Tops Supermarket

This article is about the Thai grocery chain. For the American grocery chain, see Tops Friendly Markets.

Tops Supermarket
Company typePrivate
IndustryFood retailing
Headquarters
Thailand
Websitewww.tops.co.th/en/

Tops is a grocery chain in Thailand. Co-founded by the then-parent of U.S.-based Tops Markets LLC, the chain is operated under the name Tops Supermarket in Thailand by Central Food Retail, a subsidiary of Central Retail Corporation. In addition to Tops Supermarket, some branches are called Tops Superstore, Tops Market, Tops Market Food & Wine, Tops Daily and Central Food Hall. It is the largest supermarket chain in Thailand and operates 235 stores nationwide.

History

The company was established as CRC Ahold Co., Ltd. in 1996 by integration of Robinson Department Store and Central Group supermarket business and formed a joint venture with Royal Ahold Co., Ltd., a Netherlands-based supermarket operator, owning a 49 percent stake.[1][2] The stores were renamed Tops Supermarket,[3][4][5] which Ahold borrowed from its U.S. supermarket holding, Tops Markets, but did not reuse its red diamond logo.[3] In December 1996 and 1998, Robinson sold all of its invested shares to Ahold.[1] In 2004, Ahold sold its stake to Central as part of the Dutch company's withdrawal from Asia.[6]

In 2004, Central converted 20 former Food Lion locations to Tops after their parent, Delhaize Group, closed its Thailand supermarket operations.[7][8] In 2023, Central's franchise agreement with Japan's convenience store chain FamilyMart ended, and its roughly 200 FamilyMart stores in Thailand were to be converted to the Tops Daily brand.[9]

Store types

  • Tops Plaza is a Shopping Center. In addition, there are main shopping centers such as Tops, Department Store, and cinemas. The first branch is Phichit since 22 December 2017
  • Tops Food Hall premium grade supermarket. Recognized as one of "25 grocery stores around the world that you need to visit before you die" by The Canadian Grocer.[10]
  • Tops Fine Food
  • Tops high-tier supermarket.
  • Tops Daily convenience store size of 100–200 square meters.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b "Robinson Annual Report 2011" (PDF). Robinson. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Royal Ahold Buys Stake In Thailand Venture". The New York Times. Bloomberg Business News. 14 August 1996. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b Raeke, Carolyn (16 August 1996). "TOPS NEVER STOPS -- NOW IT'S IN THAILAND". Buffalo News. Retrieved 17 May 2022. While Ahold will borrow the Tops name for its new Asian division, it will not be using the familiar red diamond logo, or the full trademark Tops Friendly Markets title.
  4. ^ Utumporn, Pichayaporn (27 May 1998). "Ahold to Acquire Rest of Venture With Thai Partner Central Retail". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 17 May 2022. The two-year-old joint venture, CRC Ahold, operates Tops Supermarket, which currently has 38 branches in Thailand.
  5. ^ "Tops celebrates 25th Anniversary with surprises for customers all year". Central Retail Corporation. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2022. For the past 25 years, Central Food Retail Company Limited has stood firmly by consumers in Thailand through countless moments since 1996 as a pioneer and changemaker of the supermarket industry in Thailand, with the launch of what was then known as Tops Supermarket, the first brand in Thailand to receive Asian supermarket standard.
  6. ^ "Ahold sells Thai unit, completes withdrawal from Asia". Just Food. 3 March 2004. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Food Lion stores to carry Tops name". Campaign Asia-Pacific. 10 September 2004. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Food Lion Supermarket Chain Quits Thailand". Agence France-Presse. 6 August 2004. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  9. ^ Akama, Kenya (11 August 2023). "Japan's FamilyMart exits Thailand as 7-Eleven's dominance grows". Nikkai Asia. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  10. ^ Russell, Pete; Margulis, Ron (January–February 2016). "25 Stores to Visit Before You Die" (PDF). Canadian Grocer. p. 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 December 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  11. ^ "About Tops daily [sic]". Central Food Retail Co Ltd. Retrieved 4 February 2016.