Central Retail unveils US$1.38b expansion plan for Thailand and Việt Nam

Central Retail unveils US$1.38b expansion plan for Thailand and Việt Nam

Thailand's largest retailer, Central Retail Corporation (CRC), will invest over 45 billion Thai baht (US$1.38 billion) through 2027 to expand mainstream markets and accelerate growth across Southeast Asia, including Thailand and Việt Nam.

A Go! supermarket in Long Biên, Hà Nội. The supermarket chain is owned by Central Retail, which plans to invest $1.38 billion to expand in Thailand and Việt Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo Trần Việt

Thailand's largest retailer Central Retail Corporation (CRC) will invest over 45 billion baht (US$1.38 billion) through 2027 to expand mainstream markets and accelerate growth in both Thailand and Việt Nam, the retailer said in a press release on Tuesday. 

The 'New heights, Next growth' strategy centres on three key areas: strengthening customer engagement through its 26-million-member loyalty programme, accelerating new business development and expanding geographically.

The company is also advancing its unified technology platform to enable a seamless omnichannel shopping experience and build the capabilities needed to scale AI integration, aiming at sustained double-digit growth in online sales.

CRC is also accelerating the expansion of its food and mall businesses in Việt Nam and introducing store formats tailored to the specific needs of target customer segments in each area.

Việt Nam represents the company's primary expansion target, with the country's projected GDP growth of 5.2 per cent GDP significantly outpacing Thailand.

The retailer currently operates 330 stores across 26 provinces and cities in Việt Nam.

Despite global economic headwinds, the company’s strategy aims for 5 per cent growth in annual revenue and EBITDA.

“Doing business in an era of global economic slowdown and rapidly shifting consumer behaviour is immensely challenging,” said company CEO Suthisarn Chirathivat.

“We are enhancing every dimension of our operations by leveraging AI technology, empowering our people to work with maximum efficiency and enabling deeper insights and access to our customers.” 

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