Rangsirach Pornsutee, Assistant Managing Director of Investor Relations and Risk Management at Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited (SET: CRC), revealed an optimistic outlook for the company’s performance in the second half of 2025.
She anticipates that performance in the third quarter of 2025 will surpass that of the second quarter, citing notable improvements in Same Store Sales Growth (SSSG) since July 1, 2025. The company continues to implement robust measures to address challenges posed by economic volatility, while enhancing overall cost and expense efficiency to maintain strong financial potential.
Additionally, the fourth quarter of 2025 aligns with the business’ high season, further supporting growth prospects.
Rangsirach remarked, CRC is closely monitoring key economic stimulants, including government budget disbursement, interest rate reductions, and the high season expected in 4Q25, alongside ongoing economic conditions.
Recently, Thailand’s economy has shown signs of slowing due to persistently high household debt levels and a decline in inbound tourism. Conversely, Vietnam continues to demonstrate robust growth in domestic consumption, tourism, and GDP, while Italy’s consumer spending remains sluggish, she added.
For 2025, CRC has mapped out a strategic expansion plan across various segments:
1) Department Stores: There are no new branch openings planned this year; instead, the focus will be on overhauling existing stores. Currently, there are 85 Central and Robinson department stores.
2) Thai Watsadu Group: There are plans to open three new branches this year, with one already launched in the first half. Currently, Thai Watsadu and BNB Home operate 87 branches. The group delivered strong performance in the first six months, outperforming industry peers in overall and same-store sales. SSSG has shown continued improvement moving into 3Q25, driven by effective cost control and optimal product mix.
3) Tops Group: Plans call for the rollout of 10 new Tops stores in 2025, with four launched in the first half, bringing the total to 179 operational branches.
4) GO Wholesale: Four new branches are set to open in 2025, with three already operational in the first half, resulting in a total of 13 branches.
5) GO! Malls and GO! Hypers: There are plans to launch two new branches in each category within 2025, bringing GO! Malls to a total of 42 branches and GO! Hypers to 41.
6) GO! (Vietnam Supermarket Business): Two new locations are slated for 2025, adding to the current total of 14 branches.
