Makro your area

[lavender19]

After reading a report on a popular blog site about the Makro I use and the take over of Tesco by the same company. I was wondering what the Makro is like in your area , as the one I use is terrible. The stock control is abysmal. My wife is reluctant to put any new items on her menu as they don't seem to reorder anything until they have virtually run out. Then they either don't reorder or it takes weeks for new stock to arrive. We have a two hour round trip and it's very annoying to put it mildly when they only have half the items you went for. Just a few things they were out of last week butter, cheese, smirnoff ice, Aus tenderloin and a few other things

Then there is there annoying practice of locking everyone out of the booze aisle until 11.00 when there can be a queue of twenty people all trying to fit in an aisle usually half blocked with pallets. Instead of letting alcohol licence holders the the convenience buying at any time hence cutting down on crowded places. Have attached photo but you can't see the other fifteen people. 

And it seems to be getting worse week by week. This is Chumphon by the way

[bkk6060]

I have been to Makro all over the country I have never seen any of them out of butter or cheese or beef.  In fact, they seem to always have an over abundance of it.

Maybe next time have your wife call the store before you go and ask them if the items are in stock.

If they do you can freeze butter, cheese and beef so stock up.

To add sorry, you made the decision to live one hour away from place being in the middle of now where can have its consequences.

[twocatsmac]

Udon Thani Makro is average. I don’t buy beef or cheese there anymore because it’s double the price of local farang shops. 

Alchohol is cheaper at the wholesale shops on the same road and can buy or have delivered anytime. 

Peeled garlic in kg bags and multipack mama noodle type snacks to take to the jungle are all I buy there now (maybe toilet and kitchen tissue also).

[ukrules]

Foreign products are disappearing from shelves everywhere and when they run out for some reason they don't appear to be replaced quite as quickly as they used to.

 

I've noticed this with some products over the last few months.

 

Regular sized tins of chopped tomatoes, good luck finding them.. They're doing their best to hide it in the supermarkets, placing stock of similar looking items (cranberry sauce tins in this case) across the front of the shelf, if you look behind the front row the shelf is mostly empty.

 

Something appears to have been disrupting the supply chains for imported western food items, but not all of them. I can still get all the Norwegian salmon I want but I believe that's air freighted in at an increased cost.

 

I can't believe it's not related to COVID disruption somewhere along the supply chain.

[KhunBENQ]

I love their special offers.

Three for 125 Baht, six for 295

Identical tubes of toothpaste!

And they do this since years with variations like 3*2 tubes cheaper than pack of 6.

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

Here they run out of dog food stuff e.g.

Some TGM, Buecher stuff irregular.

Even Meiji milk sometimes out.

Some products gone with the wind.

Price of the day for Malee juices (135 to 199 for three, 199 is a joke, cheaper at TOPS)

Fish sauce is available anytime

A mate bought some Schweppes regularly.

Always only one carton available.

He asks the department manager that he wants to order more.

Can not.

Edited July 20, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

Dozens of bored staff hanging around the shop, four checkouts open, big queues.

"max 10 items, cash only" checkout: man high stuffed carts if front of you, no one has the courage to tell them to p... off.

I avoid alc selling times (11 to 14, after 17) whenever possible.

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

51 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Foreign products are disappearing from shelves everywhere and when they run out for some reason they don't appear to be replaced quite as quickly as they used to.

 

I've noticed this with some products over the last few months.

Very true.

I first noticed at Villa market in Udon.

Some delicatessen from France or Germany not seen for months.

And as I "live in the middle of nowhere" I checked both Villa markets in Pattaya: NOPE.

[Dumbastheycome]

The one I have been to twice in the last week appeared to be fully stocked. Prices definitely sneaking upwards from pre-covid though.

[dimitriv]

Makro is also located in Germany, Netherlands.

They are known for their 

 

-Extremely poor customer service
-Rude staff

 

I saw the same rude attitude here in Bangkok when I tried to pay with my non Citybank creditcard. As if it makes sense that you can pay with a credit card from one bank, and not with a credit card from another bank.

 

It seems that they were successful in copying the same business model to Thailand.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by dimitriv

[emilyarin]

Chumphon Macro is useless and has got worse year after year basically they cater for the Thai customer don't go there any more, I go to Prachuab which is a lot better, Tesco Lotus is absolutely useless stock takes to long to replace hated Tesco's in England never thought the food looked to fresh.

[thailand49]

I've found the ones in Pattaya are pretty good but when there mostly buy Chicken or Pork. I don't see their prices any lower than Big C or Tesco that requires me to make the journey. I've found Tesco to be much better for the things I need since majority of the time they have buy one get one free.  As for liquor you can get at any of the local warehouse and never a restricted time.

[BoganInParasite]

Nan Makro can be infuriating. Last week no whipping cream, smoked chicken breasts, green melons or pasta sauce. Additionally over the last six months they have stopped carrying my favourite greek yougurt and pork sausages.

[NoshowJones]

17 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Dozens of bored staff hanging around the shop, four checkouts open, big queues.

"max 10 items, cash only" checkout: man high stuffed carts if front of you, no one has the courage to tell them to p... off.

I avoid alc selling times (11 to 14, after 17) whenever possible.

 

If it was me, he would not even get told, I would just take his high stuffed cart and move it personally.

[Blue Muton]

I live in the sticks, although I'm in Suphanburi province It's just as near to go to the one in Singburi as it is to go to Suphanburi. I'm pretty good at planning my trips so will often tie in Makro shops with travel for other things, so I might go to Singburi, Suphanburi, Lopburi, Nakhon Sawan or Nakhon Pathom. Not all of them stock the same things so we've got to know which ones stock which of our prefered products.

 

I haven't noticed any increase in stockouts and don't have any complaints about the service - in fact I can't recall any reason to complain about service in the ten years that I've been using them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not just kissing their <deleted> and if I'd had any bad experiences I'd say so, I'm just calling it as I see it.

 

Last week I noticed that the price of Mainland cheese had shot up to 267 Baht, a massive hike from the usual price of around 200, although as mentioned on another thread they have other ok cheddar at 300 Baht a kilo. 

[recom273]

HY is pretty good .. I notice that Aussie burgers are not available, but on the whole I can’t grumble.

 

I am a little confused at their bulk pricing, i buy a box 10B bags of “lays” every few months (because I find 20b bags from 7-11 too much) The price is around 7 or 8b a pack, which is hardly trade price. How do mom and pop stores make a living from that? It’s quite an outlay for a whole box too. They never have a whole box, they put multipacks in a box, which the cashier always unpacks and scans individually, jus’ sayin’

[Aforek]

I know two of them, Kabin Buri and Nakon nayok : they seem allways full, and staff works all the time ( at least when I am here ) : only Thai customers apart me ; not many many foreign products but still a nice place to go 

[fulhamster]

17 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I avoid alc selling times (11 to 14, after 17) whenever possible.

 

That's the only times I will go there????????

[Guderian]

No problems with the big Makro in Jomtien. One odd thing, though, they seem to have stopped stocking good quality butter like Anchor and Ammelander and now only have shelves full of that dreadful Allowrie rubbish that even kangaroos won't eat, lol.

[paddyfield7]

Between "full stock" and "out of stock" is something called "reordering point". But not in Thailand.

[Bangkok Barry]

18 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I love their special offers.

Three for 125 Baht, six for 295

Identical tubes of toothpaste!

And they do this since years with variations like 3*2 tubes cheaper than pack of 6.

 

It's a Thai thing, not just Makro. They're clueless.

[Chopinbkk]

Who gives a XXXX about their prices? They have the best frozen foods around. Food for the lazy  LOL.

 

[robblok]

I dont economize on food never have never will. I don't drink alcohol so plenty of money to go around.  Cheese i get from my parents in the Netherlands straight from the cheese factory. Nothing beats good old Dutch cheese. 

 

The Makro in my area seems to be good does not run out of stuff often. But I am at the edge of BKK got a Makro close, Tops close, Big C close, huge Tesco close.

 

I can imagine them being managed worse in the sticks. Every place you live has advantages and disadvantages. 

[mickyr55]

19 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

I love their special offers.

Three for 125 Baht, six for 295

Identical tubes of toothpaste!

And they do this since years with variations like 3*2 tubes cheaper than pack of 6.

 

This happens at many shops over here Makro and Tesco particularly you just have to be a clever shopper. 

[Brer]

Nong Khai I find normally well stocked, western foods spaghetti, olives, pasta sauces, muesli, olive oil etc always available.

Sometimes run out of thin pizza bases but there the next time, I much prefer to Tesco, Tops, Big C etc, easy to get around and they don’t move things around so you can always find it.

Great prices on frozen seafood and meats.

Parking is always better and it’s really no worst to check out of then the Tescos etc.

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, Blue Muton said:

Last week I noticed that the price of Mainland cheese had shot up to 267 Baht, a massive hike from the usual price of around 200

In defense of Makro:

I think you have not noticed that it is a BIG block of cheese now.

About 4xx grams after 250 gr or so.

So the price/unit has come down.

But for a single person the thing is now really a bit too much.

Edited July 21, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[bert bloggs]

I think the reason foreign products are running out is that apart from expats there are no customers ,so its not worth ordering large amounts ,thats it.

[Andrew Dwyer]

15 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

In defense of Makro:

I think you have not noticed that it is a BIG block of cheese now.

About 4xx grams after 250 gr or so.

So the price/unit has come down.

But for a single person the thing is now really a bit too much.

Yup, posters were commenting on the Mainland cheese for 267 baht and 475 gr ( i think ) a while ago.

No such luck in the Ayutthaya Makro, in fact they have stopped stocking the Mainland cheese altogether now and Flora has also disappeared.

Other than that the selection doesn’t seem to change much .

[toofarnorth]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It's a Thai thing, not just Makro. They're clueless.

When we stop for a KFC during a shop at Lotus I can't help looking at the egg custard tart advert  23 B each or 6 for 138 B. I wonder how many locals do the math.

 

While here ( in Lotus )   most annoying thing for me are the pallets , pity they can't stock the shelves at night or just before closing.

[time2093]

I only shop is Makro as I find it has the freshest produce, fish, dairy, meat selection in comparison to Big C and Tesco, Just walking by at the meat section in Big C and Tescos smelling the yellow ranched stinky chicken and pork on display that will make you avoid the place.