To celebrate Central's 75th anniversary, a collection of memorabilia items from friends of Central will be displayed at Central: The Original Store on Charoen Krung until November 6.
The Central Memory Bank” on the third floor of Central: The Original Store is a time capsule full of nostalgic memories under the concept “Memories Are Always Special”. Hop on a time machine back to Central’s origins. 75 memorabilia items from friends of Central are on display and you can share fond memories about Central and collect one-of-a-kind souvenirs exclusively designed for the event at a reflection station.
Rvisra Chirathivat, CMO of Central Department Store under Central Retail, said, “Central Department Store opened its doors to customers for the first time in 1947. For the past 75 years, we have created happy moments and the best shopping experience for our customers. Central aims to serve as a second home that transcends generations. Today, we remain committed to making our customers happy as they step into our stores. Central is always home to happiness and good memories. To commemorate our 75th anniversary, we opened a special exhibition, ‘The Central Memory Bank’, at Central: The Original Store, our first retail store building. Going back to the first chapter of our success is our way of paying homage to our roots. The exhibition tells a story of Central’s origins and the fond relationship established between Central and our valued customers.”
“The Central Memory Bank” comprises six inspiring zones.
• Registration – The exhibition opens with a vintage-inspired registration counter. Visitors will receive a memory book bank and a nostalgic sticker pack, to help keep all memories safe in one place.
• It All Started at Central – Hop into a time machine to the mini cinema where Central’s long-standing history and legacy unfolds.
• Hall of Memories – Delve into the joyful past with a collection of 75 items, including iconic products from the Central Archive, and memorabilia items from celebrities, staff as well as Central tenants. Replicating displays at Central Department Store, all items are categorised into departments — Toys, Beauty & Fashion, Home, Electronics, and festive items, each reflecting the bond between Central and its customers.
• The Reflection Station – Make the visit memorable by sharing a special story. In this old-school computer room, you are encouraged to share your memories about the store via Facebook and Instagram.
• Gachapon – Upon sharing their cherished memories, visitors will receive a token to put in the Gachapon vending machine, where three exclusive souvenirs – a tape sticker, a keychain, and a brooch, are up for grabs.
• Photo Automat – Visitors can keep their memories forever with personal photos from the fun-filled photo sticker booth at 160 baht per set.
Famous TV personality Promporn ‘Erk’ Yuvaves, who shared an item close to her heart at the exhibition’s ‘Hall of Memories’ zone, recalled the wonderful memories she always had at Central Department Store. “My family and I are regular customers of Central Chidlom. I always go vase shopping with my mom at the Home department on the 5th floor. The beautiful white vase on display at the Hall of Memories is one of my personal favourites because it was a special gift from my mom. She got it for me from Central Chidlom.
Also on display at the Hall of Memories is the Hello Kitty collection of 25 years from top celebrity Samsara ‘Gam’ Eamegdool, who shared, “I adored Hello Kitty growing up. When I was eight, I had terrible stage fright during one of my piano recitals. So my teacher got me a Hello Kitty eraser set to cheer me up, which made me so happy. I remember buying at least one Hello Kitty item every visit to Central. I will never forget that day, and of course, I still keep those erasers.
Socialite Pakorn ‘Fome’ Damrongwattanapokin, whose 30-year-old toy car collection is displayed in the Hall of Memories, reminisced about his childhood joy. “My toy car collection was a special pre-birthday gift. I had a lot of fun playing with the cars for many years. I loved them so much that I placed them in my display cabinet when I got older and stopped playing with them.
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