What's Changing in Thailand's Retail Landscape Right Now
Big C is transforming dramatically in 2026, and if you shop in Thailand, you need to know why. The company is opening 200 new Mini Big C stores in neighborhoods across the country, acquiring a major Vietnamese retailer for ฿22.5B, rolling out AI systems that are cutting operational costs by ฿150M annually, and closing select underperforming locations. Behind these moves is Thapanee Techajareonvikul, who took over as CEO in 2023 and recently became only the second woman to lead a major Thai conglomerate. This is the story of how she's reshaping one of Thailand's most powerful retail empires—and what it means for residents, shoppers, and investors.
The New Leadership and Business Strategy
Thailand's Berli Jucker Public Company Limited (BJC) formally transferred to the next generation in May 2025, with Thapanee Techajareonvikul, daughter of billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, now running the 140-year-old conglomerate. She took the helm as CEO and President in March 2023 with an MBA from Harvard and a degree in Economics from MIT—credentials that signal a technology-first approach to modernizing the business.
Thapanee inherited a company with ฿170.8B in net turnover and a sprawling portfolio that includes Big C Supercenter, packaging plants, industrial operations, and logistics. The TCC Group maintains a 75% ownership stake through various holdings, but BJC represents the family's retail and industrial backbone.
Her strategy is clear: expand internationally, modernize domestic operations, deploy cutting-edge technology, and close stores that aren't profitable. The early results show a CEO willing to make tough calls to boost efficiency and growth.
What's Happening Right Now: 200 Mini Stores, Vietnam Acquisition, AI Savings
For residents shopping in Thailand, the most visible change will be the rollout of 200 Big C Mini stores in 2025-2026. These smaller format stores are designed for neighborhoods and provincial towns where traditional Big C hypermarkets don't fit. If you live outside Bangkok or in a secondary city, expect these convenience-sized outlets to bring Big C closer to home.
On the Vietnam front, BJC closed a ฿22.5B acquisition in May 2026 to buy MM Mega Market Vietnam, a 30-branch wholesale operator. For Thai shoppers, this matters because it could mean better product diversity and potentially lower prices down the line. Here's why: wholesalers like MM Mega Market source directly from manufacturers and suppliers across Asia. By integrating Vietnam's operations into BJC's supply chain, the company can optimize sourcing and logistics—meaning Thai Big C stores may eventually stock products at better prices and offer items sourced through Vietnam's distribution network.
Behind the scenes, AI is reshaping operations. BJC deployed AI-controlled temperature systems in its furnaces and manufacturing facilities, optimizing energy use in real-time. The result: annual cost savings exceeding ฿150M by 2026. While this sounds technical, it translates to lower operational costs, which can eventually reduce prices or fund store improvements that benefit customers.
Store Expansion and Closures: What You Need to Know
Beyond the 200 Mini stores, BJC is adding 7 new big-format stores in 2025—2 hypermarkets and 5 supermarkets—while also expanding Pure Pharmacy with 9 new locations, Asia Books to 15 branches, and Wawee Coffee with 5 cafes.
However, this isn't purely expansion. In 2026, BJC plans to close 9 hypermarket stores and 26 Mini Big C stores to focus on profitability and capital efficiency. The company is also undertaking 17 full store renovations and 9 "right-sizing renovations"—adjustments to store layouts and product assortments to better match local demand. If you shop regularly at a Big C location, especially a Mini store, it's worth checking the company's website or calling ahead to confirm your store isn't among those scheduled for closure.
The strategy reflects Thapanee's focus on capital efficiency over pure growth—a shift from past expansion patterns. Not every location performs, and closing underperforming stores allows the company to redeploy capital to more profitable ventures.
International Expansion: Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Beyond
BJC isn't stopping at Vietnam. The company plans to open 24 Big C stores in Hong Kong and 3 Big C Mini stores in Cambodia in 2025, with exploratory discussions underway for entry into China and India. These are significantly larger markets with more competition, signaling that Thapanee is thinking regionally and globally, not just locally.
For expatriates and foreign investors in Thailand, this regional positioning matters. It suggests management confidence in the retail and industrial outlook for Southeast Asia and signals that BJC is positioning itself as a regional player, not just a Thai retailer.
Logistics and Healthcare: A New Partnership
In January 2026, BJC Logistics partnered with DHL Supply Chain (Thailand) in a joint venture to modernize the group's logistics operations. The partnership focuses on the healthcare market, combining BJC Healthcare's extensive distribution network with DHL's expertise in warehouse automation and real-time tracking.
For residents, this could mean tangible improvements: better availability of medical supplies in provincial areas, faster delivery of pharmaceuticals, and more reliable stock at healthcare retailers. Provinces have long struggled with inconsistent availability of certain medicines and health products; this partnership aims to address that through better warehousing and tracking systems.
Store Renovations and Sustainability Moves
The company plans solar rooftop installations and distribution center relocations expected to reduce selling and administrative costs (what the company calls "SG&A expenses") by 10-20 basis points. While this sounds minor, it signals a commitment to sustainability and long-term cost control as energy prices remain volatile—benefits that could eventually translate to stable or lower prices for shoppers.
Financial Outlook and What It Signals
BJC projects net profit to reach ฿5.089B in 2025, with net turnover climbing from ฿170.8B in 2024 to ฿194.3B by 2027. These numbers signal management confidence in the business strategy. When a company invests aggressively in new stores, technology, and international expansion while simultaneously cutting costs, it's betting on both near-term profitability and long-term growth. Early returns suggest the strategy is working.
A Rare Female CEO in Thailand's Business Elite
In May 2026, Thapanee was named to "The Fortune Most Powerful Women Asia 2025" for the second consecutive year—recognition that underscores her growing regional influence. Female CEOs leading major Thai conglomerates, particularly in retail and industrial sectors, remain rare. Her success or failure carries weight beyond BJC; she's a test case for whether the next generation of Thai family business leaders can blend global education, technological fluency, and respect for legacy into a coherent strategy.
The pressure is considerable. She leads both a family legacy and a publicly traded company with thousands of shareholders and employees. However, her moves so far—aggressive investment in modernization, willingness to close underperforming stores, and focus on AI and logistics—suggest a CEO comfortable making difficult decisions in service of long-term strategy.
The Road Ahead for Shoppers and Investors
The Big C you know is evolving. Expect more neighborhood-level Mini stores, potential price improvements as supply chains optimize, better healthcare product availability thanks to improved logistics, and possible changes to the hypermarket landscape as the company closes underperforming locations.
For residents and investors watching Thailand's retail sector, Thapanee's tenure will be telling. The company exits its current five-year strategic cycle in 2026 and will begin planning the next phase. Whether her bets on AI, Vietnam, and store rationalization pay off will become clear in the next 12-24 months. So far, the early returns are promising.
