Chain store exhibitors increase two-fold

The 2007 Taiwan International Chain Stores Fair opened yesterday at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall I, with the number of exhibitors doubling to 90 and the number of booths rising 33 percent to 210 compared with last year.

Participants at the fair include most listed companies, such as President Chain Store Corp (統一超商), FamilyMart (全家), Les Enphants (麗嬰房) and 104 Job Bank (104人力銀行).

The exhibitors represent 12,000 chain stores nationwide, which is equivalent to 14 percent of the nation's total number of chain stores, said the event's organizer, Chan Chao International Corp (展昭國際).

Chain and franchise sales volume are expected to reach NT$1.6 trillion (US$49.5 billion) next year, accounting for 45 percent of the forecast NT$3.5 trillion in retail sales next year, Wang Bo-po (王鉑波), head of the Ministry of Economic Affairs' commerce department, said during an opening speech.

"Statistics shows that joining chain stores and franchises has an average 60 to 70 percent success rate. In comparison, the failure rate for independent retail investment is about 60 to 70 percent," Wang said.