The sky it should be falling now? Convenience stores dropping like flies?

[ChakaKhan]

7 hours ago, bangon04 said:

Most Japanese 7-11s still do a roaring trade in porn and hentai magazines - cultural icons 

I come for the picachu ice cream, but i stay for the hardcore porn...Oh thank heaven for 7-11! ????

[ChakaKhan]

8 hours ago, Susco said:

 

Is that what they mean when saying, someone has a split personality?

 

 

Ive always been frank and earnest with the ladies about my personality...Im Frank in BKK, and earnest in Hua Hin   ????    hansum 2 much!!

[ChipButty]

We have had 2 close down 7/11's, 3 Family marts in the small tamboon I live in, I think some more will be going soon hanging on by a thread, 

In Phuket we have Supercheap's which I think is a Phuket company they seem to be doing ok, more popular with Thai's than 7/11

[rott]

11 hours ago, pomchop said:

one of my long ago ex gals told me that the reason there was always a 7 11 in so many villages is that there was no banks there and the mom and pop stores rarely had enough baht to make change...so people who needed change for a 1000 or 500 baht could always count on going to 7 and being able to get change no matter how small the purchase....probably makes sense

When I lived up in the Nakhon I never took a 1000 baht note to a small Thai shop/caff for anything, but always changed it at 7eleven. The small shop/caff probably doesn't turn over 1000 in a day so will never have change and I did not want to clean them out of change if somehow they did have it. 

[jacko45k]

27 minutes ago, rott said:

The small shop/caff probably doesn't turn over 1000 in a day so will never have change and I did not want to clean them out of change if somehow they did have it. 

I always get xx900 baht from the ATM.... and unless I go for a booze up round the bars am always short of change.

[Farma]

Where I'm at upcountry we've had a mini big C open a couple of months ago, a family mart open in a new fuel station this week and a 2nd 7-11 about to open once building conversion finishes.

[camble]

I live where there’s little dependence on foreign tourists, our first Starbucks opened last year.

[Leaver]

4 hours ago, camble said:

I live where there’s little dependence on foreign tourists, our first Starbucks opened last year.

 

A lot of sick buffalo in those places though.  ????

[DerbyDan]

On 2/4/2021 at 9:32 AM, pomchop said:

one of my long ago ex gals told me that the reason there was always a 7 11 in so many villages is that there was no banks there and the mom and pop stores rarely had enough baht to make change...so people who needed change for a 1000 or 500 baht could always count on going to 7 and being able to get change no matter how small the purchase....probably makes sense

and they end up just buying from the 7-11 now instead of the local shop. sad.

[Pravda]

23 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

7/11 is a business

Lots of customers, lots of 7/11. Fewer customers, fewer 7/11.

That makes a lot of sense.

 

But they could still stay open to change those 1000 baht bills. Sure there's no profit, but still tons of customers. 

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, Farma said:

Where I'm at upcountry we've had a mini big C open a couple of months ago, a family mart open in a new fuel station this week and a 2nd 7-11 about to open once building conversion finishes.

Must be all those extra people that have left the  tourist centers where they are all closing. 

[herfiehandbag]

On 2/5/2021 at 7:56 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

7/11 is a business

Lots of customers, lots of 7/11. Fewer customers, fewer 7/11.

That makes a lot of sense.

The areas you are discussing are heavily dependent on the tourist industry, even if they are not on the "tourist trail" the people who live there work ( or worked) in the industry.

 

No tourism = no income = no spending = stores closing = more jobs lost, and so on.

[Yellowtail]

1 hour ago, DerbyDan said:

and they end up just buying from the 7-11 now instead of the local shop. sad.

 

I lived and worked in Kabinburi for 20 years. There were no 7-11 stores. Now there are countless sevens, and many fewer mom and pop stores. 

 

It has nothing to do with having change. It has everything to do with:

Air conditioning

Clean stores

Clean staff

Clean food

Food that is not out of date

Value

Variety

Consistency  

 

I don't think it's sad, I think it's great. Nothing stopping the people that think it's sad to continue supporting the the hot mom and pop -stores with the out date stock, and the lukewarm stale beverages from the cooler they turn off every night and the melted chocolet bars...

 

Well managed 

[ChakaKhan]

22 hours ago, ChipButty said:

In Phuket we have Supercheap's

Owned by "charlie"?????...my thai gf refuses to go there with me.......will only accept KFC ????

[AlfHuy]

On 2/5/2021 at 7:14 AM, Olmate said:

I find massage shops are the best place to change 1000 notes!

Yes.

Go in with a 1000 baht note. Pay a 1 hour massage, get some extras and get out with zero. No need to change.

[ChakaKhan]

15 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

A lot of sick buffalo in those places though.  ????

Buffaloes like coffee?  ????

[DerbyDan]

44 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I lived and worked in Kabinburi for 20 years. There were no 7-11 stores. Now there are countless sevens, and many fewer mom and pop stores. 

 

It has nothing to do with having change. It has everything to do with:

Air conditioning

Clean stores

Clean staff

Clean food

Food that is not out of date

Value

Variety

Consistency  

 

I don't think it's sad, I think it's great. Nothing stopping the people that think it's sad to continue supporting the the hot mom and pop -stores with the out date stock, and the lukewarm stale beverages from the cooler they turn off every night and the melted chocolet bars...

 

Well managed 

but air conditioning, bright clean stores and no grime is not real life or exciting, it's fake plastic stuff for people that need to feel safe and comfortable.

Edited February 6, 2021 by DerbyDan

[sandyf]

On 2/5/2021 at 7:56 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

7/11 is a business

Lots of customers, lots of 7/11. Fewer customers, fewer 7/11.

That makes a lot of sense.

Quite. The Thais seem to think if they see a successful shop it is a good idea to open the same type of shop nearby. Ok while there is enough customers to support 2 shops but when only enough customers for one shop, chances are both end up closing.

[darrendsd]

On 2/4/2021 at 9:28 PM, Jingthing said:

I can certainly understand any and all kinds of businesses closing in this current environment, but I'm finding this rather shocking.

You know, 7-11s and Family Marts have been like Starbucks in Seattle. Everywhere!

 

Why is it shocking to you?

 

The convenience stores in pattaya were opened to cater to the millions of tourists that visit every year - there certainly wouldn't be so many if tourists never started coming to the town

 

Those millions are no longer here - result - they are now closed 

 

I think it's pretty obvious

[Saltire]

The closest town to me (never a tourist area) has around 3 7 11, 2 CJ and a very new MiniBigC (next to a 7 11)

 

Yesterday went shopping and seen the hoardings are up for a new 711 directly across from the BigC and a 7 11 so I am seeing the opposite.

 

However one of the only 3 banks has gone, and a site marked for a new Bangkok Bank has been taken down.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2021 by Saltire

[Patong2021]

On 2/4/2021 at 1:48 PM, NCC1701A said:

I live in both places. 

 

You  get around. Other day you were in Ohio, at  home of your mother in her basement. ????

 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

The areas you are discussing are heavily dependent on the tourist industry, even if they are not on the "tourist trail" the people who live there work ( or worked) in the industry.

 

No tourism = no income = no spending = stores closing = more jobs lost, and so on.

I didn't discuss any area.

 

But what's your point? Should 7/11 and others keep shops and people working in those shops if there is not enough business to make any profit? Why would they do that? And who would pay for it? It doesn't make sense. 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Quite. The Thais seem to think if they see a successful shop it is a good idea to open the same type of shop nearby. Ok while there is enough customers to support 2 shops but when only enough customers for one shop, chances are both end up closing.

It depends very much on the franchise system.

Some companies have very strict rules where they will open any new outlet. And they have strict rules about distances to their own franchise shops.

Other companies, i.e. I read Subway is (or was) one of those, have no rules about any distance to the same shop. You can open one right next door.

I don't know the rules of 7/11. But what I see about them makes sense. I.e. I live in an area with lots of high condominiums. I have at least 5 7/11 shops within 10 minutes walking distance. They have easily 10,000 people living in walking distance to these shops.

But somewhere up country the next 7/11 is often kilometers away - because it needs a lot of small houses to get thousands of customers for a shop.

 

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

Buffaloes like coffee?  ????

Yes, in a bison (basin).

[herfiehandbag]

3 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

The areas you are discussing are heavily dependent on the tourist industry, even if they are not on the "tourist trail" the people who live there work ( or worked) in the industry.

 

No tourism = no income = no spending = stores closing = more jobs lost, and so on.

 

22 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I didn't discuss any area.

 

But what's your point? Should 7/11 and others keep shops and people working in those shops if there is not enough business to make any profit? Why would they do that? And who would pay for it? It doesn't make sense. 

I should have said "the areas we are discussing".

 

My point was ,(I thought quite obviously) that if there is much less money around then convenience stores and such are going to close.

 

You see, I was agreeing with you!

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It depends very much on the franchise system.

Some companies have very strict rules where they will open any new outlet. And they have strict rules about distances to their own franchise shops.

Other companies, i.e. I read Subway is (or was) one of those, have no rules about any distance to the same shop. You can open one right next door.

I don't know the rules of 7/11. But what I see about them makes sense. I.e. I live in an area with lots of high condominiums. I have at least 5 7/11 shops within 10 minutes walking distance. They have easily 10,000 people living in walking distance to these shops.

But somewhere up country the next 7/11 is often kilometers away - because it needs a lot of small houses to get thousands of customers for a shop.

 

I didn't mean the same shop, I said the same type. I live in a rural area and in all the small communities you get all the convenience stores huddled together, Tesco extra, Mini Big C, 7/11, Family Mart and independents. In normal times there was never many customers in any of them and these days mostly deserted, must be a real struggle to keep the doors open.

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

My point was ,(I thought quite obviously) that if there is much less money around then convenience stores and such are going to close.

You still need to buy your food and drinks somewhere.

I can understand them closing in Pattaya, because all the Thais supporting the tourist industry have left.

But everywhere else people still need to eat and drink, and the mini-marts are as cheap as anywhere else.

[Leaver]

7 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

Buffaloes like coffee?  ????

 

Buffalo like everything that is bought for them.  ????

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

I didn't mean the same shop, I said the same type. I live in a rural area and in all the small communities you get all the convenience stores huddled together, Tesco extra, Mini Big C, 7/11, Family Mart and independents. In normal times there was never many customers in any of them and these days mostly deserted, must be a real struggle to keep the doors open.

There is a classic example with an ice cream shop on a beach. One shop exists already in the middle of the beach. Now someone else wants to open a second shop. Where should he put it? And the answer is: Exactly next to the existing shop. That is the best location.

I don't remember where I read it but I read it more than once, I think it's a well used example.

[Leaver]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

I didn't mean the same shop, I said the same type. I live in a rural area and in all the small communities you get all the convenience stores huddled together, Tesco extra, Mini Big C, 7/11, Family Mart and independents. In normal times there was never many customers in any of them and these days mostly deserted, must be a real struggle to keep the doors open.

 

If you are in a rural area, why has custom dropped off?  It's not like it's dependent on tourism.  Do a lot of people in your village depend on money being sent home from the tourist areas?