Thai transsexual actress Treechada "Poy" Malayaporn is becoming a star in China after her role in the Hong Kong movie The White Storm. Yet her next move is not another film role, but a food supplement business in China.
Miss Treechada's company is hoping for sales of 1 billion baht next year.
She hopes to sell her food supplements in Chinese modern trade outlets next year, boosting total sales to 1 billion baht by the end of 2015.
Miss Treechada, managing director of Furefoo Co, the producer and distributor of Furefoo food supplement, said the company is in the process of exporting its food supplement to China after initial sales in Thailand.
To accommodate future expansion, Furefoo Co will spend about 35 million baht to build a factory in Bangkok's Ram Intra area, expecting to start production in February next year. The factory will double production capacity to 50,000 packages a month.
Furefoo hires an original equipment manufacturer to produce the food supplement for it now.
The company began testing the food supplement market in China last year by selling some products online. Furefoo products received a warm welcome from Chinese customers, especially when her movie hit the screens.
Furefoo wants to expand its food supplement business on the mainland by selling products to modern trade outlets.
Miss Treechada features in a new film, From Las Vegas to Macau, that will be screened in China during the Chinese New Year. She has a tie-in to her Furefoo products in the movie.
The company started in Thailand in 2010 via call centres. After a good response, it appointed distributors across the country, then expanded operations to sell in Laos, Hong Kong, Macau and Australia.
"Food supplement demand continues to grow every year because people are becoming health-concious and Thais want to look good," she said.
More food supplement brands, particularly those backed by movie stars, have entered the market to meet that demand, creating a price war and affecting product quality.
Next year Furefoo plans to launch 20-30 new products. It expects sales will increase to 100 million baht by the end of this year, up from 80 million last year.
With its expansion plan in China, the company is aiming for total sales of 1 billion baht next year if it can successfully enter the Chinese modern trade channel.
"It's a very big sales target, but why not? The Chinese market is really huge. If I can bring Furefoo products to Chinese modern trade stores, I think the target can be achieved," she said.