2025 is another year where the Thai construction and home goods industry faces pressures from all sides, including a still-slow economy, purchasing power that has yet to fully recover, rising transportation costs, and a housing market that is slowing in several segments. In this context, success does not belong to the players who "expand the fastest" but to the brands that understand consumers the deepest and translate that understanding into actionable strategies.

One clear case study is CRC Thai Watsadu, a subsidiary of Central Retail, which has maintained strong continuous growth for 15 years since opening its first branch in Bang Bua Thong in 2010. It has reinforced its role as the number one center for construction materials and home solutions, reaching consumers nationwide through its network of 89 Thai Watsadu (Red Format) branches and 19 Thai Watsadu x BNB Home (White Format) branches, along with online platforms. This has resulted in positive overall sales growth, while other businesses in the construction and home decoration industry have contracted in the past year. Thai Watsadu has earned the trust and confidence of contractors, homeowners, and operators nationwide, receiving significant awards such as the Thailand Top Company Award 2025 and Marketeer No.1 Brand Thailand 2025, while continuing to drive its strategy towards becoming the No.1 Omnichannel DIY Home Retailer and building on its new success in 2026.

“The Construction Industry in 2026” - The Market Slows, but Housing Demand Has Not Disappeared... It Has Just Changed Form

The overall picture of the Thai construction industry in 2026 reflects a stable trend at a value of 1.41 trillion baht. The residential real estate sector still faces challenges from rising construction costs and labor, as well as the aftermath of earthquakes and floods from the past year, leading the private sector to be more cautious in new investments. However, under this seemingly slowing picture, housing demand has not disappeared; rather, it has shifted consumer behavior from new construction to repairs, renovations, and extensions that align with modern lifestyles, including working from home, caring for the elderly, health, safety, and energy savings. This demand has made the retail construction materials business a crucial cog, especially for brands that can provide a comprehensive portfolio of products and services that meet repair and improvement needs. This is a key reason why CRC Thai Watsadu has effectively adapted and strategized based on four insights into consumer behavior.


Accessing and Understanding Customer Needs by Optimizing Store Space

From a deep understanding of consumer behavior changes post-COVID, which has led to a greater emphasis on convenience and one-stop shopping solutions, CRC Thai Watsadu has developed the Hybrid Store model or Thai Watsadu x BNB Home (White Format) by combining the strengths of both brands to meet customers' home needs in one location. This New Business Model was fully launched with the 'Thai Watsadu x BNB Home' at the Sri Saman branch in Nonthaburi in 2021, marking the first hybrid store in the Thai retail construction materials industry.

In addition to expanding new branches in every region, Thai Watsadu is also transforming existing branches into hybrid stores to meet customer needs in secondary cities with high economic growth potential in industries, agriculture, real estate, and tourism, which have increasingly dense populations. For example, the opening of 'Thai Watsadu x BNB Home Khon Kaen 2' in 2024 is a renovation of the BNB Home branch in Mittraphap, Khon Kaen. Furthermore, at the beginning of 2025, three existing Thai Watsadu branches in Phuket were renovated and relaunched as 'Thai Watsadu and BNB Home'.

In 2025, CRC Thai Watsadu opened two new branches: “Thai Watsadu Kalasin,” which is the 88th branch to meet the demand for construction and home decoration in the central northeastern region comprehensively, and “Thai Watsadu Nakhon Nayok,” the 89th branch in the country. Additionally, it has expanded into high-potential tourist cities by launching the first “Order & Pick Up Center” on Koh Samui, offering free delivery rounds to make it easier for island customers to access Thai Watsadu products as conveniently as shopping at branches in major cities.

For 2026, CRC Thai Watsadu plans to continue expanding both Thai Watsadu (Red Format) and Thai Watsadu x BNB Home (White Format) with five new branches, starting with the first branch of the new year in January at the modern trade “Thai Watsadu x BNB Home Rattanathibet,” which will be the 90th Thai Watsadu branch and the 20th BNB Home branch.

Accessing and Understanding Consumer Spending Value

Upon entering a Thai Watsadu or BNB Home store, consumers immediately experience products they can trust for their low prices. Thai Watsadu ensures price checks and manages sales to provide customers with value in every purchase, reflecting the ongoing pricing strategy that Thai Watsadu has prioritized. Behind this is the use of the Big Volume Order strategy to purchase products in bulk to keep costs low while maintaining product quality standards, complemented by regular monthly promotions. A key point is setting the same prices and promotions both online and in-store, which helps reduce the burden of price comparison and builds confidence in purchasing decisions. Additionally, combined with free delivery services, this meets the needs of contractors and operators who need to order materials in large quantities. Moreover, during various crises, Thai Watsadu has adjusted product prices downwards, with over 8,000 items recently reduced by up to 70% across all categories in December to alleviate the financial burden on Thai consumers nationwide.

All of this aligns with the DNA of the Thai Watsadu brand, which emphasizes “price and value” from sourcing products, sales, promotions, and services to provide the most valuable shopping experience for Thai Watsadu and BNB Home customers.

“Accessing – Understanding” Shopping Behavior Both Offline and Online Towards No.1 Omnichannel DIY Home Retailer

In an era where consumers, especially the DIY segment and new homeowners, place greater importance on convenience and speed in purchasing through digital channels, yet still seek assurance from real experiences, CRC Thai Watsadu sees opportunities and uses deep customer understanding as the core of its Omni-Seamless Experience strategy, connecting offline and online worlds into one under the Phygital Retail concept. Customers receive a consistent experience across all channels, including pricing, promotions, products, and after-sales services, whether purchasing through branches, websites, or applications, which aids decision-making and builds long-term confidence.

Thai Watsadu has also developed the Thai Watsadu application platform with specialized features for homeowners and contractors, such as online steel price checks, paint quantity calculations, and custom curtain design. Alongside the Quick Fulfillment service, customers can order online and pick up at branches or have items delivered to their homes, covering over 50,000 SKUs, with over 1 million members currently using the Thai Watsadu application.

This approach makes Omnichannel not just a sales channel but a core structure for sustainable growth, with Thai Watsadu aiming for online sales to reach 5% of total sales in 2026, reflecting its elevation to becoming the No.1 Omnichannel DIY Home Retailer that meets the needs of digital consumers 24/7.

“Accessing – Understanding” Lifestyles Towards Service Strategies That Truly Meet Consumer Lives and Passions

CRC Thai Watsadu's approach to reaching consumers goes beyond merely selling home products; it extends to understanding customers' real lives in every dimension, from living conditions to time spent and personal passions. One key mechanism reflecting this idea is vFIX, the number one home service from Thai Watsadu, which connects homeowners with professional teams for installation, repair, and home improvement tasks, catering to modern individuals who lack time or cannot manage handyman tasks themselves. With reliable work standards, transparent pricing, and verifiable quality, vFIX not only resolves home issues but also reinforces Thai Watsadu's role as a comprehensive and trustworthy solution provider.

From understanding customer lifestyle insights that are not limited to just “homes” but encompass personal passions, CRC Thai Watsadu has expanded its brand communication strategy into Sport Marketing and Entertainment to create deeper connections with customers beyond mere product transactions. This includes organizing the Thai boxing competition Fairtex Fight Thaiwatsadu Champions Tournament for three consecutive seasons to provide opportunities for young boxers to develop their potential on an international stage, along with supporting motorsport, where the Thai Watsadu racing team recently won the team championship in the “Pickup Turbo THA Team” category at the Idemitsu Super Turbo Thailand 2025 event.

Moreover, in the past year, Thai Watsadu has stepped outside traditional boundaries, aggressively communicating the brand through short dramas “Thai Watsadu The Series”, featuring micro-drama content that tells the stories of Thai Watsadu employees on important missions to win over customers while seamlessly integrating product and service highlights through engaging and easily understandable content that reaches customers of all generations nationwide, with six episodes released across Thai Watsadu's TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook channels.

Mr. Thanawat Jirangkhapath, CEO of CRC Thai Watsadu, a subsidiary of Central Retail, further stated that Thai Watsadu's success stems from understanding customer insights and changing behaviors to grasp true needs and accurately anticipate future demands. Listening to partner stakeholders and collaborating under the concept of “We Win Together” creates strong cooperation throughout the supply chain, as well as listening to employees to care for, develop, and enhance personnel capabilities as a crucial driving force of the organization, growing and succeeding together.

“The sustainable growth of Thai Watsadu is not measured solely by the speed of business expansion but by genuinely listening to and understanding the voices of customers, partners, and employees. These insights are the starting point for developing products, services, and experiences that truly meet usage needs. When an organization deeply understands its customers, strategic decisions become more accurate, enabling stable long-term business growth.”