Co-founded by the then-parent of U.S.-based Tops Markets LLC, the chain is operated under the name Tops Supermarket in Thailand by Central Food Retail, a subsidiary of Central Retail Corporation.

The company was established as CRC Ahold Co., Ltd. in 1996 by integration of Robinson Department Store and Central Group supermarket business and formed a joint venture with Royal Ahold Co., Ltd., a Netherlands-based supermarket operator, owning a 49 percent stake.

[1] In 2004, Ahold sold its stake to Central as part of the Dutch company's withdrawal from Asia.

[6] In 2004, Central converted 20 former Food Lion locations to Tops after their parent, Delhaize Group, closed its Thailand supermarket operations.

[7][8] In 2023, Central's franchise agreement with Japan's convenience store chain FamilyMart ended, and its roughly 200 FamilyMart stores in Thailand were to be converted to the Tops Daily brand.