Bangkok, 26 December 2023 — Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited or CRC, demonstrated success at the global lifestyle and cultural festival, Wonderfruit 2023, joining for the first time and receiving an overwhelming response from over 30,000 attendees. This reflected collaborative efforts with international partners committed to sustainability, driving conservation and environmental awareness. Held from 14 - 18 December at The Fields at Siam Country Club Pattaya, ‘CRC Sensory Space’ drew global wanderers' attention, providing an immersive lifestyle experience featuring business units under the CRC umbrella, such as Central Department Store, cmg (Central Marketing Group), Tops, and Thaiwatsadu. This event aimed to deliver enjoyable activities and workshops while seamlessly integrating sustainability values, reaffirming CRC's leading position as the Green & Sustainable Retail and Wholesale in Asia. It underscored the industry leadership, aligning business growth with social care, environmental responsibility, and a commitment to all stakeholders.

Ms. Piyawan Leelasompop, Head of Corporate Marketing, Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited (CRC) commented, “Central Retail is thrilled to officially participate as a primary sponsor at Wonderfruit 2023, a globally popular festival for art, music, culture, and nature lovers worldwide. Through this participation, we embedded sustainability across all aspects via ‘CRC Sensory Space’, with the architectural design crafted by renowned global design firm, Ab Rogers Design or ARD, emphasising social and environmental aspects through Zero Waste design concepts. It utilised eco-friendly materials for construction, including tall bamboo brought from within the event area and fabric patches in various shades of red and orange harmonising with nature’s green. The triangular heart-shaped space, open on all three sides, allowed visitors to enjoy a well-blended experience, reaffirming Central Retail’s Brand Purpose of being Central to Life, ready to welcome and serve everyone consistently.”

‘CRC Sensory Space’ was created to relax both body and mind amidst surrounding nature, employing all five sensory elements: sight, taste, smell, sound, and touch. Additionally, it incorporated the ‘CRC ReNEW’ strategy in four dimensions. In the 'Reduce Greenhouse Gases' aspect, the implementation is evident through rooftop solar panels. Transpower Solar Company Limited, a partner of Thaiwatsadu under Central Retail who specialises in solar energy solutions has installed solar panels on a slanted, red-tiled roof, effectively harnessing solar energy to illuminate the hub's center. This area showcased the ‘Happiness Forward’ art installation, a vibrant 5-metre-tall colorful giant flower run on 100% solar energy, created from reused materials from various festivals across Thailand. Artistically designed by ‘Ae’ Wishulada Pantharanuwong — a highly skilled artist known for creating artwork from upcycled materials — in collaboration with local talents inspired by the beauty and freshness of twilight fireworks. It served as a symbol of joy, escaping the hustle of the city, indulging in pure air, surrounded by vibrant colors and natural surroundings, along with five wind puppets. These puppets represented the five groups within Central Retail’s Ecosystem — Food, Fashion, Hardline, Property, and Health and Wellness.

Apart from the mentioned immersive installation art, which attracted Wonderers for day and night photography, numerous activities and workshops engaged a significant number of visitors. These included ‘Lifting Your Holistic Spirit By L:A Bruket’, a renowned brand from Sweden brought by cmg (Central Marketing Group) offering nature’s secrets through a selection of fragrant flowers in bags, along with organic premium products. Additionally, Central Edition from Central Department Store featured two workshops from eco-friendly brands — Wood & Mountain, showcasing authentic natural-colored clothing crafted by skilled craftsmen from Chiang Mai through hand painting and using upcycled materials; and Symp Symp, conducting ‘Beads n' Crochet’ for DIY bracelets with crochet techniques and unique beads, creating one-of-a-kind jewelry in the world. Furthermore, the Hair Styling Station by Dyson from cmg (Central Marketing Group) provided Dyson equipment for attendees to experiment with their own creativity in hair designs.

In addition to the aforementioned activities, Central Retail has fully curated a delightful culinary experience, including food, desserts, and beverages, in the Jing Jai Farmers' Market zone. This zone supports Thai farmers in distributing their products to the market, driving the grassroots economy, providing farmers with livelihoods, income, and sustainable improvements in their quality of life. This reflects the strategy of ‘CRC ReNEW’ in ‘Navigating Societal Well-Being’. Currently, Jing Jai Farmers’ Market holds a total of 33 branches across Thailand. Furthermore, Central Retail caters to all Wonderers, especially food enthusiasts, with the Tops vendor zone filled with delicious offerings from Tops Eatery and baked goods from The Baker. The Tops Bar serves beverages inspired by products carefully curated from Thai farmers, creating a drink menu that is both tasty and beneficial to health. All the food and beverages are packaged using natural and environmentally friendly materials, aligning with the Eco-Friendly Product and Packaging strategy. Importantly, within the event, there is proper waste management, including composting and recycling, following the Waste Management strategy as part of CRC ReNEW. Central Retail remains steadfast in creating sustainability for the business throughout.

“Our collaboration with Wonderfruit 2023 stands as another success where we joined hands with global partners, demonstrating Central Retail’s firm commitment to sustainability in all dimensions. We are delighted to have been a part of delivering an incredibly special experience and witnessing the genuine smiles of all attendees. Throughout the 5-day event, we extend our gratitude to the Wonderfruit organising team and all attendees who showed interest and participated in our activities. Central Retail remains steadfast in contributing to societal and environmental responsibility to foster positive change and deliver a better world for future generations,” concluded Ms. Piyawan.