Central Food Retail Co, the operator of Tops grocery stores under Central Retail Corporation (CRC), vows to continue opening new stores and renovating existing outlets.
The company also wants to complete its rebranding plan by the end of this year.
Stephane Coum, Central Retail's chief executive for the food group, said the company's major rebranding effort to unify all brands as Tops starting in October last year received a positive response from consumers.
The new image has a strong character and creates more awareness of the Tops brand in all aspects, he said, adding the company will continue to present the image of Tops in a unique and different way to ensure the brand is modern and relevant.
"Tops is now recognised among customers that it is a brand that understands consumers and their lifestyles," he said.
More importantly, Mr Coum said overall shopping sentiment is back to normal since the fourth quarter of last year due largely to the rapid recovery of the tourism business and the country's economic rebound.
Therefore, Central Food Retail is set to continue to drive the Tops business forward by opening 15 new Tops stores, bringing the total number of Tops outlets to 174 by the end of 2023.
In addition, the firm plans to complete the renovation of 26 of its existing Tops stores under various concepts to come under a single Tops brand by the end of this year. Once the rebranding plan has been completed, Tops will have a total of four formats at the end of this year, comprising Tops Fine Food, a premium store; Tops Food Hall; Tops Club, a membership store model, and Tops.
Chakkit Chatupanyachotikul, Central Food Retail's head of marketing, public relations and creating shared value, said the company also launched a business strategy to recruit new customers called the "Every Day Discovery" campaign in a move to become the ultimate food discovery destination.
The company has hired Naphat "Nine" Siangsomboon to be its first brand ambassador, drawing customers to discover another level of experience beyond shopping and communicating the brand image in a way that is relevant to modern consumers, reflecting its contemporary and approachable brand DNA.
At the same time, to appeal to the younger generation, the pop-rock group "Tattoo Colour" has been chosen to create a special song to invite everyone to discover the "best experience every day" at Tops.
Under the Every Day Discovery campaign, customers can experience Tops in new dimensions, not only as a store offering products but also providing new experiences and a seamless shopping service. Customers can shop for new and exclusive products and many first-in-Thailand brands such as Coles and El Corte Ingles.
Mr Chakkit said the launch of the Every Day Discovery campaign is to communicate Tops characters to make the brand more accessible and create a new modern image for consumers.
Tops has also revolutionised its communications in out-of-home, digital, and in-store media to suit modern consumers under seamless communications strategies, connecting online and offline channels to expand its reach and maximise its communications.
