Central Retail’s e-grocery launches subscription services

The company offers free standard express deliveries at less than $3 a month.

Central Retail’s online supermarket Tops Online has launched a monthly subscription program for unlimited deliveries in 45 provinces in Thailand, the company said in a press release.

The “Tops Prime” program, which the company described as the first subscription service on a grocery platform in Thailand, offers standard and 1-hour express deliveries when spending $2.95 (THB100) at $2.92 (THB99) a month. Subscribers will also be eligible for member benefits.

The new service is aimed to offer customers more convenience and flexibility by offering subscribers with free unlimited delivery service, the company said.

In a customer survey, Tops Online found that customers who buy from any given platform more than three times and enjoyed the experience are likely to continue using that platform. But some customers are worried about delivery fees, so they limit their purchases and look for platforms that offer free delivery promotions first.

Central Food Retail’s e-commerce head Julien Tessonneau expects the e-commerce program to boost the frequency and repeat purchase on its platform from an average of 2-3 times per month to 5 times per month.