Central Group

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Central Group

Type	Family-owned
Founded	1947
Headquarters	Bangkok, Thailand
Key people	Vanchai Chirathivat, chairman Kobchai Chirathivat, president and CEO Yuwadee Chirathivat Bhicharnchitr, president Central Department Stores
Industry	Real estate, retailing, restaurants
Products	Shopping centers, department stores, restaurants, hotels.
Net income	3,295 million baht^[1]
Employees	32,000
Subsidiaries	Central Pattana PLC (SET: CPN) Central Retail Corporation Robinson department stores (SET: Robins) Central Hotels and Resorts (SET: CENTEL) Central Fast Food Central Marketing Group
Website	www.centralgroup.com

The Central Group of Companies is a family-owned holding company in Thailand that is involved in retailing, real estate, hotels and restaurants. Among its subsidiaries is Central Pattana (SET: CPN), which is the largest developer and operator of shopping centers in Thailand and the Central Retail Corporation, Thailand's biggest retail conglomerate. Competitors in Thailand include The Mall Group, which owns Siam Paragon and The Emporium and several suburban shopping centers.

1 History
2 Central Pattana
3 Central Retail Corporation
4 Central Hotels & Resorts
5 See also
6 References
- 6.1 Notes
7 External links

[edit] History

Tiang Chirathivat started a general merchandise store in 1947 in Samphanthawong district, Bangkok's Chinatown. In 1957, Tiang's son, Samrit Chirathivat, opened the first Central Department Store in Wangburapha, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok. The company's property development arm, Central Pattana was founded in 1980, and opened its first shopping center, Central Plaza Lat Phrao in Chatuchak district, Bangkok in 1982.

[edit] Central Pattana

The retail property development and management arm of the Central Group, Central Pattana was founded on June 17, 1980 with a registered capital of 300 million baht. The company became registered as a public limited company in 1994 and was listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 1995. The company operates eight shopping malls in Bangkok, including CentralWorld, as well as shopping centers in Chiang Mai and Pattaya. Expansion plans include the Central Plaza Chaengwattana, in Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi and a second shopping mall (to include a Central Department Store) in Pattaya, both due for completion in 2008.

[edit] Central Retail Corporation

Central Retail Corporation is the largest retailer in Thailand, owning the Central Department Store chain, as well as its former rival, Robinson, and has an interest in the BigC chain of hypermarkets.

[edit] Central Department Store

Central stores are positioned as an upper-market chain. It has 11 stores in Bangkok and branches in Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Phuket. It compares to such US retailers as Bloomingdale's or Neiman Marcus.

[edit] Robinson

The Robinson department store chain (SET: ROBINS) was established in 1979 and was merged with Central in 1995. The company has 19 branches and is positioned as a mid-market retailer, similar to such US chains as Sears or Macy's.

[edit] Other Central Retail companies

Power Buy – An electronics retailer with more than 40 stores.
Office Depot – The office-supply giant's stores in Thailand have been operated by Central since 1996.
B2S – A chain that sells stationery, books, magazines, school and office supplies, music CDs and movie DVDs.
Supersports – A sporting-goods store.
Homeworks – A building supplies and home-improvement retailer.
Tops Supermarkets – The Netherlands-owned, US-based Tops grocery chain is operated in Thailand by Central. It has nearly 90 stores nationwide.
Zen – An upmarket department store, it opened in 1990 as one of the anchors of the World Trade Center in Pathum Wan district, Bangkok. Now named CentralWorld, the shopping center is undergoing major renovation, with refurbishments to the Zen store to be completed in 2007.
BigC – A chain of hypermarkets, majority owned by the Casino Group of France.
Watson's – The Thailand outlets of the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa drugstore chain are run by Central.
Marks & Spencer – Central is a franchisee of the British retail chain, with M&S located within Central Deparment Stores and two freestanding stores in Thailand.

[edit] Central Hotels & Resorts

Sofitel Central Plaza and Bangkok Convention Center at Central Plaza Lat Phrao in Bangkok.

Central Hotels & Resorts owns 11 resort hotels in Thailand, including the Sofitel Central Plaza and Bangkok Convention Center at Central Plaza Lat Phrao in Chatuchak district and the Sofitel Central Hua Hin Resort, which was Thailand's first resort-style hotel, built in 1923 by the State Railway of Thailand. Other hotels are located in Krabi, Ko Samui, Phuket, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai and Mae Sot. The company plans to open two more hotels, at CentralWorld in Bangkok, and the Central Mirage Beach Resort in Pattaya in 2008.