Shopping at Villa Market - The Slowly Boiled Frog Fable

[AlGoRhythm]

Barely perceptible, though continuous, Villa Market has been following the practice of gradually increasing prices on many items in small increments, virtually disguising the act.  Clever, though fraudulent deception.

 

Al

[NCC1701A]

you mean like inflation?

[faraday]

They sell boiled Frogs at Villa - whatever next?

 

????

[CharlieH]

A business looking to increase profit, whatever next, outrageous practice.????

Here's a novel idea, dont go there if you dont like the prices. ????

[NCC1701A]

i shop at Villa Market almost every other day, I have a shopping list app with all the prices for everything I buy and I have not seen anything go up in price in the last three years. 

 

They do have specials all the time for many items that are sometimes cheaper than Gourmet Market.    

 

And in my town (Hua Hin) Villa Market has the best tomatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes, spinach, ground beef, sourdough bread and a lot of gluten free items. And of course all the things that can only be found in Thailand at a Villa Market.

 

I would not buy paper towels or bottled water at Villa Market because you can get that at blow out prices in a Thai market.

 

and they must be doing something right because they just opened a second location in Hua Hin and the original location is very busy with all the snow birds here now. 

Edited January 28, 2019 by NCC1701A

[NanLaew]

23 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

I have a shopping list app with all the prices for everything I buy and I have not seen anything go up in price in the last three years

If this is truly an honest assertion that have been able to buy the same stuff at the same shop over three years, then all I can say is Villa Market in Hua Hin has very, very good stock control, something that is anathema to any sort of retail food outlet anywhere else in LOS. Then again, your 'everything' may not actually be a whole lot of stuff and not necessarily limited to food stuffs?

[NCC1701A]

27 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

If this is truly an honest assertion that have been able to buy the same stuff at the same shop over three years, then all I can say is Villa Market in Hua Hin has very, very good stock control, something that is anathema to any sort of retail food outlet anywhere else in LOS. Then again, your 'everything' may not actually be a whole lot of stuff and not necessarily limited to food stuffs?

it is all food stuff. have you been to a Villa Market? sometimes they are out of a popular item like gluten free chips, but they figure it out.     

[poohy]

In my experience Tesco, makro and local markets prices rise weekly !

[metempsychotic]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

If this is truly an honest assertion that have been able to buy the same stuff at the same shop over three years, then all I can say is Villa Market in Hua Hin has very, very good stock control, something that is anathema to any sort of retail food outlet anywhere else in LOS. Then again, your 'everything' may not actually be a whole lot of stuff and not necessarily limited to food stuffs?

Have you ever shopped at villa? they are generally very well stocked. 

[NanLaew]

8 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

it is all food stuff. have you been to a Villa Market? sometimes they are out of a popular item like gluten free chips, but they figure it out.     

I've probably shopped in more Villa Markets than you've had Pattaya women and know that, just like Pattaya women, they sell more than just foodstuffs.

 

7 hours ago, metempsychotic said:

Have you ever shopped at villa? they are generally very well stocked. 

No, of course I've never been in Villa because they don't have an outlet in Wigan yet. Sheeesh...

 

Good to see you employed the universal 'generally' in your otherwise sweeping generalization. But in my humble opinion, Villa does run out of stuff just as often as the other places. Now one thing I will say is that it is highly unlikely that Villa AND the alternative suppliers run out at the same time unless the importer doesn't order enough at the get go. Maybe they never run out of locally produced food stuffs but at Villa's premium pricing over their competitors, unless one is on the full pension, I don't see the fiscal sense in buying your pla kapong at Villa over Big C.

[metempsychotic]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

I've probably shopped in more Villa Markets than you've had Pattaya women and know that, just like Pattaya women, they sell more than just foodstuffs.

 

No, of course I've never been in Villa because they don't have an outlet in Wigan yet. Sheeesh...

 

Good to see you employed the universal 'generally' in your otherwise sweeping generalization. But in my humble opinion, Villa does run out of stuff just as often as the other places. Now one thing I will say is that it is highly unlikely that Villa AND the alternative suppliers run out at the same time unless the importer doesn't order enough at the get go. Maybe they never run out of locally produced food stuffs but at Villa's premium pricing over their competitors, unless one is on the full pension, I don't see the fiscal sense in buying your pla kapong at Villa over Big C.

I really don't understand what you are on about. There are always stock issues of some sort where imported goods are concerned, but in most cases they are resolved quickly, and villa has been consistent in the 15 some odd years I have shopped there. If an item goes out of stock, it is usually restocked quickly, or there is an alternative available. 

 

As for the pla kappong remarks, really, why state the obvious? Villa sells premium imported food stuffs, and as others have said some higher quality produce such as fresh herbs and that is why those who can afford to do so shop there. 

 

 

[ballpoint]

11 hours ago, poohy said:

In my experience Tesco, makro and local markets prices rise weekly !

In my experience, the older I get, the more weakly I rise.

[ballpoint]

10 hours ago, metempsychotic said:

Have you ever shopped at villa? they are generally very well stocked. 

Well, I have never seen any of this slowly boiled frog the OP is going on about.  It's always out of stock.

[NanLaew]

One of the undeniable facets of inflation and rising prices is the down sizing of product packaging where the 'bottle of ketchup' that is the same price as it was 3 years ago is, in reality, a smaller bottle. There's also those scurrilous manufacturers that use the same physical-sized container and just put less of what you're paying for inside, labeled accordingly. Bulk retailers and supermarkets also manage to support this incremental downsizing by reducing the physical height between shelves on the aisles so that the bottles of ketchup 'look' the same size as they ever were.

 

Back on topic, prices have risen, including at Villa Market. Beyond possibly the finite, controlled sample of any individual's esoteric shopping list, broadly stating otherwise is simply being an inflation denier.

Edited January 29, 2019 by NanLaew

[worgeordie]

Inflation ! but the government says its less than 1%,

in the real World,Thailand,when prices go up its at least by

10 %, daughter went for a haircut few months ago 150 ThB

the other day 200 THB,Potatoes in Tops yesterday 86 THB Kg. !

mean while your money in the bank, the rates they give do not even

cover inflation.

regards Worgeordie

[NCC1701A]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I've probably shopped in more Villa Markets than you've had Pattaya women and know that, just like Pattaya women, they sell more than just foodstuffs.

i mean to say i was was talking about only buying food. of course many non food items.

 

as for the Pattaya analogy, there would have to be as many Villa Markets as 7/11s for that to be true.

 

 

 

 

[yogi100]

12 hours ago, poohy said:

In my experience Tesco, makro and local markets prices rise weekly !

In my experience of shopping in BigC, Tesco Lotus, Friendship, 7/11 and Family Mart they may not rise weekly but they've definitely soared in 3 years.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Can’t comment on Villa ( nor the slowly boiled frog ! ) as never been in one but do they not have competition close by forcing them to adjust their prices ?

 

For example, Big C and Lotus regularly reduces prices to undercut each other sometimes by only 1 baht but is done often.

Soap, in particular, is reduced to 44 baht from 56 and the competition will offer at 42 baht for example and the other will go to 38 baht.

Happens often near me all the time, of course when the “ bargains “ are over the products go back to their original prices plus 1 or 2 baht, sneaky buggers !!

 

I appear to have gone off topic.

 

What was the question again ?

 

[HAKAPALITA]

10 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Can’t comment on Villa ( nor the slowly boiled frog ! ) as never been in one but do they not have competition close by forcing them to adjust their prices ?

 

For example, Big C and Lotus regularly reduces prices to undercut each other sometimes by only 1 baht but is done often.

Soap, in particular, is reduced to 44 baht from 56 and the competition will offer at 42 baht for example and the other will go to 38 baht.

Happens often near me all the time, of course when the “ bargains “ are over the products go back to their original prices plus 1 or 2 baht, sneaky buggers !!

 

I appear to have gone off topic.

 

What was the question again ?

 

All the ferangs chaps i know could only tell you the Soaps in the Bathroom with any accuracy. , or on the Floor if the Daughters been in.!.

[NCC1701A]

ring ring:

 

"hey bro, how are things in Thailand? Livin' the life? Goin' to the beach? Riding your motorcycle? New romance?" 

"its great, I am on a forum talking about grocery stores." 

[ballpoint]

29 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

What was the question again ?

Something about much sin sod for a slow boiled frog with her own villa.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

i mean to say i was was talking about only buying food. of course many non food items.

 

as for the Pattaya analogy, there would have to be as many Villa Markets as 7/11s for that to be true.

 

 

 

 

...and don't lets get started on all the Family Marts as well!

[AlGoRhythm]

Nice to see the insightful responses …  Just keep an eye open when shopping at Villa, the Market doesn’t fully operate in a “market”.  Wouldn’t want to wake up nearly cooked.   

Al

[Pharoticus]

On 1/29/2019 at 10:31 AM, yogi100 said:

In my experience of shopping in BigC, Tesco Lotus, Friendship, 7/11 and Family Mart they may not rise weekly but they've definitely soared in 3 years.

That is true. I've seen 50% - 75% increases on some items over the last few years.

 

The price of pork is an obvious example.

[Stradavarius37]

Just opened....2 years ago....

i shop at Villa Market almost every other day, I have a shopping list app with all the prices for everything I buy and I have not seen anything go up in price in the last three years. 
 
They do have specials all the time for many items that are sometimes cheaper than Gourmet Market.    
 
And in my town (Hua Hin) Villa Market has the best tomatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes, spinach, ground beef, sourdough bread and a lot of gluten free items. And of course all the things that can only be found in Thailand at a Villa Market.
 
I would not buy paper towels or bottled water at Villa Market because you can get that at blow out prices in a Thai market.
 
and they must be doing something right because they just opened a second location in Hua Hin and the original location is very busy with all the snow birds here now. 

Sent from my SM-N920C using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[fruitman]

Villa market is far too expensive..but what annoys me the most is their staff who never know anything, of course can't speak english but even if you ask something like "mee kiwi daeng mai'? , because she had them last week and i don't see them now...she has no idea what you''re talking about....it's her department and she is there every day....i bet she even put the pricetag on them...

 

Or we needed some small onions (soup onions in thailand), 20 baht in foodland and 100 baht in Villa market.

 

Then we needed some beef stockcubes, totally sold out....for many weeks.

 

Even when i don't care about the high prices this shop always frustrates me a lot...better go to Foodland.

[JayBird]

Price is increasing regularly... if you are paying in USD.

Price is comparable to BigC and Central Foods.

[AlGoRhythm]

Prices are increasing in Baht, not to mention the exrate difference.  This week alone saw a further 10% jump on lower price-range wines - those that the majority would most likely purchase rather than the ridiculous BHT 800+/bottle range.  Foodland, and even Wine Connection, now much better value for this.

 

Al

[JayBird]

Ah, wine. I never look at that, so could not comment.

But food food seems to be the same. Beef prices came down.

[fruitman]

On 1/31/2019 at 10:21 PM, JayBird said:

Ah, wine. I never look at that, so could not comment.

But food food seems to be the same. Beef prices came down.

Minced beef costs 600 a kg in Villa...very high for Thailand but it tastes good...