• Central Retail partners with Emart to roll out a roadmap to expand ‘No Brand’ to 10 branches nationwide by 2028. This strategic move strengthens its food retail portfolio and advances its ambition to become Thailand’s Daily K-Flavor Destination, while simultaneously establishing No Brand as a consumer-friendly store that offers value-for-money products.

Bangkok, 31 March 2026 – Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited (CRC) has joined forces with Emart to mark a major new milestone in Thailand’s retail landscape with the official launch of ‘No Brand,’ a renowned South Korean grocery store, making its debut in Thailand. Located within a 250-square-meter space at Central Bangna, the store operates under a Value Retail model, catering to modern consumers seeking ‘quality and value’ alongside an accessible lifestyle shopping experience for everyday living.

This launch reflects Central Retail’s strategic expansion in the food business, reinforcing its ambition to become a World-Class Grocery Destination and strengthening its position in Thailand’s retail market. Within this strategy, Central Retail Food continues to drive growth across the food ecosystem, with a target to expand No Brand to 10 branches nationwide by 2028. Central Retail Food aims not only to establish 'No Brand' as Thailand’s Daily K-Flavor Destination, but also to simultaneously position it as a consumer-friendly store that offers high-quality, value-for-money products for everyone. Special Offer: Celebrate the opening of Thailand’s first ‘No Brand’ store with exclusive promotions on selected items, available from today until 14 April 2026.

To drive business operations in alignment with the food segment strategy, Mr. Thanawat Jirajariyavej, Managing Director of Central Food Retail under Central Retail, shared his perspective on this milestone:

“Today’s consumers are placing increasing importance on ‘value for money alongside quality’, reflecting a shift towards Smart Value and Smart Shopper behaviour, which is becoming the new standard in purchasing decisions and a key driver pushing the retail industry to continuously adapt strategically. At the same time, Korean Culture or K-Content continues to gain strong global popularity. In 2024, the market was valued at 76 billion dollars (approximately 2.7 trillion baht), and global spending on Korean cultural products is expected to nearly double to 143 billion dollars (approximately 5.1 trillion baht) by 2030. This reflects growing global demand for Korean products and consumer experiences. In addition, data from the UN Comtrade Database shows that Korean products continue to gain acceptance among consumers in Thailand, with import values grew by an average of 8.3% annually from 2019 to 2024.”

He added that over the past 3-5 years, TOPS has observed consistent growth in Korean product sales, particularly in the HBC and Snack categories, which grew by 9%. Previously imported No Brand products also received a positive response, with sales growing 1.5 times in 2025 compared to 2023

“This collaboration with Emart to launch the first standalone No Brand store in Thailand marks another significant step in reinforcing Central Retail Food’s capabilities in becoming a World-Class Grocery Destination. We are effectively capitalising on both K-Culture trends and modern consumer demand for quality and value. The company also plans to continue expanding, with the second branch expected to open within the third quarter of this year.”

Mr. Byoung-Kan Roh Head of No Brand Division, Emart, said, “This collaboration with Central Retail marks a significant milestone for Emart in expanding into the Thai market, which we consider one of the most promising retail markets in Asia. This is driven by a growing base of younger consumers, spending behaviour focused on ‘rational value’, and increasing openness to Korean culture. Central Retail’s strengths in understanding Thai consumers, operational excellence, and its comprehensive retail network are key factors that give us confidence in building long-term growth together. This partnership is driven by No Brand’s core philosophy of ‘retaining only quality while eliminating unnecessary elements’, focusing on reducing costs from non-essential marketing, branding, and complex packaging to deliver high-quality products at accessible prices. Over the past 11 years, No Brand has earned strong consumer trust in Korea, with over 270 branches, and has expanded its market internationally, as well as exporting to more than 20 countries worldwide.

The No Brand store is located on the B1 floor at Central Bangna, spanning over 250 square meters. Designed under a compact and efficient store concept, the store reflects a practical and accessible approach for everyday living. Strategically positioned near TOPS FOOD HALL, Central Bangna—one of the top five highest-performing branches—the store aims to leverage the existing customer base while attracting new audiences. Ultimately, we aspire to position “No Brand” as Thailand’s daily K-flavor destination—the leading destination for Korean products among Thai consumers—while simultaneously establishing No Brand as a consumer-friendly store that offers high-quality, value-for-money products. The store features over 2,200 daily essential items under a Value Retail model and the concept of ‘Smart Value’ (quality at an accessible price), spanning key categories such as K-Street Food, Trendy Snacks, K-Beauty, and K-Cuisine. This is supported by a fast-changing assortment strategy and New Product Development (NPD) driven by Emart’s expertise to ensure freshness, encourage repeat visits, and cater to diverse consumer segments, including convenience seekers, K-food lovers, trend seekers, and self-care conscious customers.

Product highlights include:

• Trendy Korean Snacks Must-try Korean favourites featuring a wide variety of flavours that are rich, indulgent, and distinctly Korean. Highlights include No Brand Cheddar Cheese Balls, crispy cheese balls coated in rich cheddar for a full-flavoured bite; Purple Sweet Potato Chips, oven-baked purple sweet potato crisps with natural sweetness and a satisfyingly light crunch; Gorgonzola Cheese Soft Corn, soft corn infused with aromatic Gorgonzola cheese for a unique taste experience; Sweet Chocochip Cookies, perfectly balanced crunchy chocolate chip cookies with a fragrant sweetness; and Potato Stick Truffle, premium crispy potato sticks seasoned with delicate truffle flavour.
• K-Street Food & Ready-to-Eat Effortless enjoyment of authentic Korean street food, bringing original flavours to everyday dining with ready-to-eat favourites. These include Kimbap, seaweed rice rolls generously filled with a variety of ingredients for a convenient one-bite meal; and Tteokbokki, soft and chewy rice cakes in a rich sweet-and-spicy sauce;—delivering an authentic Seoul-style experience with ease in daily life.
• K-Beauty & Self-Care Upgrade your Korean-style beauty routine with exclusive Health & Beauty Care products from Emart under the Glow Up brand, designed for consumers seeking quality at accessible prices while elevating everyday skincare. Highlights include Collagen Bakuchiol Firm & Glow Toner, combining the power of collagen and bakuchiol to help restore smooth, radiant-looking skin; and Collagen Firming Night Mask Cream, an intensive overnight treatment that deeply hydrates and revitalises the skin, leaving it plumper and firmer by morning.

Special! Celebrate the grand opening of the first No Brand store in Thailand with exclusive promotions, including Buy 1 Get 1 Free on No Brand Cheddar Cheese Balls, rich and indulgent cheese-coated snacks, and No Brand Thicker Wipes, soft and gentle thick wet wipes. In addition, enjoy special prices on a wide range of products, including No Brand Purple Sweet Potato Chips, No Brand Gorgonzola Cheese Soft Corn with its rich, creamy cheese flavour, No Brand Hash Browns with a crispy exterior and fluffy interior, and No Brand Sweet Chocochip Cookies in a large-value pack. Also featured are personal care and everyday essentials such as the No Brand Memory Foam Neck Pillow for convenient travel comfort, No Brand Glow Cream Mask sheet masks, and No Brand Daily Fresh Shampoo, a gentle daily-use formula. These offers are available from today until 14 April 2026.

“We are committed to introducing new choices that deliver differentiated experiences for Thai consumers, while strengthening our food retail ecosystem across all dimensions. At the same time, we are advancing to the next stage of growth through the development of new business models and strategic partnerships, driving the organisation towards becoming a World-Class Grocery Destination in a sustainable way. We have also set a target to expand No Brand to 10 branches in Thailand by 2028,” concluded Mr.Thanawat.

Experience Korean-style shopping with ease—without travelling all the way to Seoul—at the first standalone ‘No Brand’ store in Thailand, located on B1 floor, Central Bangna. For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/NOBRANDTHAILAND/

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