Q&A: Khun Sukiet Kittitammachote, Central Retail

Central Retail is one Thailand’s great success stories. The company operates 110 supermarkets under the Tops name and three under the Central Food Hall banner, and is the only Thai-based food retailer with a store overseas, in Shanghai, China. Central Retail’s pride and joy is Chidlom Food Hall in central Bangkok, widely considered one of the world’s best food halls. Take a stroll through Chidlom’s impressive seafood department, and it’s easy to see why it’s so highly rated.

SeafoodSource recently caught up with Central Retail’s communications manager, Khun Sukiet Kittitammachote, who’s also well versed in seafood.

Ray: Does Central Retail have a common seafood purchasing policy across all of its brands?
Khun Sukiet: We have common purchasing policy across all retail stores for seafood. We centralize buying from [our] head office. All [of our] products [are] delivered from [the] farm to our fresh distribution center and distributed to 116 stores nationwide.

What are the company’s annual sales?
[Annual sales at] Central Food Hall are THB 40 million (USD 1.2 million, EUR 800,000), and [Tops are] THB 280 million (USD 8.3 million, EUR 6.2 million).

Due to the current economic climate, has there been a change in what seafood customers buy?
[There hasn’t been a] significant change in [seafood] consumption, but customers are looking for more value for [their] money, which means quality and price should become parallel.

Has there been a significant drop in sales of luxury seafood products?
No.
 
How does Central feel about sustainable fishing in Thai and regional waters? Are there any species the company will not sell?
[Central Retail] is concerned about sustainable fishing — our fishermen are not fishing [during] spawning seasons. And we’re not selling whale or shark.
 
Does Central Retail favor Thai seafood products over foreign seafood products?
Yes, we do. We support the Thai fishing industry as a first priority. We regularly supported [Thailand’s] Ministry of Commerce to purchase shrimp from [domestic] farmers to help them manage the oversupply of shrimp.

What standards does Central Retail adhere to?
We embrace any regulation of the Thai Fisheries Department. [We] fully support and coordinate with many projects, such as GAP (Good Aquaculture Practices), COC (Code of Conduct) Farming, and traceability and organic issues. Our fresh distribution center is maintained above standards of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices).

Subscribe

Want seafood news sent to your inbox?

You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time. Diversified Communications | 121 Free Street, Portland, ME 04101 | +1 207-842-5500
None