BANGKOK — Charoen Pokphand Group, Thailand’s largest conglomerate, is making the Lotus supermarket chain its own again, pursuing a digital-forward strategy and putting the group’s full weight behind a comeback push.
The $10.5 billion-plus acquisition of Tesco’s Southeast Asian operations late last year brought the chain back under CP Group more than two decades after the initial sale. The conglomerate has since been rebranding and adapting the stores to consumer habits that have changed amid the coronavirus pandemic and competition from online-only retailers.
The “Lotus’s” supermarket that opened its doors in downtown Bangkok this past May is a testing ground for this strategy. The “s” in the new suffix stands for “smart,” according to the company.
Throughout the store are “Scan & Go” panels, where shoppers can scan QR codes to buy products on display and have them delivered at…
