Central Group Explained

Central Group
กลุ่มเซ็นทรัล
Type:Family-owned holding company
Founder:Tiang Chirathivat, Samrit Chirathivat
Foundation:1947
Location:Bangkok, Thailand
Key People:Tos Chirathivat, Executive Chairman and CEO
Industry:Retail, Property development, Brand management, Hospitality, Food and beverage, Digital lifestyle
Products:Shopping centers, department stores, restaurants, hotels.
Area Served:Asia
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Maldives
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Vietnam

Europe
Denmark
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Num Employees:80,000[1]
Subsid:Central Pattana PLC
Central Plaza Hotel PLC
Central Retail Corporation PLC
Homepage:CentralGroup.com

Central Group is a Thai multinational conglomerate consisting of subsidiaries in retail, property development, brand management, hospitality, and food and beverage sectors.

History

Founder Tiang emigrated from Hainan Island to Bangkok in 1925. He set up his first shop in the Thon Buri district on the outskirts of Bangkok across the Chao Phraya River from the city center. He moved across the Chao Phraya River to a location near the grand Oriental Hotel (now the Mandarin Oriental), where he opened a store with his eldest son, Samrit, in 1947.[2] In 1956, the family opened Central Department Store, the biggest department store in Thailand at that time, in Wang Burapa district, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok. The company's property development arm, Central Pattana, was founded in 1980, and opened its first shopping centre, CentralPlaza Ladprao in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, in 1983. Besides expansion through physical presence in the Bangkok retail space, Central Group has in recent years built an online presence among ASEAN e-tailers and a strong presence of luxury department store collection in Europe.

Key business line

Malls and commercial properties

Central Group has substantial operations in developing Thai retail and commercial properties, and currently holds the largest market share of net leasable area in Thailand. Besides retail, Central Group has also developed offices, co-working spaces and residential projects.

Name Opening Total ProjectGFALocation
December, 1982 310,000 Bangkok
November, 1993 Bangkok
March, 1995 Bangkok
July, 1995[3] Pattaya
March, 1996 Chiang Mai
October, 1997 188,000 Bangkok
December, 2001 500,000 Bangkok
December, 2002 273,000 Bangkok
December, 2002 830,000 Bangkok
December, 2003 140,000 Nonthaburi
November, 2008 Nonthaburi
January, 2009 210,000 Pattaya
April, 2009 Udon Thani
May, 2009 156,000 Chonburi
December, 2009 200,000 Khon Kaen
March, 2011 Chiang Rai
October, 2011 Phitsanulok
December, 2011 Bangkok
October, 2012 Surat Thani
Central Lampang November, 2012 110,000 Lampang
Central Ubon April, 2013 186,284 Ubon Ratchathani
Central Chiangmai November, 2013 Chiang Mai
Central Hatyai December, 2013 Songkhla
Central Samui March, 2014 76,000 Ko Samui
Central Embassy (Mixed Use Development) align = “right” May, 2014 align = “right” Bangkok
August, 2014 Nakhon Pathom
Central Rayong May, 2015 Rayong
August, 2015 352,000 Nonthaburi
Central EastVille October, 2015 90,000 Bangkok
Central Nakhon Si July, 2016 Nakhon Si Thammarat
Central Korat November, 2017 233,000 Nakhon Ratchasima
November, 2017 131,250 Samut Sakhon
Central Phuket – Floresta September, 2018 Phuket
March, 2019 259,000[4] Shah Alam, Malaysia
Central Village Luxury Outlet August, 2019 Samut Prakan
Central Si Racha October, 2021 Chonburi
November, 2021 Ayutthaya
Central Chanthaburi May, 2022 Chanthaburi
Central WestVille November, 2023 Nonthaburi
Central Nakhon Sawan January, 2024 Nakhon Sawan
Central Nakhon Pathom March, 2024 Nakhon Pathom
Central Krabi 2025 Krabi

Retail and brands

Retail & Brands is Central Group’s most significant business with investments in Europe and Asia.

Fashion: Department stores, lifestyle centers, lifestyle & fashion brands

Hardline: Home décor & construction, electronics, office supplies, books & stationery

Food: Supermarkets and convenience stores

Chains Country Branches
Thailand 22 (In 2019, Zen Department Store was rebranded as Central[5])
Indonesia 1 (Opened first at Grand Indonesia in 2014, then opened its second branch at Neo Soho in 2016, but Neo Soho branch closed down from February 18. 2019 due to low sales.)[6]
Robinson Department Store (Robins in Vietnam) Thailand 50[7]
Vietnam 2
Italy 9
Denmark 1 (Copenhagen)
AlsterhausGermany1 (Hamburg)
KaDeWe1 (Berlin)
Oberpollinger1 (Munich)
GlobusSwitzerland7
SelfridgesEngland4
Brown ThomasIreland5 (6 including BT2 Blanchardstown)
Arnotts1 (Dublin)
De BijenkorfNetherlands7

Hospitality

Central Group owns and manages visitor accommodation at all major Thai tourist destinations and around the world under own banners as well as international brands. Hotels cover every segment from luxury to economy. Central’s own brands comprise Centara Reserve, Centara Grand, Centara Boutique Collection, Centara, Centra by Centara and Cosi, while internationally-branded hotels include Park Hyatt Bangkok and Hilton Pattaya. In Japan, Central Group is a co-investor in StayFactory Hotel Group, whose brands include Hotel Hillarys, Hotel Relief, and Hotel Stork.

Central Group has also pioneered restaurant chains in Thailand, and operates well-known local, regional, and international food brands such as Mister Donut, KFC, Auntie Anne’s, Pepper Lunch, Chabuton, The Terrace, Yoshinoya, Ootoya, Tenya, Katsuya and Fezt.[8]

Financial Services & FinTech

One of Central Group's aspirations towards the New Central New Economy strategy is to create convenience for both merchants and consumers with financial services and Fintech, with the ultimate goal of a cashless society in Thailand.

Financial Services & Fintech categories:

Credit : The1 credit card, sales finance, personal loans

Payment : gift cards, e-payments, e-wallets

Insurance brokerage : motor, health, personal accident, property & casualty, group life [9]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Achievements: Employees . Central Group . 2022-02-11.
  2. News: Ono. Yukako. For Thailand's retail giant Central Group, it is no longer all in the family. 10 September 2017. Nikkei Asian Review. 10 September 2017.
  3. Web site: Central Marina Central Pattana (CPN) . 2023-11-08 . www.centralpattana.co.th . en.
  4. Web site: Central i-City. www.cpn.co.th. 2018-10-22.
  5. Web site: CENTRAL GROUP on Instagram: "[#CGUPDATE] เปลี่ยนคุณให้เป็นอีกคน เริ่มต้นความสนุกครั้งใหม่ กับ ZEN ที่เปลี่ยนชื่อเป็น CENTRAL @ centralwOrld แล้ววันนี้ #CENTRALGroup…"]. https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/B5Z-oIog_BR . 2021-12-24 . limited. Instagram. en. 2019-11-29.
  6. https://cdn1.imggmi.com/uploads/2019/1/11/165036cfccfa2a903e76c48f38a18f1d-full.png Image
  7. Web site: Store Location. Robinson Department Store. 4 January 2019.
  8. Web site: Hospitality. www.centralgroup.com. 19 November 2023.
  9. Web site: Financial Services & FinTech . 2023-08-03 . www.centralgroup.com . en.