Central Retail Corporation (CRC) and Ant Group partnered to launch Alipay+ in over 3,000 CRC stores in Thailand, enabling Asian tourists to make their payments through their local digital wallets.
In a statement, CRC said ssers can easily make digital payments via their local digital wallet, including Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR), Touch ‘n Go eWallet (Malaysia) and Kakao Pay (South Korea) without having to carry cash or exchange to Thai currency.
Payments can be made across over 3,000 stores nationwide under Central Retail, including Central and Robinson Department Stores, Supersports, Tops, Power Buy, B2S, OfficeMate, Matsukiyo, Tops Vita and Muji, unlocking greater convenience and choice for tourists in Thailand.
“This partnership between Central Retail and Ant Group to launch Alipay+ in Thailand will increase digital payment channels for Central Retail customers, delivering comprehensive services to serve consumers who prefer cashless payments,” said Piyawan Leelasompop, Head of Corporate Marketing, Central Retail Corporation PCL.
“The company aims to target Asian tourists travelling to Thailand, providing convenience for those shopping at brands under Central Retail via Alipay+ with their local mobile wallet,” Leelasompop added.
The head of corporate marketing added that they plan to expand the payment service to accommodate tourists from other Asian and European countries.
Additionally, Alipay+ will also enable vendors in Central Retail to accept digital payments from Asian tourists as well as provide a convenient platform for international shoppers to browse products throughout their time in Thailand, delivering convenient and seamless experiences just as if they are in their home country.”
The launch of Alipay+ in Thailand is also in line with the increase of Asian tourists travelling to Thailand. For the first half of 2023, there were over 12.46 million international tourists with the top five countries including Malaysia, China, Russia, South Korea, and India, respectively.
It is also expected that the total number of international tourists will reach 25 million people within this year. With Central Retail housing a wide range of leading brands and shops, its stores are considered popular destinations for international travellers in Thailand.
Evidently, the number of tourists who shopped at Central Retail significantly increased in Q1, especially at Central and Robinson Department Stores located in key cities and tourist destinations in Bangkok and UPC, including Chiang Mai and Phuket.
Sales from international travellers increased to almost 200% compared to the same period last year and 16% when compared to the same period in 2019.
