CP AXTRA triumphs at Retail Asia Awards 2025 with three wins

It was honoured for improvements to its shopping platform, "Platform of Opportunity," and Disney-themed customer experience.

CP AXTRA Public Company Limited, the powerhouse behind Makro and Lotus’s, has swept the Retail Asia Awards 2025 with three prestigious accolades: E-Commerce Initiative of the Year - Thailand, ESG Initiative of the Year - Thailand, and In-store Customer Experience of the Year - Thailand.

Revamped Makro PRO

For its transformation of the Makro PRO shopping platform, the company introduced vector search powered by large language models (LLMs) to better understand the intent and context of user queries.

Implementing AI/ML-based systems will provide more accurate search results and personalised recommendations, increasing user satisfaction, engagement, and sales on the platform.

The platform’s new multi-list search functionality allows users to input entire shopping lists and receive real-time category product results, whilst its revamped search user interface features monetised content zones like “Popular Brands” and “Trending Now.” The latter is projected to generate millions of Thai baht (THB) annually.

Another key improvement is the phonetic autocorrect feature, which uses an NLP model to correct incorrect Thai queries, using natural language processing to correct misspelled terms and improve search success. The FR single-item barcode scan feature meanwhile enables the scanning of barcodes within a pack size, making product identification easier and more precise.

Lastly, suppliers can better position their products on the platform by bidding on key terms on the search ads carousel.

All these enhancements on Makro PRO had culminated in a significant commercial impact, as the revamped search function drove 64% of total basket additions in February 2025.

Empowering Thailand’s farmers and SMEs

Honoured in the ESG Initiative of the Year - Thailand category, CP AXTRA’s “Platform of Opportunity” is designed to support local farmers and SMEs.

Structured around four key pillars, the platform empowers over 2,947 farmers and SMEs in various ways.

“Platform of Opportunity” removed intermediaries and connected local producers directly with Makro and Lotus’s buyers. The “Chef’s Club by Makro,” on the other hand, serves as an online knowledge-sharing platform for over 177,000 restaurant owners and chefs, so they can access business insights and product solutions from a vibrant professional community.

Additionally, business matching events are held quarterly at Makro and Lotus’s stores. These offer support for SMEs and local producers to learn more about product quality standards and evolving customer demands.

The economic results are just as compelling as the social ones. In 2024, participating SMEs and farmers earned over THB42m, a 12% year-on-year increase. CP AXTRA’s model demonstrates that a retail giant can be both a business enabler and a community builder, setting a new ESG standard for the region.

“This is a part of CP AXTRA’s long-term commitment to support 400,000 jobs by 2030 and further boost community income for sustainable growth and development,” CP AXTRA added.

Creating magic in-store

Makro, operated by CP AXTRA, has won In-store Customer Experience of the Year - Thailand, proving the company knows how to captivate customers in the aisles.

As part of Southeast Asia’s first-ever Disney Fresh Food Campaign, Makro launched a dazzling in-store activation that paired Disney’s Mulan characters with Chinese New Year themes. The campaign ran from 8 to 22 January 2025.

By combining the magic of Disney characters with the celebration of Chinese New Year, Makro created an immersive and exciting experience that not only encouraged their customers to explore healthier options but also made shopping for fresh food a memorable event.

Highlights included immersive visual merchandising with Mulan-themed décor, interactive signage, and festive taglines like “Dragon Fruit, Dragon Power” and “Peel Away the Past, Embrace the Future.” There are also photo backdrop displays and social sharing incentives, encouraging shoppers to engage and amplify the campaign, along with promotional giveaways such as Mulan-themed Ang Pao envelopes.

The campaign yielded exceptional results: a 12% increase in fresh food sales and a 23% increase in store traffic across 10 participating Makro locations. More importantly, it introduced a new template for experiential grocery retail—one where education, entertainment, and health promotion coexist seamlessly.

By integrating cutting-edge AI, social empowerment, and imaginative in-store engagement, CP AXTRA is reshaping what retail looks like in Thailand. Its accolades at the Retail Asia Awards shows the impact of balancing profit with purpose, innovation, and impact.

The Retail Asia Awards honours the achievements and innovations of the key players in the retail industry in Asia. The annual event also serves as a showcase of the diverse range of categories in various aspects of the sector.

The Retail Asia Awards is presented by Retail Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's exceptional products or initiatives in the Retail industry, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].