Rolling into both Thailand & Malaysia to see the demise of Tesco a few years now granted was such a disappointment

I know many on this forum particularly like Tesco own brand Teabags myself included

In Malaysia I liked to buy their own brand Guatemalan Coffee a great coffee with fruity after notes not available in Thailand I don't think but even then Thailand missed out on bringing in more local coffee produce to its Thai shelves.

They had quite a few good own label items
LOTUS on the other hand has not a lot of things like that to offer, I find the choice deeply diminished to its previous owner.

Sad to see they sold out.

 

Yes.. Tesco's finest had some good selections...  Particularly the wine... 

 

The same thing happened when Carrefour switched over to Big C...    The quality of products diminished.

 

Its clear that a cartel of big players are preventing the quality international chains from developing in the market.....  Thats not a bad thing, as in the West the Supermarkets have killed the highstreets....   

I used to visit the larger Tesco here at least a couple of times per month to see what they had in the "Falang" food aisle. Sometimes there were biscuits, sauces etc that I'd not seen for years and I'd buy loads.

 

Since Tesco departed I've probably been to Lotus'''''s''s maybe twice in total? The wife knows what to buy from their selections so no point me being there.

Whenever I suffer withdrawal symptoms, I just head on a flight back to the UK and assuage them through a trip to a Tesco store there. 

Depending on where you live there a a number of expat food stores that carry a variety of products and of course some are also selling them on Lazada. So there are some alternatives.

Miss the Nearns Ginger Oaties. Also since the Tesco 'management' influence has gone, the store layout has become a game of hide & seek.

I can live on thai or essan food no problem. 

I dont miss english food one bit. 

But having recently run out of my english tea bags, ive been hunting around hua hin looking for even pg tips, but ive had no luck. 

Yes, tesco lotus had a great selection, but sadly no more. 

Even topps used to stock pg tips, but now not. 

I may be wrong, but i suspect all the main retailers in Thailand are now owned by the same group, which isnt good for consumer choice, but apart from the tea bags, it wouldnt affect me. 

Lotus is certainly average, range is poor, i go there for one thing only. I could never find Tesco teabags, they rarely stocked them / or maybe sold out immediately

I leave the main shopping to my wife. She's a far cannier shopper than I am. But I do visit our local 'Go Fresh' store which has improved quite a bit since the switch from Tesco. It's a bit cramped but it does have quite a varied selection for a small unit. We live in the country so it's a useful shop to have out here.

 

It's also handy that I can use my Trumoney Wallet there as well.

Opposite experience here.

 

The larger branch upgraded itself, new stuff showing up more regularly, better choice of fruit, veg, alcohol. Staff better behaved as well.

 

But the main difference is the smaller branch, which completely transformed from a useless no-point-to-stop-there place to a decent option in between major shopping trips. Same staff, but also noticeably better service.

 

To be clear, neither is great. Just better than before.

 

In comparison, the two Big C branches went downhill, we hardly ever go there anymore.

Thank you for bringing up to this topic. Lotus is leading the charge for shrinkflation and crapflation (using cheaper inferior materials). Their prices are scandalous. And the increases (supposedly for inflation) bear no relation to what is reasonable. I shop there because frankly there is nowhere else to shop where I live and even Tesco is a 40 km round trip. Other things I hate are their inventory control....everytime I start buying something, it goes out of stock for months on end. The other thing is their car park, it was too small to begin with, now they keep flogging off bits to the car park for a car wash, for Amazon, and for all these useless 'markets'. The branch nearest us is the worst run store I have ever seen. Empty gaps on shelves which are where customers come to buy from. 

The good news, is that the store itself, as opposed to the other stores in the mall, is usually empty now. If you can park, you can shop quickly and efficiently and get out of the checkouts quickly (they installed self check outs some time back, but have decommissioned the gimmick, maybe for theft). But the restaurants, the banks, the phone shops and the food hall, are always busy. The toilets suck. 

 

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Lotus is certainly average, range is poor, i go there for one thing only. I could never find Tesco teabags, they rarely stocked them / or maybe sold out immediately

I think that might have been BritManToo emptying the shelves of teabags  when they were in stock

My gripe with the local  Lotus's after Tesco moved away is the poor service. regularly only 1 or 2 check outs open , with queues of up to 10 people. I have complained to both customer service and by email, but it does not get better. More staff clearly needed!"

Edited January 25, 20242 yr by prakhonchai nick

15 hours ago, northsouthdevide said:

I can live on thai or essan food no problem. 

I dont miss english food one bit. 

But having recently run out of my english tea bags, ive been hunting around hua hin looking for even pg tips, but ive had no luck. 

Yes, tesco lotus had a great selection, but sadly no more. 

Even topps used to stock pg tips, but now not. 

I may be wrong, but i suspect all the main retailers in Thailand are now owned by the same group, which isnt good for consumer choice, but apart from the tea bags, it wouldnt affect me. 

I always buy Dilmah brand Sri Lanka tea from Lazada, nearest approximation I can find.

15 hours ago, northsouthdevide said:

I can live on thai or essan food no problem. 

I dont miss english food one bit. 

But having recently run out of my english tea bags, ive been hunting around hua hin looking for even pg tips, but ive had no luck. 

Yes, tesco lotus had a great selection, but sadly no more. 

Even topps used to stock pg tips, but now not. 

I may be wrong, but i suspect all the main retailers in Thailand are now owned by the same group, which isnt good for consumer choice, but apart from the tea bags, it wouldnt affect me. 

Whats wrong with Lazada, PG Tips, 40 bags for 100bht ..............................

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pg-tips-tea-the-original-signature-taste-116g-116-i4209585079-s16576509785.html 

 

I prefer the Typhoo @ 100bht for 100 bags .................................... but sold out everywhere.

 

There's always Tetley tea bags @ 135bht for 100 bags.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/tetley-original-tea-100-tea-bags-100units-i4991291375-s21055532132.html 

"Does Anyone miss TESCO".  Not if I stand close enough !

Yes

 

Carrefour  and Tesco had many of there own Brand products + far cheaper that big name brands in Bic C Extra or Lotus's

No. I don't miss Tesco. One of the more predatory UK supermarkets who systematically targeted every rival shop in my UK home town by deep discounting - first they put the greengrocers out of business, then the small toyshops, and so on. A year later the only independent shops left were the butcher, the baker and ....the bicycle shop. Even Tesco selling bikes at cost price in the runup to Christmas didn't affect them,  cyclists were loyal. 

Plus Tesco don't pay or treat their staff well, unlike ALDI ( or Waitrose). No, I don't miss Tesco. (And their teabags are horrible, cheap, old, nasty tea dust). 

17 hours ago, RayWright said:

Miss the Nearns Ginger Oaties. Also since the Tesco 'management' influence has gone, the store layout has become a game of hide & seek.

"the store layout has become a game of hide & seek."

Especially that, terrible but not only Lotus, other shops like to do the same.

Tesco Lotus started off in fine style, with lots of own brand products, but this soon went downhill and the products disappeared from the shelves. That's when I stopped using the shop except for occasional items.

 

I have noticed that the unpasturised coconut milk is not sold at TESCO anymore. When I go to Malasia or Singapore I stock up on BOH tea, right now I still have Yorkshire Tea left but will check out Villa Market when I run out. They have the best selection of farang food.

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its clear that a cartel of big players are preventing the quality international chains from developing in the market

 

Actually, the international chains (Tesco and Carrefour) wanted to withdraw from the market and found buyers. No-one 'prevented' them from trading in Thailand. Restaurant chains like Wendy's, TGI Fridays and Planet Hollywood all did the same.

 

On the subject of Tesco/Lotus's, I do think that the latter has better presentation in their fruit/vegetable area than Tesco did, and I don't see a huge difference in what is available. I can't offhand think of anything I could once buy that I can't now, and some things I like are there now which weren't before.

 

Someone mentioned wine selection. In my experience, that seems to depend on individual store managers. I have the odd situation near me where a small Lotus store has a far wider beer selection than the main supermarket nearby. That makes no sense unless each manager decides what to stock.

8 minutes ago, The Old Bull said:

I have noticed that the unpasturised coconut milk is not sold at TESCO anymore. When I go to Malasia or Singapore I stock up on BOH tea, right now I still have Yorkshire Tea left but will check out Villa Market when I run out. They have the best selection of farang food.

 

Check https://www.nookiesdelights.3baht.net/index.htm For Yorkshire tea and a whole lot more. Quite a few people on AN use him.

Yes. I never go to the apostrophed Lotus's. They have nothing of interest.

18 hours ago, retarius said:

Thank you for bringing up to this topic. Lotus is leading the charge for shrinkflation and crapflation (using cheaper inferior materials). Their prices are scandalous. And the increases (supposedly for inflation) bear no relation to what is reasonable. I shop there because frankly there is nowhere else to shop where I live and even Tesco is a 40 km round trip. Other things I hate are their inventory control....everytime I start buying something, it goes out of stock for months on end. The other thing is their car park, it was too small to begin with, now they keep flogging off bits to the car park for a car wash, for Amazon, and for all these useless 'markets'. The branch nearest us is the worst run store I have ever seen. Empty gaps on shelves which are where customers come to buy from. 

The good news, is that the store itself, as opposed to the other stores in the mall, is usually empty now. If you can park, you can shop quickly and efficiently and get out of the checkouts quickly (they installed self check outs some time back, but have decommissioned the gimmick, maybe for theft). But the restaurants, the banks, the phone shops and the food hall, are always busy. The toilets suck. 

So true since Tesco left . What I do not understand is that they use a bar code system which is not only for the till scanning but also is fed into a computer to give remaining stock and automatic reordering . I can only assume that their main warehouse has run out of the product and the company buyer cannot source a new stock . The same story is at TOPS where they used to sell a variety of Waitrose products but many are not available now . I am commenting about the Buriram & Surin shops but maybe different in the big cities .   

22 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Yes.. Tesco's finest had some good selections...  Particularly the wine... 

 

The same thing happened when Carrefour switched over to Big C...    The quality of products diminished.

 

Its clear that a cartel of big players are preventing the quality international chains from developing in the market.....  Thats not a bad thing, as in the West the Supermarkets have killed the highstreets....   

The new Ad Bite "Lotus's Go Fresh" is a grammar train wreck. Apostrophes are used to form the possessive form of a singular noun or a plural noun not ending in s by adding ' and an s at the end. If a plural noun ends in s, only ' should be added. Correct: High school students' scores have been gradually improving over the last several years. Incorrect: Lotus's to imply plural or a missing "i". 

5 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

Dilmah brand Sri Lanka tea from Lazada, nearest approximation I can find.

Nice tea. 

I only usually have it when staying in hotels for some reason. 

Ive ordered yorkshire tea from Lazada before, but im not home at the moment and dont want to change my shipping adress on Lazada, so will just have to stick it out.. for now ive bought some heladiv

Brand from lotus,s

Anything but Lipton 😊

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Whats wrong with Lazada, PG Tips, 40 bags for 100bht ..............................

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pg-tips-tea-the-original-signature-taste-116g-116-i4209585079-s16576509785.html 

 

I prefer the Typhoo @ 100bht for 100 bags .................................... but sold out everywhere.

 

There's always Tetley tea bags @ 135bht for 100 bags.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/tetley-original-tea-100-tea-bags-100units-i4991291375-s21055532132.html 

Ive come to hua hin on holiday, and thought i would find English brand tea bags easily here... 

That was my homar simpson duh! Moment when i realised i cant anymore. 

Will just have to wait until im home to order from Lazada. 

Until then 🫖☕cheers 😊

No I don't miss Tesco and Lotut is the same low quality carp so who cares. I think some Yanks may have a point about British food.

 

Tesco fine foods, rofl

41 minutes ago, FangFerang said:

The new Ad Bite "Lotus's Go Fresh" is a grammar train wreck. Apostrophes are used to form the possessive form of a singular noun or a plural noun not ending in s by adding ' and an s at the end. If a plural noun ends in s, only ' should be added. Correct: High school students' scores have been gradually improving over the last several years. Incorrect: Lotus's to imply plural or a missing "i". 

Please stop