The Secret Behind CP AXTRA’s Transformation: Insights from 2 Leaders on Their Retail Tech Journey

What is the secret behind CP AXTRA’s transformation into a retail tech innovator? At the Techsauce Global Summit 2025, two of its leaders shared how the company is redefining the retail experience through people, culture, and technology – with Makro PRO standing as Thailand’s #1 grocery e-commerce platform and a showcase of this journey.

The discussion begins with Mr. Tanit Chearavanont, Group Chief Wholesale Business Officer of CP AXTRA , who spoke on the topic, “The Next Chapter of Retail: Redefining the Experience with Technology,” offering a business-focused view on creating the retail experience of the future.

This is followed by a deep dive into implementation with Mr. Tirayu Songwetkasem, Chief Digital Officer of CP AXTRA, who presented on “E-Commerce Reimagined: The Road to an AI-Enabled Shopper Experience,” revealing the path to building a tech team and using AI to fuel sales growth.

Insights from Tanit Chearavanont: Lessons from Transformation

For Mr. Tanit, the Thai retail industry is at a crossroads. In today’s rapidly evolving environment, being just “a store where people buy things” is no longer a viable strategy. Success now depends on creating seamless experiences that connect the online and offline worlds to deliver real value to customers.

He highlighted how Makro and Lotus’s have accelerated their digital transformation and expanded their reach across the country. This scale, combined with a deep understanding of customer needs, has allowed CP AXTRA to build new kinds of experiences, with Makro PRO as a flagship example.

Tanit outlined three principles at the heart of this transformation:

• Convenience: Making life easier for customers.
• Personalization: Creating experiences that feel tailored.
• Human Touch: Ensuring technology enhances, not replaces, care.

From Relying on Outsourced Experts to Building an In-House Team

He also shared how CP AXTRA decided to move away from relying solely on external experts and instead invested in building its own in-house technology capabilities, allowing them to innovate faster, keep pace with global changes, and better meet customer needs.

The first major milestone was the launch of the Makro PRO loyalty system in 2022, developed entirely by CP AXTRA’s internal team.

This internal team also took over troubleshooting and development, speeding everything up significantly. As a result, some branches can now handle over 1,000 delivery orders per day.

Using AI to Help Customers Find Exactly What They Need

When it comes to AI, Mr. Tanit offers a simple example: the in-app product search function. The easier it is for customers to find what they're looking for, the more likely they are to make a purchase.

The company developed two types of AI: one that learns customer behavior to predict their needs, and another that improves the ease and accuracy of searching in the Thai language. By embedding AI into everyday interactions, search accuracy increased by 25% and the average purchase value per transaction rose by 33%, showing how technology – powered by people – delivers measurable results.

Mr. Tanit stresses that no matter how good the technology is, it's useless if the people using it don't truly understand the problem. He once sent his development team to drive delivery trucks themselves so they could experience the on-the-ground challenges and come back to make meaningful improvements.

As a leader, Mr. Tanit believes his role is to set the direction and steer the company forward.

“We used to say that the big fish eats the small fish. Today, the fast fish eats all the fish.” This quote reflects his view that in the modern business world, speed is the ultimate winner.

Mr. Tanit concludes that the next chapter of retail is not driven by platforms or technology alone. What's more important are the “people” who dare to embrace new perspectives and create possibilities that never existed before. Technology is merely the tool that helps bring those ideas to life.

Insights from Tirayu Songwetkasem: The Path to Digital Leadership

Mr. Tirayu Songwetkasem, Chief Digital Officer of CP AXTRA, provided the operational perspective on how the company built the foundations of a digital-first enterprise.

When people think of ‘Makro’ or ‘Lotus's,’ many still picture large hypermarkets that require a drive to get to. But in just a few years, that image has completely changed.

Mr. Tirayu recounted that back in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for online ordering skyrocketed, but Makro wasn't ready. That was the turning point. Leadership committed fully to an omni-channel strategy and began building a technology team from the ground up.

From just 30 IT staff maintaining basic systems, CP AXTRA now has an in-house technology team of over 1,000 people developing and managing software independently. This allowed the company to take ownership of its future, with Makro PRO developed 100% in-house as a showcase of what CP AXTRA can achieve. Today, the Makro PRO platform has successfully risen to become Thailand's #1 grocery e-commerce leader.

Building New “People” and a New “Culture”

Cultural change was just as important as technological investment. CP AXTRA shifted from traditional annual planning to an Agile way of working, emphasizing speed, flexibility, and constant improvement. This mindset enabled the company to accelerate innovation and deliver a retail platform that can compete with global players.

Looking ahead, Tirayu believes AI is a powerful tool, but only when combined with human expertise. “AI is changing the game.” Working with AI will become an essential skill for the future, and organizations that can adapt well will gain a competitive edge and move forward with confidence.

CP AXTRA’s Transformation: Technology with People at the Core

Together, the perspectives of Tanit and Tirayu show that CP AXTRA’s transformation is about more than technology. It is about building the right culture, empowering people, and moving with speed.

Makro Pro may be the most visible example of success, but the broader story is CP AXTRA’s ability to continually adapt, innovate, and set new standards for the retail experience.

As Tanit concluded, the team never stops looking for areas to improve. Their next goal is to deliver a simple, convenient, and reliable experience to create truly seamless shopping for customers.

As for AI, Mr. Tirayu sees it as a tool. Success doesn't depend on using AI alone; what's more important is combining AI with the team's expertise to create a real competitive advantage.