Thailand’s retail chain Lotus’s has opened a Smart Community Centre concept dubbed Lotus’s North Ratchapruek in the northwest of Bangkok.
Operated by Ek-Chai Distribution System, the $42 million project spans more than 47,000sqm and is home to 130 shops and a hypermarket, which features more than 28,000 products. A majority of tenants are new partners, who have opened a branch in conjunction with Lotus’s for the first time.
“The new Lotus North Ratchaphruek Smart Community Center will be a model for renovating existing Lotus branches and opening new branches in the future,” said Sompong Rungnirattisai, CEO at Ek-Chai Distribution System.
Rungnirattisai said the company plans to roll out several hypermarkets next year by adopting concepts from the North Ratchapruek branch.
Earlier this year, the operator disclosed it was to invest US$354 – $382 million in store openings, store revamps and the development of infrastructure and online systems.
The company has recently shifted its focus to expanding omnichannel and introducing new retail formats, including the Smart Urban Supermarket concept, Smart F&B Heaven and Open Air Mall.
