SET-listed COL Plc, the book, stationery and office supply company under Central Group, on Thursday opened its new smart warehouse worth some 1 billion baht in Chachoengsao province.
The move aims to capitalise on the government's flagship Eastern Economic Corridor.
Worawoot Ounjai, the company's chief executive, said the new smart warehouse covers over 45 rai, with a functional area of more than 30 rai or 50,000 square metres.
The warehouse applies smart technologies to manage its inventory and delivery facilities, providing accurate, fast and efficient services in line with international standards.
"We aim to become a leader in B2B [business-to-business] e-commerce offering convenience to all client levels via an omni-channel strategy," said Mr Worawoot.
The company plans to launch a B2B marketplace later this year to allow clients better access to small enterprises.
This platform will offer more sales opportunities and the chance to grow in parallel with the company's OfficeMate stores.
Wilawan Rerkriengkrai, president of OfficeMate at COL, said the company set a growth target of 15% a year over the next five years, starting from 2019.
Following its business plan based on the concept of "Go Further, Go Faster", OfficeMate is helping to move forward Central Group's strategy of becoming a leading digital lifestyle platform.
From 2014 to 2018, OfficeMate reported continuous growth averaging 9% per year.
In 2018, online sales surged by 23%, representing a quarter of total sales.
The buoyant growth was driven by the development of an online platform whose functions met the shopping lifestyles of B2B customers, she said.
Ms Wilawan said OfficeMate "Chat & Shop" or shopping via Line: @OfficeMate also boosted online sales, acting like a personal assistant to entrepreneurs and aiding in the purchasing of units for enterprises.
In addition, OfficeMate focused on e-ordering with @Store, which accounted for 12% of total store sales.
In this digital era, OfficeMate found customers prefer an omni-channel shopping experience, with 21% of consumers purchasing products through more than one channel, accounting for half of total sales.
