beyondbrics

As western corporations scratch their heads to work out how to make the most of Asia’s growth, it is sometimes worth remembering the tried and tested, like the combination of an established brand, lashings of sugar  and a pinch of hype.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts opened its first Bangkok franchise shop last week, and every day the crowds are still queuing around the block to get their hands on the saccharine treat. On Tuesday the longest wait was five and a half hours, which is better than the 27-hour marathon put in by hard-core doughnut fans on opening day.

The reception has surprised even Ausanee Mahagitsiri, the franchisee, who fell in love with the Karamel Almond Krunch, the Chocolate Iced Custard Filled and their ilk while she was a student at Babson College in Massachusetts.

She is moving 2,000 boxes of doughnuts a day: each holds a dozen but customers are limited to one box a piece because of limited ingredients imported from the US.  Ausanee has plans to open 20 stores in the next five years.

Jittiporn Tivasawat bunked off school with two friends to queue for her box. She had heard about Krispy Kreme on a web discussion board that hosts extensive discussions on the relative merits of different doughnuts. She says Krispy Kreme rates highly among high-school doughnut afficionados.

But in time some of the glaze might come off Krispy Kreme.

On Wednesday morning, staff at a nearby outlet for Dunkin’ Donuts – the country’s market leader – were looking slightly forlorn as happy customers streamed past their counter with carrier bags bearing Krispy Kreme’s distinctive red and green logo.