Carrefour, the world's second largest retailer is leaving Thailand

[Penefattore]

(year after year I see the shares I own going to the roof).

You must be living in an upside down house

[djayz]

Doesn't impact me one iota. My family still shops for food almost exclusively at the local open air market where both the meat and the produce seem to taste much better.

Ditto - I couldn't careless if they all closed shop and left the country/region. I seldom buy there - the gf and I buy all our fresh produce at the local market... admittedly I'm still a bit iffy about the meat - but haven't had any problems upto now, but then again there are no guarantees at these chain stores either...

[djayz]

They could do with more supermarkets here boosting competition and getting food producers to be more productive, the prices of almost everything is higher then in the UK with far lower quality produce and minimal choice.

Tesco in Thailand is like a complete different business to that in the UK, lets hope Walmart enters the market.

One reason we shop in Tesco/Big C/CF is food quality. Hopefully....the food is checked and of good quality. I question items obtained from the fresh markets...You just don't know what you are getting or how it was grown.

I don't want to pay for the high cost of pure "organic" produce...but at least hope the bigger stores implement some good quality controls...hopefully...

... and do you know where the big stores are getting their food from? Just because it's nicely packed and presented doesn't mean it's better or safer than the food at the fresh market...

[blakegeee]

As I understand Thailand is too small for Walmart. They only go to countries with 500 million plus population

Incorrect - Walmart own ASDA in the UK, a 60 plus million population.

'Incorrect!' You can say that again! The US doesn't even have 500 Million population and that's their biggest market and where the company started. Canada has about half the population of Thailand and there are Walmarts in just about every small town there is.

[djayz]

Wallmart is in the wing.

Is this a rumor or based on some facts? I like Walmart as much as I like Big C! NOT!

If they come here, will the Thai people start looking like this?

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

I'm outta here if they do!

aldi and iceland in the same car park please oh and a lidl

Are you serious?!?!?! Aldi and Lidl? Yeah right, that's exactly what this country / region needs - CHEAP SH*T! I think NOT!

[buddy]

One reason we shop in Tesco/Big C/CF is food quality. Hopefully....the food is checked and of good quality. I question items obtained from the fresh markets...You just don't know what you are getting or how it was grown.

I don't want to pay for the high cost of pure "organic" produce...but at least hope the bigger stores implement some good quality controls...hopefully...

... and do you know where the big stores are getting their food from? Just because it's nicely packed and presented doesn't mean it's better or safer than the food at the fresh market...

Safer?...Agree to a point on fruit and veg and on other certain foods, but not on dairy produce, Yoghurt, milk etc or foods that are processed.

There is a difference between non certified food and certified food, food quality and hygiene standards are the reason why HACCP (Hazzard and Critical Control Points)for food quality was invented.

The major retail players adhere to these quality regimes and there is an added cost for this!

[buddy]

... and do you know where the big stores are getting their food from? Just because it's nicely packed and presented doesn't mean it's better or safer than the food at the fresh market...

Safer?...Agree to a point on fruit and veg and on other certain foods, but not on dairy produce, Yoghurt, milk etc or foods that are processed.

There is a difference between non certified food and certified food, food quality and hygiene standards are the reason why HACCP (Hazzard and Critical Control Points)for food quality and hygiene was invented.

The major retail players adhere to these quality regimes and there is an added cost for this!

[Rucharee]

Any like French food anyway.

Why can't they close down Tesco too?

[jybkk]

Don't want to rain on your parade guys, but Walmart, Target or anyone else replacing Carrefour wouldn't bring much change.

CF in Thailand looks nothing like those you can find in France or Spain. It's just another Thai supermarket, with 3 full rows of Lays potato chips and barely half a dairy section.

The only difference with Tesco or Big C is a tiny section of french and international products.

I am globally very dissatisfied by the supermarkets in Thailand. As some satirical website pointed out some time ago, they manage to offer the same product selection as a 7-eleven on the surface of 2 football fields.

I guess CF are trying to get some cash out of the stagnating markets (Thailand, Malaysia) to invest in the fast growing ones (China, India...)

As for the "typical french failure" snarky remarks, I find this a bit ironical, considering Carrefour is in the top 3 retail groups in the world (#1 in size, #2 in revenue and #3 in profit).

A quick look at wikipedia would show you that, for example, they are installed in China since '95, have more than 150 stores there... I'd say they adapt pretty well.

Oh, and FYI, BigC is a Thai company operating under a business alliance with Casino Group... another french retailer.

[Tokay]

Trader Joes! That's what we need here.

I'd blow 1/2 of boys town for a Trader Joes. That place is AWESOME!!!!

Others I'd like to see here:

Quiznos Subs

Wendys

Target

White Castle

That would pretty much take care of every craving or shopping need I have.

[buddy]

I'd blow 1/2 of boys town for a Trader Joes. That place is AWESOME!!!!

Others I'd like to see here:

Quiznos Subs

Wendys

Target

White Castle

That would pretty much take care of every craving or shopping need I have.

Born free, end up a brainwashed consumer...Nike anybody!

[geriatrickid]

Trader Joes! That's what we need here.

I'd blow 1/2 of boys town for a Trader Joes. That place is AWESOME!!!!

Others I'd like to see here:

Quiznos Subs

Wendys

Target

White Castle

That would pretty much take care of every craving or shopping need I have.

Quiznos & White Castle have some the highest fat contents of any fast food purveyor. It's a coronary in a greasy package. Most people feel sick after eating the high sodium, high fat Quizno subs.

Wendy's?? Big <deleted> Deal. It's still crap.

Target? That's your idea of quality? Why not just flush your money down a toilet. The cheap Chinese made products fall apart quickly.

The people that shop at the cheap retailers usually have clothes that fit poorly, that fall apart after a few washes and have homes furnished with crap. If they consider the referenced purveyors of heart disease, fine eatin', then they probably fit in that growing North American demographic, called morbidly obese.

I try to avoid over processed food derived from downer cattle that owes any form of taste to chemical additives. Seriously, why would anyone want to make Thais morbidly obese slobs?

[anotheruser]

Trader Joes! That's what we need here.

I'd blow 1/2 of boys town for a Trader Joes. That place is AWESOME!!!!

Others I'd like to see here:

Quiznos Subs

Wendys

Target

White Castle

That would pretty much take care of every craving or shopping need I have.

Something tells me you would probably do that regardless.

Edited July 9, 2010 by anotheruser

[BugJackBaron]

Don't want to rain on your parade guys, but Walmart, Target or anyone else replacing Carrefour wouldn't bring much change.

CF in Thailand looks nothing like those you can find in France or Spain. It's just another Thai supermarket, with 3 full rows of Lays potato chips and barely half a dairy section.

The only difference with Tesco or Big C is a tiny section of french and international products.

I am globally very dissatisfied by the supermarkets in Thailand. As some satirical website pointed out some time ago, they manage to offer the same product selection as a 7-eleven on the surface of 2 football fields.

I guess CF are trying to get some cash out of the stagnating markets (Thailand, Malaysia) to invest in the fast growing ones (China, India...)

As for the "typical french failure" snarky remarks, I find this a bit ironical, considering Carrefour is in the top 3 retail groups in the world (#1 in size, #2 in revenue and #3 in profit).

A quick look at wikipedia would show you that, for example, they are installed in China since '95, have more than 150 stores there... I'd say they adapt pretty well.

Oh, and FYI, BigC is a Thai company operating under a business alliance with Casino Group... another french retailer.

Agreed. Even the best places in Bangkok for foreign produce, Siam Paragon and Emporium can't match what is in the average Safeway in Canada at

1/3 the cost.

On the other hand it is better here than in some asian(*cough* Korea) countries.

It seems that "globalization" has really just meant a license for multinationals to drop

what they cant sell in the West over here

I hear Singapore comes closer to the Western quality..why can't Thailand.?

Edited July 9, 2010 by BugJackBaron

[bkkjames]

 

I hear Singapore comes closer to the Western quality..why can't Thailand.?

Why? cause there is no demand for it. let's do simple math. 64 million Thais or 100k expats.

[Rama]

All the big retailers that are here are here for the 99.95% market of Thais and not the .05% market of falangs. Me thinks the reason Carrfour is leaving is strictly for simple economic business reasons - they're running a distant third behind Tesco Lotus and Big C in market share and market penetration. They just haven't been able to generate the same mindshare among Thais as Tesco and Big C have. I'm sure they're making money, but their own internal long term ROI projections say they're better off investing their money somewhere else.

[Mobi]

All the big retailers that are here are here for the 99.95% market of Thais and not the .05% market of falangs. Me thinks the reason Carrfour is leaving is strictly for simple economic business reasons - they're running a distant third behind Tesco Lotus and Big C in market share and market penetration. They just haven't been able to generate the same mindshare among Thais as Tesco and Big C have. I'm sure they're making money, but their own internal long term ROI projections say they're better off investing their money somewhere else.

Excellent post. Agree 100%

[Rucharee]

I don't care if Farangs want to go home.

[buddy]

Agreed. Even the best places in Bangkok for foreign produce, Siam Paragon and Emporium can't match what is in the average Safeway in Canada at

1/3 the cost.

On the other hand it is better here than in some asian(*cough* Korea) countries.

It seems that "globalization" has really just meant a license for multinationals to drop

what they cant sell in the West over here

I hear Singapore comes closer to the Western quality..why can't Thailand.?

The Cold Chain is fully developed in Singapore is the answer!

Cold Chain definition - A cold chain is an uninterrupted temperature-controlled supply chain.

An unbroken cold chain is an uninterrupted series of storage and distribution activities which maintain a given temperature range to fresh and frozen food (from farm to fork), also Pharmacuticals, Vaccines, Petro-Chemical products and other products essential for todays modern lifestyles.

You think Thailand has problems, India has no Cold Chain in place at all for food retailers, so are way behind Thailand.

[Jingthing]

I don't care if Farangs want to go home.

Thanks for sharing, dear.

[luckyluke]

"Carrefour belie any closure of stores in Malaysia and Singapore, noting that the activity is normal for all stores.

In 2010, four Carrefour hypermarkets were opened in Malaysia and four more scheduled to open by the end of the year.

Asked by AFP about Thailand, Carrefour declined to make comment."

-Le Parisien-

[jybkk]

I don't care if Farangs want to go home.

MUST. RESIST. NOT. FEEDING. THE. TROLL....

Arrrh, that's tough

[Humphrey Bear]

Having read through this thread over the past 15 minutes - let's clarify things

Carrefour are not closing their stores - they are looking for a buyer.

On Bloomberg a few days ago a price of >1,000,000,000.- US Dollars was quoted.

Thus the new operator will be one of the big boys, or a venture-capital outfit that will employ a serious management team.

Carrefour are selling their entire SE Asia enterprise, but I don't know if it will all go to one buyer.

Don't know either if the buildings are CF's or under another enterprise. For the money being asked, I would say the freehold is on offer - but what does that mean in Thailand?

[geriatrickid]

'buddy' says;

-The Cold Chain is fully developed in Singapore is the answer!

-You think Thailand has problems, India has no Cold Chain in place at all for food retailers, so are way behind Thailand.

100% agreement with the full post, but 2 items stick out.

Yes SIN can have a cold chain, but when the land size is small it is alot easier to accomplish, n'est ce pas? Plus SIN has a reliable logistics network and power grid, along with an ability to follow quality control requirements. Singapore is a place that works.

India. Oh boy. The land of dung. Who wants to go live in India? It's just so disgustingly filthy and crushed by bureaucracy. There is a resaon why millions upon millions of educated, talented Indians have left the country. Although crystal free ice cream or properly refrigerated products may not be a reason, the lack of a reliable logistics network is a reflection of the uselessness of the land that gave us tandoori chicken. Thailand is the land of comfort and efficiency compared to India, even if the Tater Tots at Villa were thawed and frozen a few times. Napoleon Dynamite would still have been happier.

I will deeply miss the fine selection of select European foods at Carrefour. Where else could one find 4 different kinds of capers? Mixed in with the identically sized carrots, which I presume are products of China's genetically modified seed stock, are undamaged apples form Washington state and other favourite food items. I will miss the workers in their white gum rubbers. It was so reassuring to see them dressed up. So what if they had stinky sweaty feet in those boots and probably were slicing chicken in the back without having washed their hands after taking a dump? Their uniforms shouted out, hey we're going to look clean. Where else can I gaze upon the bin of exposed chicken parts where the locals cough and hack all over the carcasses? Carrefour I will miss you and your long lines of fat foreigners sighing with frustrtaion at the long lines at checkout. Sometimes one could and did come across a vision of beauty in line, can anyone say Danish women (who are delicate angels from the heavens), or even a bit of excitement like the time the Australian woman threw a pushy Russian out of the line after she had shoved her way in. (There's a tip - always pick a line with an Australian or someone from the UK, they behave in the lines and the Aussies will toss queue jumpers without hesitation.) It was a chance to fall in love and fantasize about all that could be watching a cute Spanish woman take a little nibble on her baguette. Ahh Carrefour, whatever will Isome of the weird foreigners do when they cannot walk through the womens under garment section touching and feeling the polyester bras and panties? giggitty giggity......

Edited July 9, 2010 by geriatrickid

[overhaul38]

Of course the cause is money. Carrefour is not the most popular shop but the competition helps keep the others in line.

[garrfeild]

If you watched the BBC World News you might have noticed that Carrefour and Wallmart are looking to get into the Indian Market.

I don't do any shopping in Carrefour, So I won't miss them. Tops Market is good but not many of them around. In Phuket there is a Villa Market. They have a great sellection of imported food stuffs but pricey, but then imported food brands seem to be expensive where ever you go in the world, i.e. A small tin of Heinz beans is over 100 Baht or over £2 here in Thailand, Yet a big tin of SPC baked bean is about 69 Baht and tastes like heinz baked beans, hehehhehe:jap:

Now that is useful information.

[rubl]

I don't care if Farangs want to go home.

MUST. RESIST. NOT. FEEDING. THE. TROLL....

Arrrh, that's tough

Stay cool man, stiff upper lip and all that. Don't let us down!

PS just checked profile of K. Rucharee, friend s with Kissdani, no surprise, not really

[Arandora]

So Carrefours invested in Jung Ceylon in Patong for the Thai market???!!! Vous etes having a laugh! They are pulling out becuase the "0.05% market of falngs" recognises a rip off when it sees it and the "99.95% market of Thais" are not interested in falang products at Carrefour prices!

[buddy]

'buddy' says;

-The Cold Chain is fully developed in Singapore is the answer!

-You think Thailand has problems, India has no Cold Chain in place at all for food retailers, so are way behind Thailand.

100% agreement with the full post, but 2 items stick out.

Yes SIN can have a cold chain, but when the land size is small it is alot easier to accomplish, n'est ce pas? Plus SIN has a reliable logistics network and power grid, along with an ability to follow quality control requirements. Singapore is a place that works.

India. Oh boy. The land of dung. Who wants to go live in India? It's just so disgustingly filthy and crushed by bureaucracy. There is a resaon why millions upon millions of educated, talented Indians have left the country. Although crystal free ice cream or properly refrigerated products may not be a reason, the lack of a reliable logistics network is a reflection of the uselessness of the land that gave us tandoori chicken. Thailand is the land of comfort and efficiency compared to India, even if the Tater Tots at Villa were thawed and frozen a few times. Napoleon Dynamite would still have been happier.

I will deeply miss the fine selection of select European foods at Carrefour. Where else could one find 4 different kinds of capers? Mixed in with the identically sized carrots, which I presume are products of China's genetically modified seed stock, are undamaged apples form Washington state and other favourite food items. I will miss the workers in their white gum rubbers. It was so reassuring to see them dressed up. So what if they had stinky sweaty feet in those boots and probably were slicing chicken in the back without having washed their hands after taking a dump? Their uniforms shouted out, hey we're going to look clean. Where else can I gaze upon the bin of exposed chicken parts where the locals cough and hack all over the carcasses? Carrefour I will miss you and your long lines of fat foreigners sighing with frustrtaion at the long lines at checkout. Sometimes one could and did come across a vision of beauty in line, can anyone say Danish women (who are delicate angels from the heavens), or even a bit of excitement like the time the Australian woman threw a pushy Russian out of the line after she had shoved her way in. (There's a tip - always pick a line with an Australian or someone from the UK, they behave in the lines and the Aussies will toss queue jumpers without hesitation.) It was a chance to fall in love and fantasize about all that could be watching a cute Spanish woman take a little nibble on her baguette. Ahh Carrefour, whatever will Isome of the weird foreigners do when they cannot walk through the womens under garment section touching and feeling the polyester bras and panties? giggitty giggity......

India, Land of dung...I just love that it sums the place down to a tee.

[buddy]

India. Oh boy. The land of dung. Who wants to go live in India? It's just so disgustingly filthy and crushed by bureaucracy. There is a resaon why millions upon millions of educated, talented Indians have left the country. Although crystal free ice cream or properly refrigerated products may not be a reason, the lack of a reliable logistics network is a reflection of the uselessness of the land that gave us tandoori chicken. Thailand is the land of comfort and efficiency compared to India, even if the Tater Tots at Villa were thawed and frozen a few times. Napoleon Dynamite would still have been happier.

India, Land of dung...I just love that it sums the place down to a tee.

One other important benefit that Multi-National retailers (not all) stimulate in the development of Cold Chains is the prevention of food wastage.

In some under developed Country's (I include India in that, Thailand is more advanced)Upto 25% of some foods produced have to be thrown away because it spoils or goes rotten on the way from the Farm or Slaughterhouse before it reaches the retail market.

This food wastage is in addition to the wasted land, all the animals that have been slaughetered and fed (more land wastage to grow the animal feed) the farmers efforts, transportation and fuel waste, and lost profits, all for nothing because no Cold Chain is in place.

The UN have estimated that if every Country had a developed Cold Chain we could feed the World and hunger would be erradicated.

Wastage around the world.pdf