Mr. Suthisarn Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer of Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited (SET: CRC), shared, “Central Retail stands firm in our commitment to being “Retail and Wholesale for All” — creating not just business growth, but meaningful growth that opens opportunities for every sector to thrive together.
With an extensive ecosystem spanning retail and wholesale across Thailand and abroad, we generate positive impact across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Guided by our CRC Care philosophy, we remain committed to driving positive impact across all sectors toward a sustainable future for all.”
Central Retail’s business philosophy, “CRC Care,” emphasises seven key dimensions – Care for Governance: Conducting business with transparency and good corporate governance, Care for the Customer: Placing customers at the heart of every business decision, Care for Partner: Driving inclusive growth together with business partners, Care for the Economy: Uplifting local economy and promoting prosperity nationwide, Care for the People: Creating “A Great Place to Work” for all employees, Care for the Community: Enhancing quality of life and reducing social inequality, and Care for the Environment: Advancing the ReNEW strategy toward achieving Net Zero by 2050. These seven dimensions of CRC Care serve as the core foundation of Central Retail’s operations, creating tangible positive impact across its ecosystem. Examples include: 100% of Central Retail’s suppliers signing on to the ESG practices, employment of more than 500 people with disabilities and seniors, and the generation of over THB 814 million in sustainable income for local communities. Central Retail also continues to expand its ESG initiatives through a variety of ongoing projects, with several standout programs highlighted as key achievements.
- Solar Rooftop Installation across more than 160 shopping malls, buildings, and warehouses – including Thaiwatsadu warehouses, Central Department Store, Robinson Lifestyle Mall, TOPS, and GO WHOLESALE in Thailand as well as go! supermarket, Lan Chi Mart, and Nguyen Kim in Vietnam. The project replaces up to 16% of total electricity consumption, helping to reduce environmental impact and cut carbon dioxide emissions by the equivalent of 86,612 tons.
- Innovative Solar LED Street Light – Robinson Lifestyle Mall has completed installations at all 26 branches nationwide. The system reduces fossil fuel energy consumption, lowers electricity costs, and decreases carbon dioxide emissions by over 200 tons, equivalent to planting 60,000 trees.
- Energy-Saving Refrigerator – GO WHOLESALE and Central Food Retail have introduced over 2,163 energy-efficient refrigerators using environmentally friendly refrigerants across 246 branches. This initiative saves more than 17,485 megawatt-hours of energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 8,741 tons.
- Love the Earth: Zero Waste – Central Retail, together with Central Group, connects all sectors of society to jointly reduce waste generation to the lowest possible level and move toward the goal of Zero Waste in alignment with circular economy principles. The project operates through three key steps: Reduce, Separate (waste at the source), and Manage (waste properly). It has successfully reduced food waste by 568 tons, achieved a 19% recycling rate, and provided waste management training to over 10,110 employees.
- FAST Supplier Chatbot – The “Nong Fahsai” chatbot serves as a digital assistant for suppliers and business partners, designed to provide information and respond to payment-related inquiries quickly and accurately. Supporting more than 10,000 partners, it is used around 500 times per month and has reduced response time from approximately one day to just one minute. As a 24/7 self-service platform, it allows suppliers to conveniently access assistance anytime, anywhere.
- Agricultural Productivity and Community Product Learning Center, Thep Sathit District, Chaiyaphum Province – Central Retail has transformed over 5,000 rais of degraded farmland into a model of sustainable agriculture. The area now produces avocados and other high-value fruits under an agroforestry system. The harvests are sold through TOPS and Jing Jai Farmers’ Market, while the site is also being developed into a sustainable community tourism destination. In 2024, the project generated more than THB 41 million in community income and attracted over 10,000 visitors per year.
- Mae Tha Sustainable Organic Farming Community, Mae On District, Chiang Mai Province: Central Retail supports the Mae Tha community in cultivating high-quality organic produce, while also assisting with brand development, packaging design, and sales channels through TOPS and Jing Jai Farmers’ Market. The company also helped establish the Mae Tha Organic Community Enterprise to promote sustainable agriculture and community-based tourism. In 2024, the project generated over THB 14 million in income for the community, engaged more than 130 households, and welcomed over 800 visitors for training and study visits.
- Ban Kut Chik Indigo and Natural Dye Weaving Learning Center, Wanon Niwat District, Sakon Nakhon Province: Central Retail helps preserve local wisdom in natural indigo dyeing by integrating modern design and encouraging the reduction of synthetic dye use through the “Forest of Colors” project. The initiative spans 18 rais of land where various plants that yield natural dyes are cultivated, serving as both a production and cultural tourism site. In 2024, the project generated THB 3.6 million in community income, involved 61 weaving households, and attracted more than 3,000 tourists annually, contributing an additional THB 6.8 million in tourism-related income.
“In today’s complex business landscape, growth defined solely by sales and profit is no longer enough. What truly matters is shaping a future that benefits customers, society, and the planet alike. Sustainable growth happens only when every decision—from strategy to execution—creates shared value across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. This is how we move forward together under our commitment to ‘Retail and Wholesale for All,’” concluded Mr. Suthisarn.
