Another Rat Abandons Sinking Retail Ship

[PattayaBunLover]

Noticed this morning during a stroll through The Avenue that the Apple Store is the latest retail shop to call it quits...I think that basically leaves the place with a few restos/coffee shops, a couple opticians, a few bank branches and ATMS, and a hair salon or two. (Oh, forgot, there are also a couple real estate bucket shops as well...like cockroaches, they would survive a nuclear war.) Villa is looking pretty empty these days too...I hope they survive, however, as it sure is convenient for some things.

Too bad for all the big and small-time operators who tried to make a go and for the developer of this mall. The worst recession since the Great Depression was bad timing in regards to opening a new retail mall. That, and their own mistakes in designing an open-air mall in a hot and rainy tropical country.

On another note, that American style 50s diner place on Theppraya road has also closed I am informed...this may be a new Pattaya record as I think this place closed before it even really opened Not surprised, again, as bad timing and limited market for expensive burgers in an American themed restaurant in Patters IMHO.

[canopus1969]

Welcome to Thai Visa

[moo9]

Noticed this morning during a stroll through The Avenue that the Apple Store is the latest retail shop to call it quits...I think that basically leaves the place with a few restos/coffee shops, a couple opticians, a few bank branches and ATMS, and a hair salon or two. (Oh, forgot, there are also a couple real estate bucket shops as well...like cockroaches, they would survive a nuclear war.) Villa is looking pretty empty these days too...I hope they survive, however, as it sure is convenient for some things.

Too bad for all the big and small-time operators who tried to make a go and for the developer of this mall. The worst recession since the Great Depression was bad timing in regards to opening a new retail mall. That, and their own mistakes in designing an open-air mall in a hot and rainy tropical country.

On another note, that American style 50s diner place on Theppraya road has also closed I am informed...this may be a new Pattaya record as I think this place closed before it even really opened Not surprised, again, as bad timing and limited market for expensive burgers in an American themed restaurant in Patters IMHO.

Hi,

is the store already closed? Any special deals? Bought 2 Mac's there, but always noticed a lack of customer flow.

It's a pity.

Cheers

[TheWalkingMan]

That place is dying a slow death. I know Pattaya People is trying to help bring in foot traffic, by having events like dancing, a night market and boxing with hopes of translating it into sales for the remaining shops. People do attend these events, but as far as significantly improving sales, I would be hard pressed to believe it.

Having the place redesigned as a Nana Plaza Pattaya seems to be the only hope. Hey, the nightlife is an easy sell to people who want to own a bar.

TheWalkingMan

[moo9]

That place is dying a slow death. I know Pattaya People is trying to help bring in foot traffic, by having events like dancing, a night market and boxing with hopes of translating it into sales for the remaining shops. People do attend these events, but as far as significantly improving sales, I would be hard pressed to believe it.

Having the place redesigned as a Nana Plaza Pattaya seems to be the only hope. Hey, the nightlife is an easy sell to people who want to own a bar.

TheWalkingMan

Indeed, that might be a good idea, but it seems that such a proposal is politically not correct nowadays.

Anyway we see what all the quality torists do good for a brand new shopping mall. The only two interesting places to me were Villa and the Apple store (and maybe the haidresser). Even Villa's location is not toog ood for me (parking is not very convenient), so we do the food purchases usually in Foodland or Carrefour.

[topben]

pizza hut offer 50% off. conditions apply. some items missing from pizza though.

Edited September 7, 2009 by topben

[Pattaya Diver]

Hate to break it to you, but the Apple store -- iStudio --merely moved down the street to Central Festival. It was simply a case of it making no sense having 2 locations so close together.

[gmac]

Hate to break it to you, but the Apple store -- iStudio --merely moved down the street to Central Festival. It was simply a case of it making no sense having 2 locations so close together.

Yes and No.......They were both operating at the same time for a while and the service in the Avenue outlet was far superior to the one in Central. Guess that might be because they were so glad to see a customer!!

[innovator]

It would have been OK to have 2 locations if there were more quality tourists spending cash.

[rgs2001uk]

It would have been OK to have 2 locations if there were more quality tourists spending cash.

Some who post on here on a regular basis have claimed, Pattaya is rocking, Walking St full of people every night, night clubs pumping til early morning.

Makes me wonder if they actually live in Pattaya or have a vested interest in talking Pattaya up.

Was on Jomtien beach yesterday, not a farang in sight, all Thai.

The odd farang I spotted certainly didnt appear to fall into the quality tourist category, more like a balloon chaser.

Your comment appears to confirm my observations.

[syd barrett]

pizza hut offer 50% off. conditions apply. some items missing from pizza though.

'topben' I would refer you to the link below, where I stated clearly that Pizza Hut have reduced the size of their pizza.

Pizza Hut Medium Size Pizza Reduction: Urgent Warning To All

[SHYTALK]

I always wondered what was the point of the avenue complex.

First came across it when I stayed in the Tim hotel next to it.

Have stayed the Tim twice now, and must say though the villa supermarket and the cut through to soi bukhao does come in handy.

[PattayaBunLover]

Hate to break it to you, but the Apple store -- iStudio --merely moved down the street to Central Festival. It was simply a case of it making no sense having 2 locations so close together.

As stated, they were operating both stores for awhile...and if sales were healthy I'm sure they would have kept them both open. In any case, it doesn't do anything for the operator of The Avenue mall if they relocated to Central At least Pattaya Apple fans still have a full-line store to serve their needs.

PS: Moo9, they are already closed.

Edited September 7, 2009 by PattayaBunLover

[basjke]

Hate to break it to you, but the Apple store -- iStudio --merely moved down the street to Central Festival. It was simply a case of it making no sense having 2 locations so close together.

As stated, they were operating both stores for awhile...and if sales were healthy I'm sure they would have kept them both open. In any case, it doesn't do anything for the operator of The Avenue mall if they relocated to Central At least Pattaya Apple fans still have a full-line store to serve their needs.

PS: Moo9, they are already closed.

I guess they were running 2 shops only because they couldn't terminate the lease in the avenue earlier so if they had to pay rent anyway then why not try to attract an occasional customer.

Have you seen the 2 shoe shops that were closed for renovation and have the sign on the door " reopen august".Unfortunately it doesn't mention which year.

And yes Walkingman a Nana plaza would be a tremendous idea because we are real short of bar complexes in pattaya.

[manarak]

I noticed that the Avenue Mall was near dead when I visited in July.

It is a typical example of a bad development.

It doesn't have the critical size, and there is nothing to attract people inside.

Maybe it can find a use as fancy offices for a company, or, with some rebuilding, as a hotel.

But a Nana Plaza of sorts would of course fit perfectly, especially with Tim Boutique, the Pattaya Bay Resort and the Mercure very nearby.

[Theyreallrubbish]

I noticed that the Avenue Mall was near dead when I visited in July.

It is a typical example of a bad development.

It doesn't have the critical size, and there is nothing to attract people inside.

Maybe it can find a use as fancy offices for a company, or, with some rebuilding, as a hotel.

But a Nana Plaza of sorts would of course fit perfectly, especially with Tim Boutique, the Pattaya Bay Resort and the Mercure very nearby.

Not to mention all the hotels on Soi 13, Dynasty, Lek, Sandy SPrings, AAA, Whitehouse Condotel, etc

Making it into that kind of thing would be a great idea. The cinema and bowling is there already for customer's to pretend they're on a date with their hooker and its not purely business. Keep some of the restaurants for the same reason and to allow the customers the feeling that they're white knights feeding the poor starving third world by taking their hooker for food, "You eat McDonalds before? In America we like much much. Very aroy mak."

They'd have to fill in the shallow pool on the ground floor or there'd be a drunken idiot managing to drown in its 3 inches of water every night

The layout is actually well suited to it with lots of shop spaces in the dark at the back and invisible from the street where some of the more risque shows could be done. Its so well suited, you might be suspicious that the developer had that as a back up plan from the get go

[salty]

I strongly recommend the Blue O bowling alley on 3rd floor if you are into bowling. Very enjoyable ( when you are playing well) and cheap. (120 baht for 3 games )

[britmaveric]

Let's face it - Patters needs one maybe two malls at best - the rest is overkill anyone with a brain cell could tell you they would be failures. Currently have 3 within a few blocks of each other.

[Theyreallrubbish]

Let's face it - Patters needs one maybe two malls at best - the rest is overkill anyone with a brain cell could tell you they would be failures. Currently have 3 within a few blocks of each other.

Central fully expect to be able to outlast the others and kill them off. They've done it before. Most notably with Imperial Mall group, where they killed the entire chain

[suiging]

They are killing themselves.

My wife is a Regional Director for a large Chinese owned company with a number of world brand licenses for Asia. The idiots in charge tried to charge on a square foot basis central BK and close to HK prices for the outlets..............Errrr No.

[PattayaBunLover]

I think the main problem (original sin) of The Avenue is it's design. I mean, you can't get past the point of how daft an idea was it to build an open-air mall in one of the hottest and most humid countries in the world (and when it's not, it's likely to be raining)! Couple that with the actual design itself, e.g., the Bedrock Flintstones look of the pathways (I can't tell you how many times women have told me they practically broke their ankles or fell down when stepping on on of the ribbons of stone meandering throughout the ground-floor areas) and the large areas of "dead space" in the dark back recesses of the complex. It's likely that an enclosed mall with a good mix of restos and retail would have done okay even in the current environment (Royal Garden does fine) but as it is now, it has no hope. The night market brings in a few tourists looking for inexpensive souvenirs and some Thais looking for cheap clothes but does nothing for the mall's actual tenants...except block access for their customers making them even less likely to shop there.

[PattayaParent]

I always preferred the old Central Festival when it was not airconditioned so not having an A/C in the Avenue would not be a problem. It just doesn't have anything that I'm interested in, I've been in it only to go to the cinema twice and Shenanigan's 3 or 4 times.

[Ulysses G.]

It would have been OK to have 2 locations if there were more quality tourists spending cash.

Some who post on here on a regular basis have claimed, Pattaya is rocking, Walking St full of people every night, night clubs pumping til early morning.

There are plenty of tourists FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. Walking street is full. Could not get a seat at Super Baby a Go Go. the other night. Sizzler was packed last night.

High season will be fine if the Yellowbellies don't take over the airport again.

Edited September 8, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[moo9]

And yes Walkingman a Nana plaza would be a tremendous idea because we are real short of bar complexes in pattaya.

Yes we are! All depends however on the service personnel :-)

[daveb1]

I think the main problem (original sin) of The Avenue is it's design. I mean, you can't get past the point of how daft an idea was it to build an open-air mall in one of the hottest and most humid countries in the world (and when it's not, it's likely to be raining)! Couple that with the actual design itself, e.g., the Bedrock Flintstones look of the pathways (I can't tell you how many times women have told me they practically broke their ankles or fell down when stepping on on of the ribbons of stone meandering throughout the ground-floor areas) and the large areas of "dead space" in the dark back recesses of the complex. It's likely that an enclosed mall with a good mix of restos and retail would have done okay even in the current environment (Royal Garden does fine) but as it is now, it has no hope. The night market brings in a few tourists looking for inexpensive souvenirs and some Thais looking for cheap clothes but does nothing for the mall's actual tenants...except block access for their customers making them even less likely to shop there.

I think your wrong I love the Avenue its really nice sitting outside having a pizza and doing some people watching the cinema is also very nice we often go there. I think things will get better once we get into the high season

Edited September 8, 2009 by daveb1

[syd barrett]

I always wondered what was the point of the avenue complex.

First came across it when I stayed in the Tim hotel next to it.

Have stayed the Tim twice now, and must say though the villa supermarket and the cut through to soi bukhao does come in handy.

Could you explain how you 'cut through to Soi Buckhaew'?

[PattayaBunLover]

removed...double post.

Edited September 8, 2009 by PattayaBunLover

[PattayaBunLover]

Could you explain how you 'cut through to Soi Buckhaew'?

If you walk through to the back (from 2nd Road) you end up at Second Road/Buakhow Soi 15. If you walk 200 meters or so, you will be at Soi Buakhow ("moto-sai" are also available).

Edited September 8, 2009 by PattayaBunLover

[PattayaParent]

I always wondered what was the point of the avenue complex.

First came across it when I stayed in the Tim hotel next to it.

Have stayed the Tim twice now, and must say though the villa supermarket and the cut through to soi bukhao does come in handy.

Could you explain how you 'cut through to Soi Buckhaew'?

Go in through the entrance at Second Road, keep to the left down the side of The Avenue and you exit out the back, turn left and Buakhaow is about 150~200 metres in front of you.

[tropo]

The cinema and bowling is there already for customer's to pretend they're on a date with their hooker and its not purely business.

I see quite a few single guys watching movies there. They don't want to pretend, so they save their cash. Are you one of those?

Edited September 8, 2009 by tropo