Central Retail plans Thailand, Vietnam expansion with $833 mln investment

By Tri Duc
Wed, February 8, 2023 | 11:23 am GMT+7

Thailand’s Central Retail is investing THB28 billion ($833 million) at home and in Vietnam, with the expectation to raise its total revenue by 15% year-on-year to THB270 billion ($8.06 billion) in 2023, the firm announced Monday.

Central Retail CEO Yol Phokasub. Photo courtesy of Central Retail.

Central Retail CEO Yol Phokasub. Photo courtesy of Central Retail.

The Bangkok Post reported the investment includes 70-75% for its business expansion in Thailand, while the remaining 25-30% will go towards its Vietnam ventures, particularly in food and property.

Central Retail is ready to advance its success in Vietnam by enlarging its GO! brand, aiming for net zero gas emissions by 2025, said Central Retail Corporation (CRC) CEO Yol Phokasub, while presenting the retailer’s five-year ‘CRC Retailligence’ strategy, according to the release.

For the food industry, Central Retail targets exponential growth in Vietnam and pushing its Tops brands to become the top food omni retailer by opening 15 new branches this year.

Regarding the property sector, the firm is looking to open six to eight new branches of Go! malls in Vietnam by 2024.

Entering Vietnam in 2012, Central Retail has become a leading business in the country with more than 340 stores serving 390,000 customers daily, CEO of Central Retail Vietnam Olivier Langlet said at Central Retail Vietnam's 10th anniversary last September.

The firm plans to reach a sales revenue of THB100 billion ($2.99 billion) in Vietnam in 2026, after reaching THB38.592 billion ($1.15 billion) in 2021, and expand its network to 55 out of 63 cities and provinces. Another goal is to double its omnichannel sales penetration to 15%.

Central Retail has been expanding its presence in Vietnam with the opening of two Tops Market supermarkets in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and northern coastal city of Hai Phong last December.

Earlier in 2022, the retail giant announced plans to build supermarkets and stores in the Mekong Delta provinces of Bac Lieu and Dong Thap, and the central provinces of Quang Binh, Nghe An, and Binh Thuan.

Comments (0)
  • Read More
Trung Nam Group's solar power arm suffers $37 mln loss amid rising debt pressure

Trung Nam Group's solar power arm suffers $37 mln loss amid rising debt pressure

Trung Nam Thuan Nam Solar Power Company Limited, a subsidiary of the multi-sector Trung Nam Group, incurred a net loss of VND969 billion ($36.83 million) in 2025, reversing a profit of VND138.2 billion ($5.35 million) a year earlier, according to its 2025 earnings statement.

Companies - Sat, May 9, 2026 | 3:01 pm GMT+7

French firms eye Vietnam’s North-South high-speed railway project

French firms eye Vietnam’s North-South high-speed railway project

A delegation of 15 major French companies and industrial groups has expressed interest in participating in Vietnam’s planned North-South high-speed railway project.

Infrastructure - Sat, May 9, 2026 | 2:38 pm GMT+7

Grocery chain Bach Hoa Xanh opens 1st store in Hanoi, takes cautious northern Vietnam expansion approach

Grocery chain Bach Hoa Xanh opens 1st store in Hanoi, takes cautious northern Vietnam expansion approach

Bach Hoa Xanh, a grocery chain operated by Vietnam’s leading retailer Mobile World Investment Corporation (HoSE: MWG), has opened its first store in Hanoi, marking entry into one of the country’s most competitive consumer markets.

Companies - Sat, May 9, 2026 | 8:17 am GMT+7

Intel to continue expanding investment in Vietnam: exec

Intel to continue expanding investment in Vietnam: exec

U.S. chipmaker Intel will continue expanding investment, supporting workforce training, and helping develop Vietnam’s semiconductor ecosystem as the country refines investment support mechanisms to retain large-scale high-tech projects, said its executives.

Industries - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 7:48 pm GMT+7

Vietnam stocks extend rally to fresh record high

Vietnam stocks extend rally to fresh record high

Vietnam’s benchmark VN-Index extended gains for a fourth straight session on Thursday, closing at a new all-time high of 1,915.37 points as large-cap banking and property stocks supported the market despite continued foreign selling.

Finance - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 5:49 pm GMT+7

Vingroup’s VinMetal partners with Primetals for green steel complex in central Vietnam

Vingroup’s VinMetal partners with Primetals for green steel complex in central Vietnam

Vingroup’s subsidiary VinMetal has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with global steel giant Primetals Technologies to develop a large-scale integrated steel complex in central Vietnam.

Industries - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 4:25 pm GMT+7

Hanoi pushes Sumitomo, BRG to accelerate $4.2 bln smart city project

Hanoi pushes Sumitomo, BRG to accelerate $4.2 bln smart city project

Hanoi authorities have asked Japan’s Sumitomo and local conglomerate BRG Group to quicken the progress of the North Hanoi Smart City project as soon as legal procedures are finalized.

Real Estate - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 3:31 pm GMT+7

Moody's Ratings upgrades MBBank's deposit ratings to Ba2 from Ba3, outlook stable

Moody's Ratings upgrades MBBank's deposit ratings to Ba2 from Ba3, outlook stable

Moody’s Ratings (Moody’s) has announced an upgrade of the local currency and foreign currency long-term deposit and issuer ratings for Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB, HoSE: MBB) from Ba3 to Ba2, aligning with Vietnam’s sovereign rating (Ba2 positive). The outlook remains "Stable."

Banking - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 3:00 pm GMT+7

Vietnam welcomes leading Indian groups to expand energy, infrastructure cooperation: top leader

Vietnam welcomes leading Indian groups to expand energy, infrastructure cooperation: top leader

Vietnam is ready to create favorable conditions for capable Indian corporations and businesses to expand investment and operations in the country in line with its laws, while ensuring transparency and balanced interests among stakeholders, said Vietnam’s Party chief and President To Lam.

Economy - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 1:59 pm GMT+7

Vietnam airport operator ACV records slows disbursement for Long Thanh mega-airport project

Vietnam airport operator ACV records slows disbursement for Long Thanh mega-airport project

Airports Corporation of Vietnam's (ACV) slow disbursement for the Long Thanh International Airport project, located in the southern province of Dong Nai, highlights implementation bottlenecks despite the company's strong profitability in Q1/2026 and substantial cash reserves for the country's largest aviation infrastructure project.

Companies - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 1:41 pm GMT+7

Vietnam property developers shift to asset-holding strategy for stable cash flow

Vietnam property developers shift to asset-holding strategy for stable cash flow

Vietnamese property developers are increasingly shifting away from the traditional build-to-sell model and focusing instead on accumulating long-term assets capable of generating stable recurring income, as the industry adapts to lessons learned from the market downturn of 2022-2023.

Real Estate - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 12:07 pm GMT+7

Vietnamese, Indian firms exchange 27 agreements on aviation, tourism, logistics, technology

Vietnamese, Indian firms exchange 27 agreements on aviation, tourism, logistics, technology

Vietnamese and Indian firms on Thursday exchanged 27 cooperation agreements aimed at boosting trade, investment, tourism and training between the two countries, thereby making bilateral partnership deeper, more practical and effective.

Economy - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 11:13 am GMT+7

MBBank ranks among Vietnam's leading lenders for SME working capital in key industries

MBBank ranks among Vietnam's leading lenders for SME working capital in key industries

Military Bank (MB) has emerged as one of Vietnam’s leading providers of working capital financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in key economic sectors, according to National Credit Information Center (CIC) data.

Banking - Fri, May 8, 2026 | 8:56 am GMT+7

Hanoi eyes massive replanning of Red River corridor, relocation of riverside communities

Hanoi eyes massive replanning of Red River corridor, relocation of riverside communities

Hanoi plans to gradually relocate and reorganize all residential areas outside the Red River dike system as part of an ambitious urban redevelopment strategy aimed at transforming both banks of the river into a new economic and cultural corridor for the capital.

Economy - Thu, May 7, 2026 | 5:04 pm GMT+7

Thaco, VinFast, TC Group urge Vietnam gov't to keep auto sector under conditional business rules

Thaco, VinFast, TC Group urge Vietnam gov't to keep auto sector under conditional business rules

Vietnam’s three major domestic automotive corporations - Thaco, VinFast and TC Group - have urged the government to maintain automobile manufacturing, assembly and import activities within the list of “conditional business sectors,” warning that deregulation could weaken the country’s long-term industrial strategy and expose local producers to unfair competition.

Economy - Thu, May 7, 2026 | 4:09 pm GMT+7

Prudential Vietnam remits $194 mln in retained earnings to parent company

Prudential Vietnam remits $194 mln in retained earnings to parent company

Prudential Vietnam transferred over VND5.1 trillion ($194 million) in retained earnings to its parent company, Prudential Corporation Holdings, earlier this year, according to disclosures in its 2025 financial statements.

Finance - Thu, May 7, 2026 | 3:33 pm GMT+7