The local rumor mill produced the startling news that there will be a new Lotus store (shopping center also?) located in or near Chiang Kham (about 100 km east of Chiang Rai). Does anyone have any more definite information?

I called Tesco Lotus last week regarding this. They would neither confirm nor deny the rumour, they did however offer to post information about leasing and franchise availability. Take what you wish from that but I take it as a bit of a hint that they are coming.

Awaiting the information in the post and the available locations, will post if Chiang Kham is in the list.

Once they are up and running, there's gone to be lot of noise. Pity those small local stores, how are they going to survive.

Once they are up and running, there's gone to be lot of noise. Pity those small local stores, how are they going to survive.

The way I see the imapct is the following:

1. The electical shops will be hit hard however tesco do not offer finance in the same way that the others do so there will still be a market for perhaps one

2. 7-11 will be hit extremely hard

3. The main market will still function because its main trade is for shops in outlying villages.

4. The Thais in my experience prefer fresh food and tend to shop ocally (villages) on a daily basis. Household good, alcohol etc will be through Tescos.

5. The cookware shop will be hit. The toy shop will be hit. The magazine shop will be hit.

6. There will be a lot of trade from surrounding areas, the nearest Teso is 100km away so I guess there will be a draw of 50Km. This will allow for replacement of the shops offering services we do not currently have in Chaing Kahm.

In the short term it will be bad for some of the smaller shops but in the long term it will be good for Chiang Kahm. I also feel sorry for the smaller shops but the ones with enough get up and go will already made plans and adjust to the market.

Also closer to home it creates some opportunity for investement.

If small shops can modify the way they do business and slot into niche markets that the Big Box stores cannot they can actually improve their sales. The big question is if the small businesses will do that or just blunder along. If they try and maintain the status quo they will be forced out of business, if they adjust and offer the customer things that a Box store cannot or does no,t they will do very well.

The Lotus at Mae Sai doesn't seem to have effected local business much. These places attract a "Mall Crowd", usually young people while the older Thais still shop traditionally. They see a trip to Lotus or Big C more as a day out than a serious shopping trip. My wife and her family members around the same age or older would never dream of buying anything in Big C if they could get the same product locally. A lot of the market type produce is appalling quality and usually more than twice the price.

Check kitchen utensils at Big C then at the tent market just south -

Big C is twice the price but over twice the variety.

I remember in BKK trying to find butter knives, failing, going to a big new japanese superstore

and finding them for B400...

Interesting is that "Gai Ha Dao" 5 Star chicken store by the CR main market (Trirat Rd) has clean hygenic frozen chicken for half the price as in the main market - but locals, and my wife, prefer to pay more.

free range vs KFC adrenaline-pumped tortured-prisoner chickens...

lots of things at Taweekit and PiiRiYa are cheaper than Big C, but not everything. Can't use credit cards, buy in bulk or do the salad bar. but don't need to waste gas...

anyway, nice to have choice and variety. Don't be forgetting - to most locals, the small shop-owners are Chinese rapacious parasites taking away from the open-air markets!

Got the details from tesco yesterday - there is no mention of Chiang Kham.

dont forget that a big store like tesco also give jobs to many many local thai people.

the small stores will have to learn to offer something that the big doesnt. some added value service or different product.