quality products yourself via the “Rayong Shop-Hi—Specialties from Rayong” Facebook Group, an online marketplace that embraces the new normal to stimulate the economy of local communities by introducing a new method of shopping: “Shop from Home, Help the Community.” Shop and share from the safety of your own home, and rise through this crisis together.

Browse and shop for local products now at Rayong Shop-Hi Facebook Group Page