CENTRAL CHIEF KEEPS FATHER'S VISION ALIVE

       Pursuing her late father's vision, Yuwadee Chirathivat, president of Central Department Store, has fully dedicated herself to the retail business founded by her family 62 years ago.
       "I love my father, Samrit, who is my idol. He always dedicated himself to his work and to the family business," said Yuwadee, 56, who is a member of the third generation of the Chirathivat family to run the business.
       Yuwadee described her father as a man with a vision. He was among the pioneers |of the Thai retail business, who first |bought products from abroad and sold |them to Thai customers. His first store, Central Chidlom Department Store, initially had two storeys, but was designed so that up to five additional stories could be added. He opened Central Lat Phrao, which was the first shopping complex outside Bangkok, soon after.
       Yuwadee said her father strived to improve his business every day. What mattered most to him, she said, was delivering satisfaction to customers. He worked on all
       details of the business, right down to the design of the shopping complexes.
       "All our staff have contributed to the success of Central Department Store. We have a good business foundation and the ability to develop and offer products that are unique," she said.
       Yuwadee is the third of Samrit and Vanida Chirathivat's eight children. Samrit started the first shop 60 years ago with her grandfather, selling magazines. Products advertised by foreigners in these publications prompted Chirathivat senior to establish a business that would soon grow into what is now Central, one of Thailand's biggest conglomerates and a leading retailer in Southeast Asia.
       Yuwadee received her tertiary education at Thammasat University and graduated in 1975 with an honour's degree in Liberal Arts, majoring in English literature. She received the Bhumibol Award from His Majesty the King for achieving the highest grade in her department, and went on to graduate with a master's of science in journalism, followed by an advertising degree from Northwestern University in the US state of Illinois in 1977.
       Her professional career began in New York, where she started as a trainee with the agency Ogilvy & Mather, and was soon taking on challenges as accounts director. She joined Central Department Store in 1981 as a floor manager and progressed to president in 1996. Presently, she manages 15 department stores. She was subsequently appointed executive vice president and a board member of Central Retail Corp.
       "Central Department Store's success is the result of various factors. These include good merchandising management, strong service operation, visual merchandising and marketing," she said.
       Yuwadee loves travelling around the world in search of inspiration and new retailing ideas. "I have travelled to more than 30 countries. I love to experience different cultures."
       As a family business, one of Central's strengths is continuity of operations, she said. "However, we run our retail business professionally. We never stop developing personnel who fit well within our culture."
       She added that it was time for Central Department Store to look abroad for new markets, as the Thai retail market has fewer opportunities right now.
       In April, Central plans to |open its first retail outlet in China, in the city of Hangzhou. The second is planned for Shenyang in 2011.
       Yuwadee said Central Depart-ment Store achieved 7-per-cent growth year on year in the third quarter. The company also expects more than 7-per-cent growth in the current quarter.
       "We target sales growth of 5 per cent to Bt27 billion for the full year," she said.