Our Milestones

Story of Our Heritage

From family shop to retail conglomerate

Central Retail as we know it today evolved from Tiang Chirathivat’s small family shop he started in 1947. Together with his son Samrit Chirathivat, the business expanded over the years and the first Central Department Store was unveiled in Bangkok’s Wang Burapha district in 1956. The founders, along with the help of other family members, ran the business hands on, taking the company to flight.

Amidst an era where trade was flourishing, Tiang and Samrit were recognised as visionaries that revolutionised retail by pioneering never-before experiences in Thailand. Under the care of the Chirathivat family, Central Group has grown to become one of Thailand’s most recognisable brands and amongst the most successful retail conglomerates in Southeast Asia.

The Chirathivat family’s vision for the business has lived on from generation to generation. And today, the business continues to expand with an omnichannel platform, driving growth and reinforcing Central Retail’s leadership position across multiple retail categories.

Timeline of our milestones

Where legacy lives on

In over 70 years of our journey we have been alongside our customers, Central Retail has witnessed many key milestones that continue to shape and evolve who we are today. In celebration of our journey so far, we look back into some of these milestones:

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1947

A small shophouse was established in Bangkok.

1950

The importing business began under the name “Central Trading,” which later became part of the Central Marketing Group (CMG).

1956

The first Central Department Store was opened in the Wang Burapha district.

1974

The Central Chidlom flagship store, which has become the Company's iconic flagship location, was opened.

1990

Opened the ZEN Department Store (now Central Department Store at CentralWorld), a lifestyle department store, and established Central Retail Corporation Limited.

1992

Opened Central Chiangmai Department Store, the first branch outside the Bangkok metropolitan area, serving as a gateway for business expansion into other provinces.

1995

The Company acquired a majority stake in Robinson Department Store.

1996

Launched Tops Supermarket, the first specialty retail store, which has now become the largest supermarket chain in Thailand.

1997

Launched other specialty retail stores, including Power Buy and Supersports, marking a full-scale entry into various types of retail businesses.

2005

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great graciously granted permission for Central Department Store to use the Royal Garuda Emblem in its operations.

2010

Opened Thaiwatsadu, the first large-scale standalone specialty retail store.

Opened the first Robinson Lifestyle Center in Trang Province, a business model focused on expanding and penetrating markets in provincial areas.

2011

Acquired Rinascente, a luxury department store group in Italy, marking the Company's first entry into the European market.

2012

The Company entered into a joint venture to invest in FamilyMart in Thailand.

2013

The first webstore, www.central.co.th, debuted for Central Department Store.

A new specialty store called 'BnB Home' was opened.

2015

The Company entered into joint ventures with Nguyen Kim and Lan Chi Mart in Vietnam.

2016

The Company acquired Big C in Vietnam.

2017

New digitally-assisted shopping services, such as “Rinascente ON DEMAND” and “Chat & Shop”, were launched on the Omnichannel Platform.

Central Retail restructured its business operations to prepare for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) and the listing of its shares on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).

2018

The Company launched the “GO!” retail banner, rebranding Big C’s hypermarkets in Vietnam as part of its expansion strategy.

2019

Central Retail was converted into a public limited company and made a tender offer for all securities of Robinson Public Company Limited (ROBINS). It also delisted ROBINS' securities from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).

Moreover, Central Retail acquired all remaining shares of Nguyen Kim in Vietnam.

Central Retail reopened the Rinascente Turin branch in Italy after renovations, featuring expanded space and over 1,000 world-renowned brands. New areas were also added for jewellery and high-end restaurants to provide a comprehensive range of products and services.

2020

On 20 February 2020, the Company debuted on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), marking the largest ever IPO in the SET history, and the second largest IPO in retail business globally. The Company also qualified for fast-track inclusion in the SET 50 and MSCI Global Standard Indexes.

In addition, the Company opened 1 Robinson Lifestyle store and 4 Thaiwatsadu stores in Thailand. In Vietnam, 4 GO! stores and the first go! were launched. In addition, the Company introduced the Central application in Thailand and launched the www.rinascente.it. website in Italy.

2021

The Company completed a tender offer for all securities of COL Public Company Limited to strengthen its Hardline segment and invested 40% in GrabTaxi Holdings (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

The Company opened 5 Thaiwatsadu stores in Hardline segment, namely Suksawat, Bo Win, Ayutthaya, Songkhla, and Srisaman. Additionally, the Company introduced Personal Shopper services for both food and non-food categories. For Vietnam, the Company opened 3 GO! Mall and launched GO! Application for consumer products.

2022

The Company opened 3 Robinson Lifestyle malls, 4 Thaiwatsadu stores, Tops supermarket standalone, Tops Fine Food in Thailand, and opened 1 GO! mall in Vietnam.

The Company also introduced an EV truck, a clean electric vehicle, and Tops Green shop. Further more, CRC Thaiwatsadu Co., Ltd. established a joint venture with Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited (Gulf) to operate an electricity generating business using solar panels installed on roofs of Thaiwatsadu stores, promoting clean energy production for Central Group’s sustainable business operations.

2023

MEB Corporation Public Company Limited (MEB), a subsidiary of the group, successfully began trading on the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI). Additionally, the Company issued its first bond offering worth THB 7 billion, receiving a credit rating of “AA-” with a “Stable” outlook from TRIS Rating Co., Ltd.

The Company continued its expansion, opening 14 Thaiwatsadu stores, Tops Supermarket within shopping malls and standalone formats, and Brandshop. The Company also introduced a new business, GO Wholesale, an integrated retail and wholesale store, opening 4 stores. In Vietnam, the Company opened 4 go! stores and continued to upgrade its stores in Thailand, Vietnam, and Italy.

January

Opened GO Wholesale branch in Rama 2, Bangkok, and go! in Thanh Binh, Vietnam.

February

Central Retail announced its 5-year vision, "CRC OMNI-Intelligence," aiming to drive the business into The Next Era by integrating AI across all business processes.

March

Launched the Tops daily franchise model.

April

Opened Thaiwatsadu x BNB Home in Kud Sra, Udon Thani, and revamped flagship stores in Bangna and Bang Bua Thong under the White Format model. Additionally, GO Wholesale opened new locations in Rangsit and Ramkhamhaeng, Bangkok.

May

Opened Thaiwatsadu x BNB Home in Aranyaprathet, Sa Kaeo, and launched the first phase of Central Chidlom, "The Store of Bangkok," to elevate into a world-class luxury status destination.

June

Opened Thaiwatsadu branches in Sa Kaeo and Klaeng, Rayong. Central Marketing Group (CMG) secured exclusive rights to import and distribute the Jung Saem Mool cosmetics brand in Thailand.

July

Opened Thaiwatsadu x BNB Home in Rama 3 and GO Wholesale in Rawai, Phuket.

August

Opened Thaiwatsadu branches in Uthai Thani and Launched Go! Mall in Ha Nam, Vietnam. Supersports became a major shareholder in Rev Edition, marking its full-scale expansion into the Performance Sports business.

September

Opened go! in An Nhon - Binh Dinh, Vietnam, and GO Wholesale in Phuket’s city. The Company mobilized all its businesses units to provide aid to over 20,000 households affected by flooding across 10 provinces in Thailand and 13 provinces in Vietnam.

October

Tops Care launched "Mind Care Service" and opened Thaiwatsadu x BNB Home in Phrae. Opened GO! mall branches in Bac Lieu, Vietnam.

November

Opened Thaiwatsadu x BNB Home in Khon Kaen 2 and officially completed renovations of the flagship store at Milan Piazza Duomo.

December

"The Store of Bangkok" at Central Chidlom was transformed into a world-class luxury mall in the heart of Bangkok. GO Wholesale opened in Charoen Rat. Tops introduced the "Tops Chef Bot", Thailand’s first intelligent shopping assistant. In Vietnam, the Company opened 1 Go! Mall in Ninh Thuan, and 3 go! stores in Loc Nin, Huong Tra-Hue, and Lap Vo-Dong Thap.