(Source: Entrepreneur.com.ph | July 30, 2018)
A visit to Bangkok in Thailand is incomplete without dropping by two shopping destinations: Chatuchak weekend market and Central World shopping mall.
While the former is well-known for its bargain finds, Central World has become a crowd-magnet for housing the largest flagship branches of some of the world’s most renowned retail brands such as Adidas and Uniqlo. You can expect nothing less from a shopping destination that claims to be Southeast Asia’s largest mall with over 550,000 square meters of retail space. In contrast, the Philippines’ largest mall complex, SM North Edsa, has a total gross area of 492,000 square meters.
Like Henry Sy’s SM Group that built the Philippines’ biggest shopping malls and transformed Filipinos’ shopping behavior, the Chirathivat family’s Central Pattana built some of Thailand’s most widely known retail destinations, including Central World.
Thais can thank 56-year-old Wallaya Chirathivat, among others, for that.
As senior executive vice-president (SVP) for business development and construction management of Central Pattana, Chirathivat is in charge of the innovations of the company’s mall complexes and other properties. The company’s portfolio already includes 30 shopping centers, seven office buildings, two hotels and two residential condominiums.
Chirathivat is one of the keynote speakers at the National Retail Conference and Stores Asia Expo (NRCE) 2018 on August 9 and 10 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. Organized by the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA), the country’s biggest retail industry grouping, the two-day event will carry the theme “Reinventing Retail” as the industry is challenged by advances in e-commerce and fast-changing demands of consumers.
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