FEMALE POWER
Central's Yuwadee among 50 top businesswomen in Asia
The Nation

Yuwadee Chirathivat is the only businesswoman from Thailand enlisted in Forbes Asia's 2013 list of 50 Top Businesswoman.

BANGKOK: -- Yuwadee, 59, president of Central Department Store, is recognised for her ability to have guided Central Department Store into Thailand's pole position and is steering the 65-year-old family firm into a growing role regionwide.

As shopping has become an ever escalating pursuit across Asia, but no place outclasses Thailand for the consummate megamall experience, most Thai companies have shied from expansion out of their comfort zones.

"But Yuwadee opened Central's first China stores in 2010 and last year embarked on an ambitious Southeast Asian strategy that will start with the opening

of a store in Indonesia in 2014. Thailand remains the Central focus, with new stores slated to open this year in southern Hat Yai and northern Chiang Mai," Forbes Asia said.

Despite a global recession that hit the retail industry, under Yuwadee Central sales expanded 19 per cent in 2012 to US$1.8 billion, while profits rose 13 per cent.

The 50 women are chosen for being particularly active - 'in the mix' - in their areas of business in spite of challenging economic headwinds. Amid a slowdown in China, a weak US recovery and concerns over Europe's currency union, most of these women produced higher profits, and those who didn't were repositioning for a business pickup. The women on the list were also selected based on their accomplishments in the latest year. The full list is available on www.forbes.com/asia-women as well as in the latest issue of Forbes Asia, available on newsstands now.

-- The Nation 2013-02-28

Looking good at 58!:

Looking good at 58!:

yuwadee-chirathivat.jpg

Indeed, let's hope P.M. Yingluck will look as good in 13 years time.

Looking good and wasting energy, by building more department stores to encourage more greed, so called trends, for things that cost money, that the majority of Thais don't have, for things that they don't need, to impress people that aren't really friends...

You can open up a thousands of more department stores to destroy Thailand in many years to come

They are outstanding. They stock 500 tennis rackets in a town with 5 tennis courts, sell male aerobics clothes where no men go to aerobics, but stock no decent golf clothing for men, when there are 9 golf courses.

More and more shopping malls, shopping, shopping until the doctors scream,

Build more and more shopping malls until Thailand cracks under the surface plus the traffic jams that occur, with more land being bought for those department stores.

Successful business woman at the cost of destroying Thailand...

Looking good and wasting energy, by building more department stores to encourage more greed, so called trends, for things that cost money, that the majority of Thais don't have, for things that they don't need, to impress people that aren't really friends...

You can open up a thousands of more department stores to destroy Thailand in many years to come:whistling:

Maybe Thai's don't but someone found US$1.8 billion!!!!

They are outstanding. They stock 500 tennis rackets in a town with 5 tennis courts, sell male aerobics clothes where no men go to aerobics, but stock no decent golf clothing for men, when there are 9 golf courses.

I'd say the US$1.8 billion in turnover with higher profits is pretty much outstanding - think you could do it???

They are outstanding. They stock 500 tennis rackets in a town with 5 tennis courts, sell male aerobics clothes where no men go to aerobics, but stock no decent golf clothing for men, when there are 9 golf courses.

Makes sense to me.

But she has monoply in Thailand, no real competition, and rents are crazy! especialy in Chiang Mai!

They are outstanding. They stock 500 tennis rackets in a town with 5 tennis courts, sell male aerobics clothes where no men go to aerobics, but stock no decent golf clothing for men, when there are 9 golf courses.

I'd say the US$1.8 billion in turnover with higher profits is pretty much outstanding - think you could do it???

Well with a law preventing foreign companies from entering makes it all a bit easier.

Central is ok at what it does, but is it an outstandingly well run and organized place. If the brand new one that opened up near us a few years ago is representative (which i know best), its, just ok. They don't know their market well enough up here at least.

In comparison with other big retailers in the region, it is average.

Edited February 28, 201313 yr by Thai at Heart

But she has monoply in Thailand, no real competition, and rents are crazy! especialy in Chiang Mai!

Thailand's monopoly for feudal high so Thai family clans, makes them rich and whitewashes all their crimes, even murder...

Edited February 28, 201313 yr by MaxLee

i would say, if my daddy was a billionaire, i probably would also be a successfull whatever right now ... not difficult when you are born with a golden spoon up ur axx

i would say, if my daddy was a billionaire, i probably would also be a successfull whatever right now ... not difficult when you are born with a golden spoon up ur axx

Ditto.... Money is the answer to all of High-So Thai's FACE SAVING VALUE...

The woman is a saint IMHO. She pays 1000s of Thais from poor downtrodden families to hang around in the lap of air conditioned luxury for hours, doing their make-up, or chatting with their friends on social media.

Thailand has a few divas of this nature. With many more to come I would bet.

Dont let it get you down lads there is more to life than a report on thaivisa showing someone is financially succesful. Step away feom the keyboard and enjoy life.

With apologies to Joni Mitchell,

"They paved paradise and put up a Central World"

What part of life do you lot NOT understand? Even if daddy's got millions you have still got to make a profit (life is not free and, as for "Thai law preventing foreign companies" total Bulls**t

Edited February 28, 201313 yr by BrianCR

Why all the negativity about this woman and Central Department Stores? It seems like the typical rants from those who have not been as successful in life against those who are successful. It is not like she made her fortune off the backs of the poor. People shopping at her stores can obviously afford to do so. Emerging markets of solid middle class who want things is a healthy development for these countries. Nothing is perfect in life but ragging on this woman and her company for being successful is just sour grapes and pitiful in my opinion.

i would say, if my daddy was a billionaire, i probably would also be a successfull whatever right now ... not difficult when you are born with a golden spoon up ur axx

You're dead wrong about that. This is about running a profitable business, which is actually very difficult to do.

Many who inherit money piss it away and run their family businesses into the ground or lose a lot of money and are told they must hand it over to the professionals before the family business is lost forever.

I'm sure she has plenty advisers, but it seems likely she's not completely clueless about running a profitable business.