Provincial retail beginning to reel

Tepid farm prices hinder the sector

- KUAKUL MORNKUM

Local retailers are navigating tough economic conditions, worsened by low prices for agricultural products, says CS Park Co Ltd, the operator of Chaisaeng Superstore in Sing Buri province.

Showsiri Treechairasmee, business development director at CS Park, said the company has recorded a continuous decline in sales since the second quarter of 2024, while year-to-date sales have decreased by a single-digit percentage.

She said the provincial retail sector is grappling with several challenges.

As many consumers work in the agricultural sector, when crop prices fall, coupled with the high level of household debt in the country, consumer purchasing power fades for both farmers and non-farm workers, said Ms Showsiri.