Type Private Area served ThailandIndonesia | Industry Retailing Website www.central.co.th | |
Key people Yuwadee Chirathivat(President) Products Clothing, accessories, cosmetics, housewares Founders Tiang Chirathivat, Samrit Chirathivat Profiles | ||
Central department store
Central Department Store (Thai: สรรพสินค้าเซ็นทรัล; Simplified Chinese: 尚泰; Pinyin: Shàngtài) is a Thai department store chain, owned by Central Group. It has branches in Thailand and China.
Contents
- Central department store
- History
- Bangkok Metropolitan Area
- Southern Thailand
- Eastern Thailand
- Northeastern Thailand
- Northern Thailand
- Indonesia
- References
History
In 1927, 22-year-old Tiang Chirathivat, an immigrant from mainland China, started a store in Bangkok named "Keng Seng Lee" or "baskets for sale", which was the start of an emporium.
Later that year, the store moved to Charoen Krung Road, in Bangkok's Si Phraya District. The store sold a large variety of local and international newspapers and magazines and carried the name "Central Trading Store". This was the first chapter of Central Department Stores' history.
In the 1950s, the company grew with more and more stores selling different items. It was one few stores in Bangkok that had the courage to order imported goods for sale and was the first to set up merchandising displays.
In 1973, the Chidlom store opened under the new "one stop shopping" concept. Here customers could come to Central and buy everything they needed under one roof.
In 1981, the Central Lad Ya Branch opened it doors and was the largest of its kind then. Later in 1983 CentralPlaza Lardprao opened it doors and was the largest shopping mall in Thailand at that time.
On 20 December 2005, King Bhumibol Adulyadej conferred on the company a Royal Warrant, the royal Garuda emblem for its services.
By 2010 Central operated 15 stores in Thailand and planned to open more.