Central Group Wins Three Prestigious Awards at the 2025 IGDS World Department Store Awards in Seoul

Central Group’s delegation, led by Ms Yuwadee (7th from left), joined senior executives to attend the IGDS World Department Store Awards 2025 in Seoul, South Korea, where the group secured three prestigious accolades. This landmark achievement underscores Central Group’s continued investment in innovation, exceptional service, and cross-border retail excellence across its luxury department stores in three countries. The awards sit at the pinnacle of the global department store industry, reflecting the rigorous standards of the IGDS World Department Store Summit (WDSS) and its esteemed judging panel drawn from leading international organizations. The recognition highlights not just individual stores, but the collective strength of Central Group’s teams across regions, and their ability to drive the business forward through creativity, technology, and an unswerving focus on customer needs. The event in Seoul brought together a convergence of thinkers, retailers, and innovators who shape the future of department store retail on a global stage, making the Central Group win a notable milestone in its ongoing regional and international expansion.

IGDS WDSS 2025: A Global Stage for Innovation and Service Excellence

The IGDS World Department Store Summit (WDSS) stands as the most esteemed gathering within the global department store sector. Co-hosted by the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores and Lotte Department Store of South Korea, the WDSS brings together leaders and practitioners from around the world to share insights, benchmark performance, and celebrate excellence across a spectrum of categories. The awards presented at WDSS are not merely ceremonial honors; they are a reflection of sustained performance, innovative execution, and exemplary service that redefine what customers expect from luxury and premium retail spaces. A featured aspect of WDSS is its judging framework, which assembles a distinguished panel of experts from prominent international organizations. These judges assess nominees based on several pillars including innovation, customer experience, merchandising excellence, operational efficiency, and strategy alignment with evolving consumer behaviors.

Within this high-caliber context, Central Group distinguished itself by lifting its luxury department stores across different markets to a shared standard of excellence. The three stores recognized—Central Chidlom in Thailand, Selfridges in the United Kingdom, and Brown Thomas in Ireland—each represented a different market with distinct consumer dynamics, yet all demonstrated outstanding performance in innovation and service excellence. The presentation of these awards during WDSS underscored Central Group’s capability to translate a cohesive regional strategy into locally resonant experiences that meet global benchmarks. The recognition also reinforced the value of collaboration among Central Group’s leadership, regional teams, and store associates who implement the group’s standards at scale while respecting local consumer preferences and cultural nuances. As a result, this year’s WDSS honors served as a clear signal of Central Group’s strategic focus on blending advanced technologies, experiential retail concepts, and superior human service to create meaningful, lasting connections with customers across continents.

This year’s award outcomes highlighted how a single multi-market organization can harmonize disparate retail ecosystems into a unified narrative of innovation and service. The global platform provided by WDSS not only validates exceptional work already underway in each market but also inspires cross-pollination of ideas. The three Central Group stores recognized at WDSS 2025 collectively embody a shared philosophy: to push the envelope on what a department store can be in the age of digital transformation, while maintaining the warmth, attentiveness, and personalized service that today’s luxury shoppers demand. The awards emphasize that leadership in modern retail is not solely about scale; it is about the ability to anticipate emerging trends, invest in people, and execute with consistency across borders.

Central Chidlom: A Pioneer in Global Store Innovation

Central Chidlom, the flagship department store in Thailand, earned a top distinction as the “most innovative in the world” for its ability to integrate innovation, technology, and experiential retail into the everyday lives of modern consumers. This accolade signals a transformative approach that transcends traditional merchandising by weaving advanced technology with immersive experiences that resonate with contemporary lifestyles. The store’s strategic emphasis on experiential retail likely encompasses a carefully curated blend of digital touchpoints, immersive showroom environments, and seamless omnichannel interfaces that bridge online and offline shopping. By embedding technology into the fabric of the store experience, Central Chidlom has positioned itself as a test bed for how luxury retail can engage customers more deeply, personalize interactions, and streamline the path from inspiration to purchase.

In practical terms, the designation of Central Chidlom as globally innovative suggests a portfolio of initiatives that could include advanced data analytics to tailor product assortments, interactive displays that provide real-time information, and digital tools that heighten discovery and discovery-to-purchase conversion. These elements, when harmonized with the store’s timeless sense of hospitality and service, deliver an experience that feels forward-looking yet inherently human. The Thai market, with its dynamic consumer demographics, benefits particularly from a store that can translate global innovation into localized relevance. Central Chidlom’s achievement emphasizes the importance of balancing cutting-edge digital capabilities with the emotional resonance of customer care—an approach that aligns with the broader vision of Central Group to elevate premium retail experiences across its portfolio. The award also serves as an external validation of the store’s leadership in cultivating an environment where innovation is not a novelty but a strategic driver of customer value and loyalty.

This recognition also positions Central Chidlom as a benchmark for other luxury and premium department stores in the region seeking to fuse technology with tangible customer benefits. The emphasis on experiential retail—where customers engage with products, services, and brand narratives in memorable ways—supports a broader trend in the sector toward more immersive and personalized shopping journeys. In a market that continually pushes for new and better experiences, Central Chidlom’s achievement exemplifies how a storied department store can reinvent itself through purposeful innovation while preserving the core attributes that customers expect: reliability, attentiveness, and a sense of adventure as they explore fashion, home, beauty, and lifestyle offerings. The global recognition thus reinforces Thailand’s standing in the international luxury retail landscape and highlights the importance of continuous reinvention as a pathway to sustained competitive advantage.

Selfridges London: A Longstanding Leader in Technology-Integrated Luxury

Selfridges in London was acknowledged as a finalist in the same innovative category, reaffirming its reputation as one of the world’s most forward-thinking department stores. The store’s ongoing achievement—being recognized in this category for five consecutive years—speaks to a disciplined, long-term commitment to blending technology, fashion, art, and sustainability into a cohesive retail experience. Selfridges’ approach to innovation appears to be holistic, weaving digital capabilities with creative collaborations, curated aesthetic expressions, and responsible practices that appeal to a broad, global audience while maintaining a distinctly British sensibility.

At the heart of Selfridges’ strategy is a belief in technology as an enabler of elevated experiences rather than a replacement for human connection. Digital innovations may include immersive product displays, interactive digital storytelling, and data-driven personalization that enhances shopper journeys without compromising the warmth of human service. The store’s fusion of fashion, art, and sustainability signals a triad of priorities that are increasingly influential in luxury and premium retail: cutting-edge product curation, culturally rich experiences, and a genuine commitment to environmental and social responsibility. The WDSS recognition reflects Selfridges’ ability to maintain relevance in a rapidly evolving retail environment while continuing to push boundaries in how customers discover, engage with, and purchase luxury goods.

The five-year recognition streak underscores the store’s resilience and adaptive capacity in the face of shifting consumer expectations, particularly as digital channels become more integral to high-end shopping. Selfridges’ sustained leadership also demonstrates the importance of consistency in delivering high-value experiences, even as new technologies and brand partnerships emerge. For Central Group, the parallel in thinking across markets illustrates that global success is achievable when retailers invest in comparable frameworks for innovation and guest service—frameworks that can be localized to reflect local tastes, sensibilities, and cultural contexts while maintaining a shared standard of excellence. The WDSS accolade thus serves as both a celebration of Selfridges’ past and a signal of ongoing momentum as the store continues to experiment with new forms of storytelling, product presentation, and customer engagement that set benchmarks for the entire industry.

Brown Thomas Dublin: World’s Best Sales Associate Award and Service Excellence

Brown Thomas in Dublin is home to a remarkable staff achievement that adds a deeply human dimension to Central Group’s recognition at WDSS. Michelle Curtin, head of personal shopping, was awarded the “world’s best sales associate” for a department store, a title that underscores the enduring importance of people-centered service in luxury retail. Curtin’s distinction is attributed to her thoughtful, heartfelt service and her ability to translate a shopper’s needs into personalized recommendations, an approach that embodies service excellence as a core business capability. The award highlights the critical role of front-line professionals in shaping customer perceptions, building trust, and fostering lasting relationships that encourage repeat visits and sustained loyalty.

Curtin’s leadership style and customer-centric approach exemplify how personal interaction remains central even in highly digitized retail environments. In a retail ecosystem where technology can enhance efficiency and discovery, the human touch—characterized by empathy, active listening, and tailored guidance—continues to differentiate top-tier stores. Brown Thomas Dublin’s recognition through Curtin’s award indicates a broader organizational emphasis on empowering staff with the training, autonomy, and resources necessary to deliver superior service. It also reflects the store’s commitment to cultivating a culture where associates are not only salespeople but advisors who can anticipate needs, interpret subtle preferences, and create meaningful shopping moments.

The award also resonates with Central Group’s overarching strategy of aligning its global stores around a shared standard of service excellence. Recognizing a sales associate of Curtin’s calibre reinforces the message that outstanding customer care is a universal credential across markets, not a regional nuance. It signals to customers across Ireland and beyond that quality service is a non-negotiable aspect of the retail experience, reinforcing trust and confidence in the Brown Thomas brand and its parent group. For the broader WDSS audience, Curtin’s accolade demonstrates how a department store can elevate its human capital as a differentiator in an industry where digital and experiential innovations are increasingly commonplace. The combination of world-class sales expertise and a commitment to heartfelt service sets a high bar for peers within the group and across the global retail landscape.

Leadership Perspective: Yuwadee Chirathivat on Team Strength and Customer-Centric Growth

The appointment of Yuwadee Chirathivat as executive director of Central Retail, under Central Group, provides important context for the WDSS recognitions. Chirathivat’s remarks emphasize the strategic value of the awards as a reflection of the collective strength of Central Group’s teams across different markets. She notes that these accolades illustrate how teams across countries drive the business forward through creativity, world-class standards, and a deep understanding of customer needs. This perspective highlights a core organizational philosophy: excellence is a product of collaboration, shared learning, and a relentless focus on delivering superior customer experiences across diverse markets.

Chirathivat’s comments also draw attention to the importance of cross-border collaboration within the group. By recognizing achievements from stores in Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, the WDSS awards celebrate a model of international cooperation that allows best practices to flow between markets. The leadership emphasis on creativity and customer-centricity resonates with a broader industry trend toward agile retail—where teams must rapidly adapt to evolving consumer preferences, integrate new technologies, and maintain high service standards even while scaling operations globally. The WDSS recognition thus becomes an external validation of Central Group’s strategic priorities and of the leadership’s ability to align local ambitions with regional and global objectives, reinforcing the message that quality, innovation, and service are universal values that transcend borders.

This leadership narrative further suggests that Central Group’s approach encompasses not only the deployment of advanced technologies and immersive experiences but also the cultivation of a workforce capable of delivering exceptional service at scale. The awards imply that the group’s training programs, talent development initiatives, and performance-management practices are aligned with the aspiration to be at the forefront of modern retail. In effect, the WDSS accolades provide a tangible demonstration of how a multi-market retailer can harmonize its corporate vision with local execution, ensuring that every store under the Central Group umbrella contributes to a cohesive brand promise grounded in creativity, excellence, and customer insight.

Broader Implications for Central Group and the Global Luxury Retail Landscape

The three WDSS awards for Central Group carry implications beyond the immediate recognition for three flagship stores. They signal a broader strategic trajectory for the group as it embraces high-impact innovation, superior service, and cross-market collaboration as central pillars of growth. For Central Group, these accolades bolster the brand’s credibility among discerning consumers and international partners, reinforcing the perception that its portfolio of luxury and premium retail properties aligns with the highest global standards. The awards also open avenues for deeper partnerships, joint ventures, and future collaborations with other leading department stores and luxury brands that value innovation, experiential retail, and customer-centric service.

From a market perspective, the WDSS recognitions contribute to a shifting narrative in the global luxury retail space. Shoppers increasingly expect shopping environments that combine digital sophistication with personalized attention, a balance of fashion-forward curation and sustainability commitments, and experiences that provoke curiosity and emotional engagement. Central Group’s success in the WDSS context demonstrates how a regional player can garner global recognition by maintaining a strong local footprint while investing in scalable programs, training, and processes that enable consistent excellence. The awards also underscore the importance of leadership that champions cross-border collaboration, shares best practices, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement across all markets.

For the stores involved—Central Chidlom, Selfridges, and Brown Thomas—the WDSS accolades are not endpoints but springboards. They provide leverage for further investments in technology, design, and service excellence, as well as opportunities to showcase new concepts, collaborations, and customer engagement formats on a global stage. The recognition may accelerate customer interest, drive traffic across channels, and contribute to stronger loyalty programs as shoppers respond to stores that demonstrate a clear commitment to innovation and service that transcends regional boundaries. In a retail landscape characterized by rapid change, the WDSS awards serve as a signal that strategic investments in people, technology, and brand storytelling continue to be essential for maintaining relevance, competitiveness, and growth across markets.

Conclusion

The IGDS WDSS 2025 awards in Seoul highlighted Central Group’s multi-market strength, with Central Chidlom (Thailand) named the world’s most innovative store, Selfridges (UK) recognized as a consistent pioneer in technology-driven experiences, fashion, art, and sustainability, and Brown Thomas (Ireland) celebrated for outstanding sales service led by Michelle Curtin as the world’s best sales associate. The event underscored the power of cross-border teamwork, customer-centric leadership, and the strategic integration of innovation and service across Central Group’s luxury department stores. As demonstrated by these recognitions, the group’s approach—merging advanced technology with immersive experiences and deeply attentive service—resonates across markets and aligns with the evolving expectations of today’s global shoppers. The ceremony and its outcomes reinforce Central Group’s ongoing commitment to elevating retail standards, fostering talent, and expanding its influence in the international luxury retail arena, while celebrating the dedicated teams that make such achievements possible. The awards mark both a proud moment for the group and a clear signal of its future trajectory: a continued investment in people, technology, and customer-centered storytelling that will shape the next era of premium department store retail.