Big C Extra, Meat department.....Why customers are almost never seen there...

[soi3eddie]

15 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

I for one quit shopping there in favor of the open markets...

Us too, where they cut the meat freshly in front of you. We eat pork and chicken (Mrs no beef) so fresh markets are best. We do shop at Villa Market sometimes but chicken breast meat there is nearly 3 times more than the local market at the end of the soi.

 

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Just another great mystery of life , there are many of them in Thailand,

 

regards worgeordie

Thai billionaire, Mr Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.

thinks it's cheap.

[alanrchase]

12 hours ago, Airalee said:

I like Aussie Tenderloin.  Not sure what you consider the best Aussie tenderloin.   I have 4kg of Portoro MB4+ 250 day grain fed angus tenderloins in the freezer.  Not bad for ฿1600/kg but it doesn’t hold a candle to that striploin.  Not even close.  

 

https://portoro.com.au

 

Let me know where I can score some of the best Aussie tenderloin.  I’d love to try it.

 

This looks good…

 

I've seen it all now, buying your steak in 4 interest free payments.

[Gandtee]

21 hours ago, novacova said:

Eat buffalo, it’s cheaper and lasts longer in the mouth ????

My family took me out to local restaurant ( roadside shop} in Rayong this week for a sirloin steak. Oz imported. Bt160. The best and first steak I've been able to chew since I can remember. My wife doesn't bother to buy the local beef for me now, other than minced. Maybe the lack of teeth and old age could be my problem.????????

[bluejets]

Just the way it currently is, rediculous prices.

A quick check at Aus store Coles (for example) mince is over 400baht a kg............. 

Couldn't see any blackangus steak....probably all exported......however, most steak is anywhere from $40 to $50 kg ( 900 to 1200 kg)

 

Then it has to be packed, transported, pay the import duty etc. etc. 

[scorecard]

21 hours ago, redwood1 said:

 

They must have to git rid of LOADS of this unsold EXPENSIVE meat every month....Meat only has a very limited life span...

Frozen solid kepps for quite a while. Often enough what you see in he display is hard frozen.

[jesimps]

22 hours ago, novacova said:

Eat buffalo, it’s cheaper and lasts longer in the mouth ????

 

Ate buffalo occasionally during my 4 years in India. Quickly got fed up with the taste and texture. 

[Troy Tempest]

I can never understand how any Big C stores make a profit.

 

I have visted them all over Thailand and they are always massive and fully stocked, but in every case you can count the number of customers on 2 hands at any one time and normally there are only 2 checkout stations actually operating????

[redwood1]

4 minutes ago, Troy Tempest said:

I can never understand how any Big C stores make a profit.

 

I have visted them all over Thailand and they are always massive and fully stocked, but in every case you can count the number of customers on 2 hands at any one time and normally there are only 2 checkout stations actually operating????

Big C Extra in Pattaya.....Is pretty busy most days...

[jacko45k]

12 minutes ago, Troy Tempest said:

I can never understand how any Big C stores make a profit.

 

I have visted them all over Thailand and they are always massive and fully stocked, but in every case you can count the number of customers on 2 hands at any one time and normally there are only 2 checkout stations actually operating????

Certainly not the case in Big-CX Pattaya after 10am at weekends. 

[thailand49]

It is simple Big C extra! 

The case you show are imported meat which mark 30 -40 % higher than locals if one move back near the entrance that is where the customers are this section is basically what is being sold at Makro, Lotus.

[superal]

22 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How many hours each week do spend there counting the customers and noting what they buy to rationally make that claim... five minutes, perhaps, when you walk past?

The op was showing the general lack of customers at the meat department was because of the high prices which has been endorsed by other readers . Now do you understand ? Talk about being pedantic 

[Ralf001]

14 hours ago, Airalee said:

I like Aussie Tenderloin.  Not sure what you consider the best Aussie tenderloin.   I have 4kg of Portoro MB4+ 250 day grain fed angus tenderloins in the freezer.  Not bad for ฿1600/kg but it doesn’t hold a candle to that striploin.  Not even close.  

 

https://portoro.com.au

 

Let me know where I can score some of the best Aussie tenderloin.  I’d love to try it.

 

This looks good…

 

 

 

Turned into ground beef that would make some very very decent hamburgers.

[khunjeff]

22 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Big C made the mistake to go from trays of fresh meat out for the public to choose from to prewrapped portions in glass cases... I for one quit shopping there in favor of the open markets...

They still sell 99% of their meat (pork and chicken) from open trays, as can be seen in the background of the OP's tight close-ups - and there are plenty of customers there. I can't recall beef ever being sold from those open trays, however. What the OP was looking at was not the "meat department", but the "butchery" counter, where they sell imported and more expensive products.

[redwood1]

3 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

They still sell 99% of their meat (pork and chicken) from open trays, as can be seen in the background of the OP's tight close-ups - and there are plenty of customers there. I can't recall beef ever being sold from those open trays, however. What the OP was looking at was not the "meat department", but the "butchery" counter, where they sell imported and more expensive products.

I never said that the chicken and pork section at Big C Extra was lacking customers....

The prices are ok there.....

This thread was about the beef....And how amazingly overpriced any beef they sell is...

[TDCNINJA]

22 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Perhaps it is sold; you're assuming that the OP's claim is correct (after he does nothing more than walking past the counter once a week doing his 5 minute "survey")!

Why do so many people like you spend your time making disparaging comments to posters? I'll assume you spend much time being negative than him doing his survey.

[Skipalongcassidy]

19 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

They still sell 99% of their meat (pork and chicken) from open trays, as can be seen in the background of the OP's tight close-ups - and there are plenty of customers there. I can't recall beef ever being sold from those open trays, however. What the OP was looking at was not the "meat department", but the "butchery" counter, where they sell imported and more expensive products.

Have you noticed that the selection is being limited more and more... no more bacon... small chicken wings... etc

[khunjeff]

3 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

I never said that the chicken and pork section at Big C Extra was lacking customers....

The prices are ok there.....

This thread was about the beef....And how amazingly overpriced any beef they sell is...

Fair enough. I was just noting that your post said:

 

"Big C Extra, Meat department.....Why customers are almost never seen there...

This is what I see every time I walk by the meat department"

 

...and then dozens of folks chimed in saying that Big C only sells expensive, vacuum packed meats, which isn't true.

 

You are of course quite right about the absurd pricing of their imported beef, and I'm glad we agree that the prices of the non-beef meats that most people buy at Big C aren't bad at all. (Even when the imported beef there was cheaper, I rarely saw anyone buying it.)

[khunjeff]

3 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Have you noticed that the selection is being limited more and more... no more bacon... small chicken wings... etc

That seems to depend heavily on which branch you go to, and on whether they've received new shipments recently. I mostly shop at some of the largest and busiest stores in central Bangkok (Ratchadamri, Rama IV, Ratchadaphisek), and haven't noticed much change there.

[CecilM]

Why did you single out BigC and not mention all the other supermarkets too?

[Np100]

It has to be said that when Noel the foreign butcher ran the butchery dept at Big C Extra 4 or 5 years ago it was probably the busiest butchery dept in Thailand. Plus the staff at the time were very attentive as they were taught that that was the right way to be if they wanted to offer good customer service. 

[novacova]

1 hour ago, jesimps said:

Ate buffalo occasionally during my 4 years in India. Quickly got fed up with the taste and texture. 

Wife’s family are the main suppliers of fish and buffalo in their area, they call buffalo “beef” and they’re always trying to shove it down my throat “you want eat beef?” “mai phom beef mai di”

[Burma Bill]

On 7/30/2023 at 8:53 AM, ezzra said:

It's called Makro, Most of Big C meat prices ( and some others) are 'you're dreaming mate' prices, so yeah Makro is the place to go and do big shopping.

Thanks, I totally agree. Same here in Siem Reap, Cambodia with our local MAKRO. The fresh meat counter is usually busy and I use it. The Khmer beef is fresh, tender, delicious and so much cheaper than the high priced imported frozen Australian and USA beef.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Burma Bill
additional information

[dddave]

On 7/30/2023 at 9:21 AM, BenStark said:

The meat counter at big C is a private company, they also run the cheese counter and the ready made food opposite the meat counter.

 

Prices doubled since they took over the business from Big C, and they are never busy, so I wonder how they can stay in business.

 

But many imported goods at Big C are now ridiculous priced.

 

Creamy cheese with herbs from Casino, was 110 baht before covid, now 330 baht for 125 gram. I had a friend bring me the same thing from Europe, at 70 Euro cents (25 baht) for 150 gram.

 

Chorizo salami sliced, 1800 - 2200 baht/kg, in Europe 14 Euro/kg for the same thing.

When I lived in Bangkok, the Big-C on Rama-4 had an Australian running the meat department and his advice on steaks was always spot on. My price range was not over B1500kg but he'd always point me to the best within that range.  I'd get 3 or 4 250-300g steaks and they'd always be tender and tasty.  One day I went in and he was gone and the whole department was turned around.  That was the end of it.  Now I get most of my steaks from online sellers, nice cuts, reasonable prices.

Edited July 31, 2023 by dddave

[redwood1]

47 minutes ago, CecilM said:

Why did you single out BigC and not mention all the other supermarkets too?

 

Your right the other supermarkets are just-as if not more so overpriced regarding beef....

 

But I only shop at Big C extra Pattaya as far as the big supermarket chains go....

So I know  Big C extras history well going back 10 years..

So I can speak about my experience of going there for a long time..

 

So in a nut shell....Big C extra Pattaya beef use-to be priced very well before they sold the department to a private company.....

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by redwood1

[jacko45k]

26 minutes ago, Np100 said:

It has to be said that when Noel the foreign butcher ran the butchery dept at Big C Extra 4 or 5 years ago it was probably the busiest butchery dept in Thailand. Plus the staff at the time were very attentive as they were taught that that was the right way to be if they wanted to offer good customer service. 

Used to pick up a rib-eye steak as a treat now and again back then. Don't bother nowadays. 

Edited July 31, 2023 by jacko45k

[BenStark]

32 minutes ago, Np100 said:

It has to be said that when Noel the foreign butcher ran the butchery dept at Big C Extra 4 or 5 years ago it was probably the busiest butchery dept in Thailand. Plus the staff at the time were very attentive as they were taught that that was the right way to be if they wanted to offer good customer service. 

There were actually 2 foreign butchers, I think it was John leading the department, they are gone now.

 

Also the French baker I see very little lately, maybe he's also on his way out?

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, BenStark said:

Also the French baker I see very little lately, maybe he's also on his way out?

The freshly baked savories are no longer available..... used to buy a couple of those to enjoy in the food court or later at home. 

[Lucky Bones]

15 hours ago, steven100 said:

not if it's injected with Sodium Chloride and a couple of other preservatives

Steven, don't forget the veggies.

Enjoy????????

[redwood1]

35 minutes ago, BenStark said:

There were actually 2 foreign butchers, I think it was John leading the department, they are gone now.

 

Also the French baker I see very little lately, maybe he's also on his way out?

It looks to me like the whole bakery department at Big C Extra is being downsized more and more all the time....

 

Remember when the Quiche selection use-to be guite huge...

 

Now the selection is tiny.....Just a few.....

 

 

Both these tables use-to be full of baked suff....Now only one is....

 

 

 

 

I think people quit shopping at Big C extra so much because people dont like paying $$$$  for beef , and fewer shoppers are making a big dent in the bakery sales...

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by redwood1