Political violence takes toll on Giffarine

       Giffarine Skyline Unity Co, the multilevel direct-sales firm, estimated that its sales in the first seven months of this year rose by 8% to 2.4 billion baht, below its previous projection of 10-15%.
       The company attributed the results to political violence from April to May.
       Sales rebounded gradually in June and July with average growth of 11%after the political situation eased.
       "The outbreak of H1N1 influenza became a positive factor for us because it encourages people to be concerned about their health, resulting in increased de-mand for food supplements," said president Nalinee Paiboon.
       The sales proportion of food supplements climbed to 35% of total sales, up from 31% last year.
       In the second half of this year, the company will spend 80 million baht on seven TV commercials that will focus on brand reliability and also invite Thais to join its business.
       The company believes the increased marketing and advertising will help it expand sales for the full year by 10-15%to 5 billion baht.