BANGKOK – 17 September 2020 -- CRC announces plan to synergize its Fashion segment, combining the strengths of Central and Robinson Department Store. The announcement is CRC's strategic move to enhance business synergy towards the company goal to be the first omnichannel department store in Thailand. The business direction aims to leverage all of the company's department stores in Thailand, and the widest range of quality product offerings across all the best locations nationwide, as well as utilizing the best pool of talents to enhance competitiveness in the disruptive era.
Nicolo Galante, President, Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited, said that throughout the decades, Central and Robinson have always been pioneers and innovators of Thailand's retail industry, from launching the first department store (Central) to launching the first lifestyle mall (Robinson) in Thailand. To stay ahead and get ready for the future of retail, CRC has decided to make, once again, a strategic move by combining Central and Robinson. The business synergy will give the combined department stores a significant acceleration to become more customer-centric, as well as to strengthen the company's omnichannel competencies.
"The consolidation is our effort to combine the strengths of Central and Robinson. It will create a unique nationwide store network, which will be the basis of our omnichannel platform. The network allows customers to be able to access a wide variety of quality products and unique service offerings that suit their discerning needs and lifestyle such as Click & Collect, the service where customers can order online 24/7 and collect at any of the 74 Central and Robinson stores nationwide. The strategic move will also help the company to be more competitive, flexible, and ready to adapt to future changes. While we will continue to maintain our two banners, Central and Robinson, which are among the most trusted retail brands in Thailand," said Nicolo.
Central and Robinson are the #1 and #2 retail chains in Thailand's lifestyle categories, covering fashion and beauty segments. The department stores have a total of 74 stores nationwide. CRC is also planning to accelerate expansion from two to five new stores annually. Every year, more than five million customers are shopping at Central and Robinson.
As CRC strives to be the first and most comprehensive omnichannel department store in Thailand, the consolidation will enhance customer's omnichannel shopping experience through an integrated platform. Through the strategic direction, CRC will unite the best pools of talent in the retail industry to push the business forward. At the same time, store staff will also be trained to provide new customer-centric services with increased omnichannel efficiency.
"As modern consumers are seeking more convenience and speed, they also want to keep the benefits of services and immediacy provided by the stores. Our omnichannel platform is, therefore, the perfect solution, as seen from the success of our recent omnichannel sales event series, 9.9 Central Retail Double Mega Sale, where our sales rose 200 per cent compared to the same period last year. Through this new chapter of our business, we want to ensure that we continue to grow and create a winning company for the long term, achieving our #1 double leadership by 2024 (#1 in-store and #1 online) as well as contributing to improving Thailand's economy and standards of living," added Nicolo.
