Big C
 |
|
| Public | |
| Traded as | : BIGC |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Bangkok, Thailand |
|
Area served
|
Thailand, Vietnam, Laos |
|
Key people
|
Mr. Akani Thapthimthong, Chairman Mr. Robert James Cissell, CEO |
| Products | Discount Stores, Grocery Stores, Hypermarkets |
| Revenue |
 118,177 million baht (FY2013) |
|
6,976 million baht (FY2013) |
|
|
Number of employees
|
27,000 |
| Parent | TCC Group |
| Website |
bigc.co.th TH bigc.vn VN |
Big C, or Big C Supercenter (Thai: บิ๊กซี ซูเปอร์เซ็นเตอร์), is a grocery and general merchandising retailer headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. Big C is now (2016) Thailand's second-largest hypermarket operator after Tesco Lotus's Thai unit. It has operations in three countries, namely Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Big C and its subsidiaries operated 697 stores in Thailand as of September 2015. The company posted a net profit of US$38 million for the third quarter ending in September 2015, down 14.5 percent over the same period last year.
The company was founded by Central Group in 1993 and the first Big C opened on Chaengwattana Road in Bangkok in 1994. It was first listed on the in 1995.
Central Group opened the Central Superstore at the Wong Sawang intersection in 1993 as a Central Department Store subsidiary. It began selling groceries from Central Supermarket and private label clothing from Central Department Store and Central Trading, under the self-service store concept. The Big C brand was first launched on 15 January 1994, the name being an abbreviation of "Big Central". The first Big C store was opened on Chaengwattana Road in Bangkok.
Save One Rangsit was changed to the Big C Supercenter in 1995, and was the chain's first store outside Bangkok. The same year, Central Superstore Company Limited changed its name to Big C Supercenter Public Company Limited, and was listed on the (SET) (: BIGC) with S.K. Garment PLC holding a majority stake.
Big C launched the single floor store concept at Bangphlee in 1996, integrating a super center 12,000 m2 floor space and a layout and decor to facilitate shopping. The efficient design contributed to lower operating costs.
After the Asian financial crisis of 1997, Big C Supercenter PCL formed a business alliance with France-based Groupe Casino, known for its Géant stores. Groupe Casino bought 530 million shares of a capital increase in 1999, making them the largest shareholder after the company's recapitalization. After securing the controlling stake in Big C, Groupe Casino sold Big C's garment business in order to concentrate only on retail activity to strengthen the efficiency of the operation.
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Wikipedia