Central Retail deepens ties with Alipay+ amid surge in tourist numbers

The collaboration aims to capitalise on Thailand's growing tourist population by providing seamless payment options and engaging customer experiences. 

Since introducing Alipay for Chinese tourists in 2015, Central Retail has expanded its partnership with Alipay+ to accept 13 international mobile payment apps across its 3,000 locations nationwide. This move meets the changing digital preferences of today's travellers.

The head of Central Retail's corporate marketing, Piyawan Leelasompop, said that by accepting multiple leading international payment apps through Alipay+, the company is enabling a more seamless and familiar shopping experience for tourists from key inbound markets.

Central Retail is expanding its offerings by joining the Amazing Thailand e-card, an exclusive tourist privilege programme launched by Alipay+ in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand. This initiative will allow Central Retail to connect directly with tourists via app, offering targeted promotions and increasing store visibility.

"Our collaboration with Alipay+ focusses on creating exciting campaigns and personalised rewards to attract and retain tourists. We want to make Central Retail stores the number one shopping destination for Chinese and other international visitors," she said. 

Data shows a significant increase in transactions through Alipay+ partners outside of China, with Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, and South Korea emerging as key markets. Furthermore, spending at Central Retail's supermarkets has increased dramatically, with Tops transactions up more than 400% in the second quarter compared to Q1.

Sittipong Kittiprapapong, Ant International's (Thailand) general manager for global merchant partnership, emphasised Thailand's importance as a tourist destination, as well as Central Retail's role in meeting the needs of international visitors. 

"We are proud to see the positive impact of our collaboration, with strong transaction growth across multiple retail categories," he said.

Both companies have planned a number of campaigns, including the Amazing Thailand Card, Summer and Golden Week promotions, and a year-end campaign, to increase tourist spending and strengthen Central Retail's position in the retail and wholesale industries.