Why do you think Costco, Apple and WalMart chose to not have a presence in Thailand

[watcharacters]

 

 

 

I've thought in the past it had to do with the generous return policy each company offers but maybe you have other ideas or information.

[mfd101]

Any number of possibilities but it's not hard to think of a few: Too hard to get started (corruption). Too hard to get staff (education & attitude). Too hard to train staff (education & attitude). Too hard to import trained staff & management (government & attitude). Poor infrastructure (transport, digital ...).

 

But come back in 20 years & they (or their successors) will be here.

[observer90210]

But you can purchase goodies from the web Apple Store (Thailand) and have it honestly delivered (hopefully)...at prices quite close to those in Europe.

 

However, some fellow posters here have had some delivery issues of items ordered through the Apple website.

 

And why would they need to have a corporate fiscal HQ in Thailand, if neighbouring countries give them better tax incentives? 

 

Let's not forget that Apple has undergone various summons from many european countries for dodging taxes through a smart screen of offshore corporate registrations.

 

Or does the OP mean no Apple Flagship Store ? Rumours say that the upcomming "Iconisiam mall complex" in Bangkok, will host one of the rare Apple flagship stores in SE Asia.  This would definately avoid any delivery issues for consumers.

[faraday]

There are Apple stores in Thailand.

 

[Here It Is]

1 minute ago, faraday said:

There are Apple stores in Thailand.

 

Where?

[observer90210]

9 minutes ago, Here It Is said:

Where?

Here, but they seem to be franchised stores and not the official stores with the efficient Apple style customer service, but I may be mistaken of course !

 

https://locate.apple.com/th/en/sales/?pt=all&lat=13.7522222&lon=100.4938889

 

 

[Neeranam]

Terrible customer service from Apple shops.

 

Please no Wal-Mart, we don't don't want fatties on motorized carts here.

[Here It Is]

27 minutes ago, Here It Is said:

Where?

16 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

Here, but they seem to be franchised stores and not the official stores with the efficient Apple style customer service, but I may be mistaken of course !

 

https://locate.apple.com/th/en/sales/?pt=all&lat=13.7522222&lon=100.4938889

Exactly, observer.  Apologies, I wasn't trying to make a monkey out of you.

 

They're all resellers and definitely wouldn't get the same level of service as you would in say the UK.  Check my post of 15 October.

 

On ‎10‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 9:44 PM, Here It Is said:

OT - two weeks ago my 27" Mac display panel died a death.  AppleCare expired last July and was therefore facing quite a hefty bill for repair.  Phoned Apple and booked an appointment at the local Genius Bar.  The bill comes in at £581. Ouch!!  Anyway, Apple repaired it for free.  What a darn fine service.

 

I missed the Mac while it was in for repair and been slumming it on a PC for the last fortnight.  Was I happy to get the Mac back yesterday.   

 

 

Edited November 15, 2017 by Here It Is

[Here It Is]

9 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Terrible customer service from Apple shops.

Please share your experience.

[NanLaew]

Costco and Walmart... old fashioned US-centric business models that rely on acres of air-conditioned shop floor and huge parking lots? Pretty sure that given time, some entrepreneurial Thai will come up with a smaller local derivative serving a niche market but the bulk-buying, discounted wholesale shopping experience is already being eclipsed in the US by online shopping alternatives like amazon. Online shopping is an area where Asian countries may already have a distinct lead with the likes of alibaba, lazada, shopee, etc.. There's dozens of other, smaller online markets, especially for clothes ad fashions such as zalora, pomelo, my sale, etc..

 

Apple? Since they don't have a huge main street or shopping mall presence in most places in the US, I think their US head-office with regional and local international sales and technical support is pretty much the same as Samsung and other similar products offer.

[tifino]

 

well, Costco (Aust) costs au$55 membership just to walk in their doors...

 

 

who local thai is going to fork out over equivalent in LOS, the thb1300 - just to see the other side of a door?

[Mooner]

Apple is here. Costco and Wallmat are not but Makro is.

Not sure anybody is missing out by them not being here

[Here It Is]

Just now, Mooner said:

Apple is here.

Let's get this straight once and for all.  Apple is most definitely not here, their products are.

[sanemax]

Why should they be here ?

[NanLaew]

2 minutes ago, Here It Is said:

Let's get this straight once and for all.  Apple is most definitely not here, their products are.

Apple is also not in Fresno, TX or Barnstaple in Devon.

 

...but their products are too.

 

Oh... the horror of it all.

[Here It Is]

2 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Apple is also not in Fresno, TX or Barnstaple in Devon.

 

...but their products are too.

 

Oh... the horror of it all.

You're missing the point or being obtuse.  Please keep up.

[NanLaew]

6 minutes ago, Here It Is said:

You're missing the point or being obtuse.  Please keep up.

And maybe you're missing my earlier post?

 

Why would Apple need to be more prevalent here? Would that somehow benefit Apple? Would it be a big plus for Thailand if they were?

Edited November 15, 2017 by NanLaew

[Here It Is]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

And maybe you're missing my earlier post?

You missed mine.

[NanLaew]

1 minute ago, Here It Is said:

You missed mine.

OK... time to synchronize.

 

Walmart and Costco: Similar retail/wholesale format, unworkable and nonviable in Thailand (see earlier post)

 

Apple: Totally different from the other two hence my wondering why they are considered in this exercise. But regardless, the presence they currently do have in Thailand seems perfectly adequate for the Thai purchaser or else Apple would either ramp up visibility or shut down and move out. It does seem that some resident foreigners don't agree and are comparing Apple retail in Thailand with Apple retail is their home markets that are significantly different to the Thai market. (see earlier post)

[observer90210]

1 hour ago, Here It Is said:

Exactly, observer.  Apologies, I wasn't trying to make a monkey out of you.

 

They're all resellers and definitely wouldn't get the same level of service as you would in say the UK.  Check my post of 15 October.

 

 

 

No problem pal, as I do sometimes enjoy also making a monkey of myself.

 

But I think that the upcoming Bangkok flagship store run by Apple from A to Z, would keep up to it's global service standards. Let's wait till it opens and see ...

 

I fully agree with you, had the same issue years ago on the graphics card of a MacPro.

 

It had to be replaced twice during the warranty and once again, about 10 months after the warranty. The local European Apple phone support said no way to remplace it free (cost around US$ 1'000 or 2'000 ?),  despite repeated previous issues. Wrote a letter directly to Apple in Cupertino, USA. A few weeks later issue solved and replaced on site, for free.  Sometimes worth the trouble and hassle as it can avoid spending big bucks for defective hardware.

 

Glad you got your toy back...enjoy...

Edited November 15, 2017 by observer90210

[phetphet]

It was reported recently here that Apple are planning to open an official store in Bangkok sometime next year

[Here It Is]

4 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

But regardless, the presence they currently do have in Thailand seems perfectly adequate for the Thai purchaser or else Apple would either ramp up visibility or shut down and move out.

Thanks for clarity.

 

What I would say is that your average Thai buyer knows no better, i.e. purchasing from iStudio, which appears to be about as close as it gets to an Apple store.

 

Saying that, at least Thais have the option of purchasing on the Apple Thailand website.  Not sure what level of protection that provides but surely a step up from iStudio.

[phetphet]

1 minute ago, Here It Is said:

Thanks for clarity.

 

What I would say is that your average Thai buyer knows no better, i.e. purchasing from iStudio, which appears to be about as close as it gets to an Apple store.

 

Saying that, at least Thais have the option of purchasing on the Apple Thailand website.  Not sure what level of protection that provides but surely a step up from iStudio.

Nowhere near the service from Apple.

 

I recently broke my iphone screen, (am in Samui). Apple gave me two choices: go to an official repair shop in Surat Thani, ( 4hours each way, or another in Bangkok.

Neither carry spares, so I would need to leave the phone there and return several weeks later to collect.

In the end, made a Genius appointment online for Apple store in London. Repaired in one hour, then they decided to just replace it.

[observer90210]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Terrible customer service from Apple shops.

 

Please no Wal-Mart, we don't don't want fatties on motorized carts here.

You do raise something pertinent. Apple's corporate customer policy is one of the best in the world, but the service given in certain official Apple stores (non franchised) is sometimes quite questionnable. Long waiting period before you turn lights up on their iPads, long waiting for the item to get repaired. But nevertheless, it all depends as anywhere, unfortunately, on who you bump into. But on the whole, the policy of customer service and warranty is one of the best in the world.....IMHO naturally !

Edited November 15, 2017 by observer90210

[NanLaew]

2 minutes ago, phetphet said:

Nowhere near the service from Apple.

 

I recently broke my iphone screen, (am in Samui). Apple gave me two choices: go to an official repair shop in Surat Thani, ( 4hours each way, or another in Bangkok.

Neither carry spares, so I would need to leave the phone there and return several weeks later to collect.

In the end, made a Genius appointment online for Apple store in London. Repaired in one hour, then they decided to just replace it.

Samui v London

 

If I was asked to count the differences, I would never in a thousand years have considered the iPhone repairability aspect.

[Tchooptip]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

And maybe you're missing my earlier post?

 

Why would Apple need to be more prevalent here? Would that somehow benefit Apple? Would it be a big plus for Thailand if they were?

It would be a big plus for Apple's customer! But Apple does not care ...even though they say the contrary!

[NanLaew]

34 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

It would be a big plus for Apple's customer! But Apple does not care ...even though they say the contrary!

...yet some still crave their latest products.

[digbeth]

I've ordered many things with Apple online store here in Thailand, even though their official policy is no returns, I've managed to return a few items with a phone call to Singapore.

 

Hopefully with their own store and genius bar that can decide there and then to replace your device for warranty service right away rather than the current system of shipping the item to the official repair shop or go there in person and leave the device there for some time

[lannarebirth]

5 hours ago, tifino said:

 

well, Costco (Aust) costs au$55 membership just to walk in their doors...

 

 

who local thai is going to fork out over equivalent in LOS, the thb1300 - just to see the other side of a door?

Costco makes almost 100% of its profits from membership fees. The $136 average receipt is about breakeven for cost of goods sold and operating expenses.

[bkkcanuck8]

Apple JUST opened a retail store (it's first) in Singapore - a 1st world city....  Apple is planning on opening it's first store in Thailand in 2018.  Your use of Apple as an example - is a poor one since Apple has pretty well not been opening stores in SE Asia and now that they are Thailand is getting one.