Singapore – Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited (CRC) is making waves in the retail and wholesale industry by digitalizing and enhancing tourist engagement through a strategic partnership with Alipay+, a cross-border mobile payment and digitalization solutions provider operated by Ant International. This innovative collaboration has resulted in a remarkable doubling of transactions in Q2 compared to Q1 2024.
Chinese tourists continue to be significant spenders at Central Retail’s stores. However, the integration of Alipay+ in H2 2023 has also driven steady growth in spending by tourists from other top destinations, including Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, the Philippines, and South Korea. These tourists are using AlipayHK, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, GCash, and Kakao Pay, respectively.
Central Retail began accepting Alipay for Chinese tourists in 2015 and expanded its partnership with Alipay+ in July 2023. This expansion caters to the digital-first habits of today’s travelers, enabling the acceptance of 13 international mobile payment apps from eight destinations across all 3,000 stores in Thailand.
Ms. Piyawan Leelasompop, Head of Corporate Marketing at Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited, stated, “Our goal has always been to provide a superior shopping experience to all our customers. With the changing expectations of tourists today, our partnership with Alipay+ has allowed us to leverage innovation to enhance our engagement with tourists. By accepting multiple leading international payment apps via Alipay+, we can reach more tourists from top inbound destinations to Thailand and make every transaction seamless, quick, and familiar.”
Further solidifying its retail and wholesale innovation, Central Retail will join the Amazing Thailand e-card, an exclusive tourist privilege program launched by Alipay+ in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand in June 2024. This e-card will enable Central Retail to connect directly with tourists in-app, increasing store visibility, offering additional promotions, and facilitating more targeted engagements. Initially available on Alipay for Chinese tourists, it will be rolled out to other Alipay+ partners in the future.
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Ms. Leelasompop added, “As we gear up for the year-end travel season, we’re furthering our partnership with Alipay+ with more targeted in-app marketing. This allows us to directly engage with tourists through their e-wallets and offer more relevant campaigns. Central Retail’s stores are the favorite shopping destinations for Chinese tourists. Through the new Amazing Thailand e-card and ongoing joint campaigns, such as for the upcoming Golden Week, we aim to introduce the most exciting campaigns for them. We will continue to enhance our payments and in-app marketing capabilities to reach more Chinese and other international tourists, to drive customer satisfaction, offer the best and most personalized rewards, and boost the growth of our stores.”
Central Retail’s extensive network of stores enables Alipay+ partner users to use their home payment app throughout Thailand for daily conveniences. This year, tourists have spent the most at Central Retail’s stores in Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. While retail remains the most popular activity for tourists, spending at supermarkets is one of the fastest-growing categories, with transactions at Tops increasing by more than four times in Q2 compared to Q1 2024. Besides Central and Robinson Department Stores, Alipay+ is also accepted at Central Retail’s stores like Supersports, Tops, Power Buy, B2S, OfficeMate, Tops Vita, Matsukiyo, and Muji.
Sittipong Kittiprapapong, General Manager for Global Merchant Partnership in Thailand at Ant International, remarked, “Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for global tourists, and Central Retail, as the leading retailer in Thailand, boasts stores that are must-visit spots. Since partnering with Central Retail to enable more cross-border mobile payment, we’re proud to see strong transaction growth across multiple retail categories and top cities. This shows that tourists prefer paying with their home payment apps while overseas. Our recent introduction of the Alipay+ D-hub and Amazing Thailand e-card reflects our ongoing effort to drive travel and retail innovation alongside our local partners.”
Central Retail and Alipay+ have a series of exciting deals and promotions ready to attract more tourists and boost transactions. These include the Amazing Thailand Card, Summer and Golden Week Campaign (July-October 2024), and Year-End Campaign (December 2024 – February 2025). These campaigns are designed to draw tourists and encourage shopping at Central Retail’s stores, reinforcing Central Retail’s top position in the retail and wholesale industry.
