In Bangkok’s bustling Gangnam-equivalent of Chidlom, the place cafe tradition meets couture, Thailand’s largest division retailer chain, Central Division Retailer, is wanting north for inspiration because it reimagines the way forward for in-person retail.
Led by Chief Govt Natira Boonsri, Central Division Retailer has turned to Korean trend manufacturers to revive the attract of bodily buying, as e-commerce quickly reshapes Thailand’s retail panorama.
Its newest wager is a five-year partnership with Seoul’s Matin Kim and distributor HAGO HAUS, marking the Korean model’s first Southeast Asian growth.
Central Division Retailer sits on the coronary heart of Central Group, Southeast Asia’s retail powerhouse that owns luxurious shops and buying malls throughout Bangkok and Europe, together with Selfridges within the UK.
Central Division Retailer boasts a market capitalization of about 5 trillion gained ($3.5 billion).
Now, underneath Boonsri’s management, the group is making multi-trillion-won investments to rework Central’s shops from gross sales flooring into “way of life locations.”
“As on-line retail expands quickly, retailers should transfer past transactions to create lifestyle-driven, experiential locations that encourage and construct communities round shared passions, whereas delivering seamless omnichannel experiences that join with clients on a deeper and extra emotional degree,” Boonsri mentioned in an e-mail interview with The Korea Financial Each day on Tuesday.
A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
Boonsri’s method pairs Central’s retail scale with Korea’s inventive momentum. She noticed in Matin Kim an opportunity to channel the cultural power already charming younger Thai shoppers.
“The rising affect of youthful shoppers presents a significant alternative for Korean trend manufacturers in Thailand and Southeast Asia,” she mentioned.
“This era, digital-first, authenticity-driven and lifestyle-oriented, is reshaping how trend is found and consumed. Korean manufacturers like Matin Kim, with their trend-setting, creativity and agility, are exceptionally well-placed to satisfy these evolving expectations.”
For Boonsri, Matin Kim’s fashionable Seoul aesthetic – “assured, minimal, stylish and group pushed” – matches seamlessly with Central’s ambition to reconnect emotionally with Gen Z consumers.
“Our partnership with Matin Kim displays this course completely,” she mentioned.
“Collectively, we purpose to introduce a recent trend and way of life expertise to Thailand, celebrating creativity and deepening the cultural connection between Korea and Thailand.”
THE KOREAN EDGE
Boonsri believes Korean trend’s cultural fluency presents classes for conventional retailers.
“Korean trend manufacturers have an distinctive potential to form tradition, creativity and commerce, and switch that into world affect,” she mentioned.
“What actually units them aside is their agility, the pace at which they seize insights, reply to social developments and convey concepts to market. Mixed with their mastery of digital storytelling and group engagement, this retains them continually related to youthful generations.”
By channeling Korean creativity by its shops, Central hopes to supply experiences e-commerce can’t replicate – tactile, social and culturally wealthy.
BEYOND TRANSACTIONS
Central’s first Matin Kim flagship opened at Central Chidlom this month, with one other deliberate at Central Embassy in 2026.
Boonsri mentioned the model’s rising recognition throughout Thai social media makes it a pure match for Central’s push to make buying “past buying.”
The corporate plans extra Matin Kim shops nationwide, in addition to occasions spotlighting Korean magnificence and way of life manufacturers.
“Our aim is to create a way of group inside our malls, providing areas the place folks can collect, uncover and share significant experiences,” Boonsri mentioned.
As Central reimagines its shops as cultural locations, Boonsri believes Korean creativity offers each the content material and the spark to deliver consumers again.
“In the end, Korean manufacturers don’t simply promote trend,” she mentioned. “They promote an perspective, a way of life and a way of identification.”
