Central Retail Corporation (CRC) is striving for world-class retail tech by investing 10 billion baht to accelerate the development of its next-generation omni-channel platform.
David Llamas, chief digital officer of CRC, said in the past five years Central Retail has transformed into a full-scale retail tech company with a leading omni-channel platform, developed by Central Retail Digital.
"We've seen an over 80% increase in the number of users in the past few years and over 60% returning customers, with the platform accounting for 20% of total sales," he said.
The group will launch the next-gen omni-channel platform that links all user interactions including offline, online, augmented reality and the metaverse seamlessly, covering the Central Retail network in Thailand, Vietnam and Italy.
The new platform was designed to enhance customers' shopping experiences through ultra-personalisation where products, services and content offering are tailored for the individual customer in real time.
It will also create inclusive growth for the group's trade partners.
"We aim for our next-gen omni-channel platform to become a destination for customers and trade partners, and a vital foundation that will make CRC Retailligence come to life," said Mr Llamas.
This transformation not only secures the group's technological and digital readiness but will also ensure CRC's positioning to be world-class retail tech as well as a future leader in local and international omni-channel retail.
Over the next five years CRC will invest 10 billion baht in five digital strategies to drive CRC Retailligence: intelligent retail, consumer-driven design, enabling synergies, experience-driven commerce and adaptive commerce.
"These five innovative digital strategies will redefine a new tailored shopping experience for our customers, that will emotionally connect with them, where CRC becomes top-of-mind as their everyday-lifestyle-shopping destination," he said.
Central Retail and its subsidiaries will continuously adopt new technology to create new offerings for all customers.
"Our programme brings next-generation solutions, state-of-the-art technology architecture, along with a green and sustainable retail concept to our stores, online, direct-to-consumer logistics and digital marketing, all powered by artificial intelligence through CRC's big data platform," he said.
CRC recently strengthened its relations with global technological partners including Google, Meta, Microsoft, Accenture and Adobe in order to jointly develop the next-gen omni-channel platform.
"We aim for our next-gen omni-channel platform to account for 25-30% of total sales by 2026, and will certainly place CRC among the top retail tech companies worldwide," said Mr Llamas.
