Nestlé Wins Legal Battle Over Nescafé Rights in Thailand

[Liverpool Lou]

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

7 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What, along the same lines as Nestle debacle, are you claiming happened to Pepsico?

 EST.

Gawd...   You think that EST replaced Pepsi on retailers shelves?

[impulse]

18 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I believe that they gently 'encouraged' retailers not to stock Pepsi but stock their cheap cola alternative instead.

 

It's been awhile since I was interested, but it is fascinating to me how retail stores decide what products are given which (and how much) shelf space.  Lots of books about it back when people read whole books, which is when I looked into it, 30 or so years ago.  Powerful companies can force retailers to absolutely shaft their competitors, making sure that competitive products get crappy, if any shelf space.

 

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

Powerful companies can force retailers to absolutely shaft their competitors, making sure that competitive products get crappy, if any shelf space.

 

Also, the Thai government gets involved on their behalf.

 

One industry I used to be involved in is actively monopolised by the Thais and includes price fixing. This is to ensure one or two Thai companies and entities continue to be able to operate and get paid and competition is restricted from entering the market. 

 

It is much the same as all the big industries here, beer and tobacco included.

[kimamey]

14 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Only Decaf for me these days, I go out to Starbucks 3 times a week that is about the best so far, Amazon dont do Decaf or 7/11, I would have thought the amount of coffee they sell daily they would have Decaf, maybe it's to expensive for them to buy, not many people want it, 

I don't usually drink decaf but I'm surprised it isn't easier to get.

[Yellowtail]

5 hours ago, blaze master said:

 

Does she like cream in her coffee ? 😅

She's a fine grind...

[ukrules]

5 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Gawd...   You think that EST replaced Pepsi on retailers shelves?

 

I remember when this happened, Pepsi literally disappeared overnight and the word on the street was it had been rebranded to EST for Asia. Likely completely inaccurate but that's what the word on the street was.....

That was years ago though.

[ChipButty]

7 hours ago, kimamey said:

I don't usually drink decaf but I'm surprised it isn't easier to get.

The whole of Rawai only Starbucks sell it, none of the local coffee shops do it, WeCafe at their main branch sell it, they do all their own roasting I'm not sure if they sell it their other branches, 

Now we have a few Starbucks on the island I can go there, 

Maybe the price has something to do with it, quite a lot more expensive, 

[kimamey]

9 hours ago, ChipButty said:

The whole of Rawai only Starbucks sell it, none of the local coffee shops do it, WeCafe at their main branch sell it, they do all their own roasting I'm not sure if they sell it their other branches, 

Now we have a few Starbucks on the island I can go there, 

Maybe the price has something to do with it, quite a lot more expensive, 

I thought, maybe Thais don't drink Decaf?  I asked my wife, and her first reaction was confusion, so I explained what it was and she said no they don't.  So that might be the reason. I'm in the UK until Sunday, but when I'm back and in a supermarket  I'll see if it's available there as I'm not sure if I've seen it. 

I would have thought in tourist areas it should be easier to find. I seem to remember you are in Phucket, although I might be wrong. 

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, kimamey said:

I thought, maybe Thais don't drink Decaf?  I asked my wife, and her first reaction was confusion, so I explained what it was and she said no they don't.  So that might be the reason. I'm in the UK until Sunday, but when I'm back and in a supermarket  I'll see if it's available there as I'm not sure if I've seen it. 

I would have thought in tourist areas it should be easier to find. I seem to remember you are in Phucket, although I might be wrong. 

You can get it in the bigger supermarkets, like Tops in Central, but local 7/11's no, I dont mind going out early in the morning and getting my Decaf on the beachfront, 

[KhaoHom]

I hate this company for a dozen reasons. Nevertheless, although unrelated it has the stink of the Pepsi fiasco on it.

 

Red cup is absolutely dire. I wouldn't even give the shi+ to your gf

[connda]

I guess we won't have to worry that their 3 in 1 coffee will disappear from the shelves.

[liddelljohn]

Nescafe and most Nestle products are vile tasting <deleted> ,, so I dont care , i drink only real bean coffee but Im glad they  screwed the ignorant Thai business  who thought they were above  commercial laws and agreements ......

[Mr Meeseeks]

On 4/15/2025 at 3:16 AM, ukrules said:

 

I remember when this happened, Pepsi literally disappeared overnight and the word on the street was it had been rebranded to EST for Asia. Likely completely inaccurate but that's what the word on the street was.....

That was years ago though.

 

I know one of the Thais that started EST. He brought cases of the stuff to a private function where everyone was drinking booze and forced everyone to try it. It tastes like the cheap cola you used to get in glass bottles in the UK in the 70's and 80's.

 

They started by commandeering Pepsico's outsourced bottling operation for their own use then forcing the Pepsi distributors to give everyone EST instead. Retailers were encouraged to replace Pepsi with EST. Many did and did not go back.

 

For a while, Pepsi was not available, as they had no glass bottling operation and their distribution network was actively working against them. It was only temporary.

 

Got to hand it to EST, it worked pretty well, their product is sh*t, but it can be found everywhere now.

 

I do tell everyone not to trust the Thais as they will not hesitate to do you over in business if they think they can make more money.

[ronnie50]

On 4/14/2025 at 3:57 AM, Georgealbert said:

The verdict marks a significant turning point for Nestlé in Thailand and paves the way for the company to stabilise its coffee business after months of uncertainty. It is also seen as a landmark decision in the country’s intellectual property and corporate law landscape.

Does this upend the Thai business model of insisting a foreign company must have a local Thai partner to do business in Thailand? So many foreign brands have been burned in the past through failed partnerships (think Carlesberg Beer among others). If a global brand no longer needs a local Thai partner (or 'Thai franchisee with nationwide marketing rights and profit sharing'), then that's huge news... right? Or am I reading too much into the court ruling (if so, why so?).