PTT Oil and Retail Business Plc (OR) aims to open 10 shops selling healthcare and beauty products both inside and outside petrol stations to support the company's plan to grow its non-oil business.
"We want to make sure our customers can conveniently buy our products in many areas at any time," said Disathat Panyarachun, chief executive of OR, adding that consumers can find such products at both PTT stations and community malls.
He was speaking as OR, through its subsidiary OR Health and Wellness Ltd, on Thursday officially opened a shop called found & found in the compound of its petrol station on Boromratchonnanee 97 Road in Bangkok.
This is the third branch of found & found after OR Health and Wellness earlier opened two outlets at Energy Complex on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road and Sai Mai 56 Road in the capital.
The company plans to steadiy increase the number of found & found branches, with an expectation of having 500 shops in total within 2030.
"It is a challenge for OR to enter the healthcare and beauty business sector with the local market value standing at 1 trillion baht," said Mr Disathat.
Thailand is the second largest healthcare and beauty market in Southeast Asia.
OR wants to seek new business opportunities during the upward trend in healthcare among consumers.
"We will sell high-quality and modern products produced locally and imported from South Korea and Japan for people of all ages," said Nattapon Choojitarom, managing director of OR Health and Wellness.
In February, OR announced it had ventured into the health and beauty business by partnering with Sugi Holdings, a Japanese drugstore chain and nanotech platform operator, with the aim of running shops selling health and beauty products.
OR is placing greater focus on the healthcare business after Thailand became an aged society in 2022, which means the number of people aged 60 and older comprise more than 20% of the population, according to the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.
Mr Nattapon expects OR Health and Wellness to earn a total of 12 billion baht within 2030.