Page 217 - CRC_One Report 2021_EN

Business Overview and Performance Corporate Governance Financial Statements Enclosure

In addition, the Company also drives sales growth of omnichannel platforms through a new sales channel
that coordinates between the physical platform and online platform, or O2O Channel. This includes Personal
Shopper, Social Commerce, Chat & Shop, e-Ordering, etc., all of which have been expanded to cover all
the Company’s business segments, resulting in a rapid sales growth. Moreover, the Company also broke records
for its sales volume last December. This reflects how it understood consumers’ shopping behaviors and is able to
respond to the lifestyles of today’s customers very well. Furthermore, the Company also has an omnichannel platform
that is available to customers in other countries where its business is present, including Nguyenkim.com website
for the Hardline segment and Rinascente.it website for the Fashion segment in Italy.

3) The Progress of Synergy Plan
The Company has implemented synergy plans to create benefits, both in terms of revenue enhancement and
efficient management of expenses. The projects are progressive in accordance with the plans as follows:

• Generating incremental sales through product cross listings that to serve the needs of customers in each business
on each platform. In addition, as the Company has merged with COL Public Company Limited (COL) since
last February, this helps to enhance an opportunity to reach a new customer segment like corporate clients.

• Long-term profit margin increase was done by increasing gross margins and managing expenses
more efficiently in all departments of the Company. The cost of purchasing products has been managed,
pool purchasing to achieve reasonable costs, including the addition of Private Label products, which increases
the gross profit margin. In part of expenses, the Company focuses on cost reduction and management
efficiency, such as reducing personnel costs due to redundant work, installing solar rooftops to save energy
and be environmentally friendly, adjusting advertising through online channels or social commerce to reduce
marketing costs, and managing obsolete goods to be more efficient.

4) M&A
The Company continued to create business growth to strengthen its ecosystem and be able to fulfill the needs of
customers of all lifestyles. Moreover, it aimed at driving the Company to become “Central to Life”.

• In February, the Company has completely launched a tender offer for all shares of COL Public Company
Limited at the value of 12.16 billion baht. This acquisition aims to heighten the strengths of COL’s portfolio
including OfficeMate, B2S, and Meb E-books to attain the leading position in the omnichannel retailing
platform and build up the Company’s hardline segment.

• In August, the Company invested in Mercular, a Thai startup that achieved the highest online sales in
the Hobby & Lifestyle category in order to touch the diverse needs of customers and increase the opportunity
to further expand to other business groups under the umbrella of Central Retail.

• In December, the Company acquired a 67% stake in Porto Worldwide Limited (“Porto WW”),
where Porto WW holds a 40% stake in Grab Taxi Holdings (Thailand) Co., Ltd. In this regard, this is to develop
the Company to the fullest, ensuring that it becomes a complete Digital Retail in Thailand which resonates
with multi-faceted needs of customers, from the beginning through to the end.

Annual Report 2021 (Form 56-1 One-Report) 217