Central Retail Corporation will run FamilyMart in Thailand after it won a bidding process to roll out the Japanese convenience stores.

Central, which owns shopping centres, department stores and supermarkets, beat bidders including Saha Group and Berli Jucker.

Observers say Central Retail has the market strength and experience to challenge the dominance of Japanese convenience store chain 7-Eleven, locally operated by CP All, a flagship company of the Charoen Pokphand Group.

The addition of FamilyMart to the Central Retail portfolio will synergise the businesses of its subsidiary Central’s food business which includes Tops supermarket, upmarket Foodhall supermarkets in department stores, Tops market and Tops mini-mart.

Defeated Saha Group is still likely to operate in the convenience sector – it is in talks over a joint venture with Japanese convenience store chain Lawson.

GB