In today’s era, where consumers have more choices and higher expectations than ever, businesses must adapt to win customer loyalty and stand out in an increasingly competitive market. Central Retail stands as one of the leading retail and wholesale businesses with the flexibility to continuously adapt to customer needs. The key lies in truly understanding customers—both their behaviours and aspirations—while never ceasing to evolve the business in line with ever-changing consumer trends.
Piyawan Leelasompop, Head of Corporate Marketing of Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited (SET: CRC), said “Customers are at the heart of everything we do at Central Retail. In an era where consumer behaviour changes rapidly, we must always be ready to adapt our business to meet their needs. This aligns with our ‘New Heights, Next Growth’ strategy under the pillar of Reinforce Customer Focus, where Central Retail is committed to delivering the best possible customer experience. With the strength of our multi-format, multi-category retail and wholesale ecosystem, the most comprehensive portfolio, and The 1 loyalty platform serving over 22 million members in Thailand, we gain powerful consumer insights to deliver products and services that fit every life stage and lifestyle.”
These can be summarised into five key insights as follows.
1. Speed First – Fast and Instant: This customer group values speed above all, as their lives are filled with busy schedules and constant activities. Everything must be simple and immediate, from fresh food to ready-to-serve meals. Central Retail has developed products and innovations to make shopping more convenient and faster, such as:
- Using AI-powered order tracking to reduce follow-up time from 15 minutes to just 1 minute
- Implementing real-time inventory management systems to ensure product availability and quick delivery to customers
- At TOPS, upgraded Easy-to-Cook and Easy-to-Eat food ranges, offering more variety and modern options, along with the development of AI ChefBot—an intelligent chatbot that can recommend recipes, check product availability, and highlight promotions in just seconds
2. Effortless Everything – Easy, convenient, anytime, anywhere: This customer group values convenience. Whether shopping in-store or online, they expect seamless access to products and services without hassle. Central Retail continuously expands its network of stores and enhances shopping channels, such as:
- Offline: Expanding branches nationwide, for example:
- Growing businesses under the group such as TOPS, GO WHOLESALE, and Thaiwatsadu in key cities across the country
- Accelerating the expansion of Auto1, a one-stop car service and auto parts centre, across Central Pattana malls, Robinson Lifestyle, GO WHOLESALE, Thaiwatsadu, as well as standalone branches in high-potential locations nationwide, to meet the growing Thai automotive market
- Online: Strengthening the omnichannel platform, including Central App, as well as offering diverse sales channels such as Chat & Shop, Personal Shopper, and Click & Collect
3. Constant Newness – Easily bored, a frequent switcher, never missing a trend: This customer group is always seeking something new. Central Retail curates leading products and experiences to ensure customers never miss out on the latest trends, for example:
- Central Chidlom and Central Embassy collaborate to host luxury campaigns and events throughout the year, bringing excitement and novelty to customers. Central Department Store also continues to expand its Prestige Beauty and Luxury Home product portfolio. Similarly, Central Marketing Group (CMG) consistently introduces new leading brands to strengthen its portfolio and provide product variety that appeals to every generation.
- Robinson Lifestyle moves forward with the concept of Localisation First to respond to the ever-changing needs of local communities, while modernising store formats and continuously expanding new models such as strip malls and night markets.
4. Made for Me – Just for me! This customer group values personalisation. Central Retail leverages big data to create the most tailored experiences for everyone, such as:
- Using deep data insights from The 1 to curate products that better match customer preferences, while ensuring data security under PDPA standards.
- Implementing AI Marketing Personalisation at Central Department Store and TOPS, which can recommend products in real time. This has helped increase purchases by more than 30 times and boosted order rates by up to 70%.
5. One-Stop Shopper – Everything in one place: Today’s customers are looking for convenience, preferring destinations where they can find everything they need in one trip. Central Retail brings together a comprehensive range of products to deliver a complete one-stop shopping experience, such as:
- TOPS DAILY continues to develop a hybrid format by adding premium zones like TOPS WINE CELLAR and quality bakery The Baker in key tourist locations. It also launched TOPS DAILY x LOOKS to target young and mainstream beauty enthusiasts, offering a one-stop shopping experience that blends quality, variety, and convenience.
- Expanding the food business into the wholesale (B2B) market with significant growth potential through GO WHOLESALE, which serves as a new growth engine and a HORECA one-stop destination. The company also expands its private labels such as A Choice, Supersave, Prosave, and Yim, which continue to drive strong sales growth.
- Thaiwatsadu x BnB home advance as comprehensive home solution centres, covering everything from bathrooms, kitchens, and appliances to smart home solutions. This supports the fast-growing trend of home renovation and well-being focused design among younger generations and renters.
“Central Retail is committed to continuously advancing our business with the customer at the center of every decision. We will not only keep pace with consumer trends but also lead the way in creating new ones—through best-in-class products and services that cover every life stage and lifestyle. This reinforces our position as the new-generation retail and wholesale leader who truly understands customers — in knowledge, in depth, and at heart,” concluded Piyawan.
