What: Central Retail reported a 72% year-on-year jump in third-quarter profit, while its Robinson business plans two new formats, Ploen and Riva, as part of a THB 4.094 billion investment programme for 2027.

Why it is important: Robinson is combining shopping centre and department store experiences into a single destination, a direct test of how a department store operator can make the most of its mall space.

Central Retail Corporation recorded core profit from continuing operations of THB 2.051 billion (US$60.6 million) in the third quarter of FY26, while total revenue rose 5 per cent to THB 61.185 billion (US$1.81 billion). The group is preparing for the year-end shopping season.

Digital channels continued to drive growth, with online sales up 21 per cent year on year. Cenni, the AI-powered shopping assistant at Central Department Store, helped lift customer conversion rates by 1.7 times. The 1 loyalty programme grew its Vietnam membership to 7.67 million people. Group CEO Suthisarn Chirathivat said the store network spans 65 provinces in Thailand and 26 in Vietnam, with continued work on own-brand offerings and organisational efficiency.

Robinson's 2027 plan refreshes its department store identity and integrates shopping centre and department store experiences. Several locations will be renovated next year, with further upgrades through 2029. Ploen Rangsit is due to open in the third quarter of 2027, and the first Riva development, in Ramkhamhaeng, in the first quarter of 2028. Lertvit Pumipitak, CEO of Central Retail Property, said the aim is a "Complete Retail Ecosystem" that responds more precisely to each market.

IADS Notes: Central Retail's third-quarter profit follows a second quarter in which core profit rose 124% on store expansion, private-label growth and tighter inventory management (Inside Retail, August 2026). Food had by then reached 46% of group sales in the first half, while underperforming hardline units were closed and the NK appliance business in Vietnam was exited (Inside Retail Asia, September 2026). The group's strategy, set out in March, allocated $1.4 billion through 2027 to expansion, renovation, digital transformation and omnichannel, alongside the sale of European assets to focus on Thailand and Vietnam (Inside Retail, March 2026). In Vietnam, The 1 loyalty programme had passed 7.4 million members by September, when the group also announced up to 37 new food stores by 2028 (Inside Retail Asia, September 2026). On AI assistants, Walmart's Sparky is linked to 40% higher average order values and a 57% conversion uplift from visual search over text search (Customer Experience Dive, October 2026).

Central Retail's third-quarter profit jumps 72% as Robinson plans two new formats