<article>Thailand’s <a style="color: #000080;" href="http://www.centralgroup.com/">Central Group</a> may not join the bidding for<a style="color: #000080;" href="http://www.bigc.vn/"> Big C Vietnam unit </a>from <a style="color: #000080;" href="http://www.groupe-casino.fr/en/">Casino Group</a> if the acquisition process is too complicated.</article>

Thailand’s <a style="color: #000080;" href="http://www.centralgroup.com/">Central Group</a> may not join the bidding for<a style="color: #000080;" href="http://www.bigc.vn/"> Big C Vietnam unit </a>from <a style="color: #000080;" href="http://www.groupe-casino.fr/en/">Casino Group</a> if the acquisition process is too complicated.
“We are considering but we have not made a decision yet. I heard that many companies are also interested in joining the bidding on March 10. However, the only reason that makes us not join the bidding is because Vietnam&#8217;s process is more complicated than Thailand&#8217;s,” Central’s chief executive Tos Chirathivat told the media.
The value of Vietnam unit’s assets is estimated to be worth around 20 billion baht ($563.38 million), he said.
“If we finally decide not to go for this deal, it will not affect our business as we already generate around $600 million in sales revenue in Vietnam. But in case that we are able to win the bidding, Big C will double our sales in Vietnam,” he said.
Meanwhile, he insists that he has no policy to sell its 25 per cent stake in Big C Thai unit after Berli Jucker, a subsidiary of TCC Holding, acquired 58.6 per cent from French retail giant Groupe Casino for 3.1 billion euro last month.
“We have not discussed anything yet. However, we [Central Group] have been the founder of Big C in Thailand since 20 years ago until the asset’s value has risen to 200 billion baht at present. Big C is still a good potential business although its growth is not so steep as before,” he told the media.
He said, Central Group targets total revenue of 337.04 billion this year, 18.9 per cent up from 283.45 billion baht in 2015.
In Thailand, it will continue the investment in department stores, condominium projects, hotels and new special stores.
For overseas, it will invest in the expansion of its retail and hotel networks in eight destinations in the West, which are Italy, Germany, Denmark, Turkey, Qatar, Oman, Ethiopia and Cuba, and nine the East, comprising Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
He said Central Group targeted revenue from its international retail business of 51 billion baht this year, increasing from 30 billion baht last year and representing about 40 per cent of the total revenue of Central Department Store Group. It targets to boost that figure to 100 billion baht by 2020.
Also read:
<a style="color: #ff0000;" title="French Casino Group to dispose off its Big C supermarket chain in Vietnam" href="http://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/french-casino-group-to-dispose-off-its-big-c-supermarket-chain-in-vietnam-24093/" rel="bookmark">French Casino Group to dispose off its Big C supermarket chain in Vietnam</a>
<a style="color: #ff0000;" title="France’s Casino Group to sell Thai hypermarket operator Big C to TCC Group for $3.5b" href="http://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/frances-casino-group-to-sell-big-c-stake-to-thai-tcc-group-29982/" rel="bookmark">France’s Casino Group to sell Thai hypermarket operator Big C to TCC Group for $3.5b</a>
<a style="color: #ff0000;" title="Thailand’s Berli Jucker seeks $6.2b loan for Big C acquisition; shares drop" href="http://www.dealstreetasia.com/stories/thai-bjc-to-seek-6-2-bln-loan-for-big-c-purchase-shares-drop-30569/" rel="bookmark">Thailand’s Berli Jucker seeks $6.2b loan for Big C acquisition; shares drop</a>
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Thailand’s Central Group may not join the bidding for Big C Vietnam unit from Casino Group if an acquisition process is too complicated. 

Thailand's Central Group dithers on joining Big C Vietnam unit bidding

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Thailand's Central Group dithers on joining Big C Vietnam unit bidding

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