Central Group appoints four senior executives to drive Europe luxury retail business worth THB240bn

Central Group has announced a new leadership line-up to drive its luxury department store business in Europe, after acquiring and transforming iconic retail assets in the region 14 years ago and recording sales of more than THB240 billion last year.

Marking its move into the 15th year of operations in Europe, the group said it will push ahead with plans to develop and build on the value of its European business, using its network of landmark luxury department stores as platforms for leading global brands.

Tos Chirathivat, executive chairman of Central Group, said:

“Next, we will strengthen every dimension—our leadership team, business structure, and partnerships—to create added value and drive sustainable growth in both Europe and Asia.”

To improve operational unity and efficiency in Europe, Central Group announced the following senior appointments:

• Pierluigi Cocchini, Chief Executive Officer – Europe, responsible for shaping the strategic direction and overseeing overall operations across the group’s European business network, enhancing collaboration and competitiveness while building a unified leadership culture that preserves each brand’s identity.
• Giuseppe D’Amato, Chief Commercial Officer – Europe, responsible for setting and executing commercial strategy across Europe, including brand portfolio management, buying, category management, marketing, and retail media development.
• Chart Chirathivat, Chief Strategy Officer – Europe, responsible for driving strategic partnerships with leading global brands and strengthening Central Group’s role as a key partner, while aligning executive-level collaboration between the group’s European and Asian networks.
• André Maeder, CEO of Selfridges and Group CEO of Selfridges Group, the joint venture between Central Group and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Central Group is the majority shareholder. The Selfridges Group portfolio spans four banners across three countries: Selfridges (UK), de Bijenkorf (Netherlands), and Brown Thomas and Arnotts (Ireland), with Maeder playing a key role in business transformation, innovation and retail media leadership across the group.

Central Group currently operates a network of 40 luxury department stores across 34 key cities in seven countries, under some of Europe’s most influential banners:

• Rinascente, Italy (2011)
• Illum, Denmark (2013)
• KaDeWe Group — comprising KaDeWe, Oberpollinger and Alsterhaus, Germany (2015)
• Globus, Switzerland (2020)
• Selfridges Group, spanning the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Ireland (2022)

All of these stores are located in prime city-centre locations and serve as major national landmarks.

One of the most recent milestones was the launch of Globus Basel Marktplatz in Switzerland in October 2025, following more than three years of restoration work on a 119-year-old cultural heritage building in the heart of Basel. The redevelopment transformed the site into a world-class shopping destination that blends historic character with contemporary luxury.

Most recently, in April 2026, Selfridges unveiled “40 Duke” on the top floor of its Oxford Street flagship in London—an exclusive hybrid space combining personal shopping, arts and culture, and social areas across more than 2,300 square metres. It includes 24 private rooms, a club lounge, private dining rooms and an outdoor dining terrace, created for the highest-tier members of the Selfridges Unlocked programme (VVSP – Very Very Selfridges People), elevating shopping into a full lifestyle experience.

Alongside upgrading its retail spaces, Central Group is also pushing into retail media as a new growth engine—leveraging the landmark locations of its department stores and its premium customer database to build powerful media platforms that support both sales and consumer engagement. The European retail media market is forecast to be worth as much as THB1 trillion (€25 billion) by 2026.