Carre Four Going Down Hill

[bedbugy]

on my last two visits to carrefour in hat yai i go each month to buy pork and various items i noticed that the pork on sale was off lower quality the tv that was at the fridges telling you about the farm and feed had gone the items that i useually buy not there i asked the staff well a smile back was all i got

what once was a great store is no more looks like tesco from now on

[Jdietz]

Here, have some comma's, full stops and capitals, they may make your rant readable.

...,,,III

[powderpuff]

So you're not happy with the influence of Big C? me neither.

Carrefour is a place to buy Pepsi toothpaste & toilet paper. Stuff they can't screw up.

If you buy meat there see ya in the ER.

[gotlost]

To be expected that Big C has bought them out.

[BuckarooBanzai]

Can't believe Big C can continue to operate with the Carrefour signage. Maybe slow change over on purpose?

[MiG16]

Carrefour is selling all it's businesses in Asia

[Shipwreck]

Carrefour is selling all it's businesses in Asia

Why? Certainly they seem profitable.

[HeavyDrinker]

Carrefour was always on our shopping circuit due to it's excellent bread, meat, wine and cheeses (among occasional other bits and pieces)

Big C is the least of the supermarkets here in my opinion and I've not been to one in years.

It's a real shame they aren't maintaining Carrefour's high standards.

[MiG16]

Carrefour is selling all it's businesses in Asia

Why? Certainly they seem profitable.

Not sure if this is the real reason, but what I read some months back. Carrefour targets to be number 1 in the markets it enters. In this case (Asia) it isn't number 1. So they decide to sell. Asia could just be south east Asia - again hazy on details.

In sea they are number one in some markets (Singapore would be my guess) but not in others (Thailand for instance)

Could be that they also need to let go of branches in Singapore to sweeten the deal. Or could simply be that the economy of scale for the region could not be maintained once they sold branches in some countries.

[janverbeem]

Carrefour is selling all it's businesses in Asia

They took their other asian branches off the market after they sold their Thailand branch.

[jaiyenyen]

I was in my local Carrefore today. I don't usually shop there, and looking around the shelves, I was reminded why. However, as my wife and I stood watching our stuff being rung up on the till, I noticed that two cold meat items that we bought at a reduced price of 66bht each were rung up at the normal price, 70bht each. My wife didn't want to mention it, but I did. The supervisor went to check, came back and apologised. Then told us (With a beaming smile) that because the store had made a mistake, we would be given the items free of charge..............and be given some free vouchers. Good job I was still holding onto the trolley as my legs felt a bit wobbly.

Would this ever happen in Tesco/Lotus.............hahahahahahaha..........NEVER!!!

[Shipwreck]

Good on you for pointing out an irregularity.

132B isn't much of a write off and it establishes a good brand name - which is strange since by the end of the year all Carrefours will be gone.

[petedk]

I was in my local Carrefore today. I don't usually shop there, and looking around the shelves, I was reminded why. However, as my wife and I stood watching our stuff being rung up on the till, I noticed that two cold meat items that we bought at a reduced price of 66bht each were rung up at the normal price, 70bht each. My wife didn't want to mention it, but I did. The supervisor went to check, came back and apologised. Then told us (With a beaming smile) that because the store had made a mistake, we would be given the items free of charge..............and be given some free vouchers. Good job I was still holding onto the trolley as my legs felt a bit wobbly.

Would this ever happen in Tesco/Lotus.............hahahahahahaha..........NEVER!!!

It's been the policy of Carrefour for a long time to be given the item free of charge if they charge more than the price shown on the shelf.

The wife is very particular in checking prices and I think we get refunds 6 out of 10 times we shop there. The only time we didn't get a refund was when they charged 600 baht more for an office chair then they advertised. They came with all sorts of weak excuses for the mistake but refused to pay the money.

Another supermarket that is just as bad is Villa.

It's a good idea to check the prices every time.

[PattayaParent]

As others have pointed out, it's not Carrefour anymore, it's been taken over by Big C.

Shopped in carrefour Pattaya on Saturday and they haven't deteriorated to Big C level yet, when they do I expect Foodland and Frienship will see an big increase in sales.

Edited March 21, 2011 by PattayaParent

[techno]

Can't believe Big C can continue to operate with the Carrefour signage. Maybe slow change over on purpose?

According to the manager at Carrefour in Chiang Mai is that Big C do not take over the business until August.

[gotlost]

Big C buys Carrefour

http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun_code=plus&news_id=7712

[bonobo]

Due to my driving patterns and u-turns to and from work, mostly along Phetkasem, Carrefour is the only place for me to shop on the way back from work unless I want to go into the Mall Bang Khae (and find a parking spot, then deal with the horrendous exit from the mall.)

However, yesterday, I went to the Tesco-Lotus on Phetkasem, and I have to say, the selection of produce and meats were much better than at the Carrefour to which I go. I was really quite surprised as I had been led to understand that Carrefour was of a little higher quality.

[jazzbo]

The larger Tops Markets now have an excellent selection of imported/domestic meats, cheese, breads, produce, groceries, etc. -- at a price -- for all those who want to live in Thailand but eat as if they were still back home.

[bonobo]

The larger Tops Markets now have an excellent selection of imported/domestic meats, cheese, breads, produce, groceries, etc. -- at a price -- for all those who want to live in Thailand but eat as if they were still back home.

I even saw Dr. Pepper at the Tops in the Mall Bang Khae.

[jazzbo]

Imported food items I have bought in Thailand this year: 1-500 ml Tesco olive oil, jars of mustard from France/Netherlands, the occasional imported tomato products and pasta from Italy, 1 kg Grana Padano cheese from Italy at Makro, 4% grade powdered whole milk from NZ that I buy for my morning coffee... that's it...

Oh and the coffee which I believe is from Indonesia and the Lipton tea bags for iced-tea from India.

Cajun and Mexican spices / chills I bring from USA each year -- not too much weight

Edited March 21, 2011 by jazzbo

[yermanee]

I hope they don't change the bakery.

Baguettes and Pistolets are the best in Thailand by a mile.

Would miss them very much indeed.

Yermanee

[janverbeem]

The larger Tops Markets now have an excellent selection of imported/domestic meats, cheese, breads, produce, groceries, etc. -- at a price -- for all those who want to live in Thailand but eat as if they were still back home.

I think they carried that selection from the beginning,but as you say it comes at a price.............and i.m.h.o. a rip off price that is.

[HeavyDrinker]

Out of interest I went to one of the restaurants on my estate last night (for the first time in a good while) where several French lads would usually congregate most evenings, all of whom worked at or for Carrefour.

I only found one forlorn looking bloke sitting there who told me he was the last (of 9) from his particular branch - the rest already having pre-departed him and he himself had to be back in France by July.

He was unsure as to whether or not Big C planned simply to take over the stores and turn them into new branches of Big C or to continue the Carrefour line although he seemed to feel the former is the most likely.

To be fair to him though he didn't seem that bothered as he was up to his ears in red-tape trying to get his wife and 2 kids back to France with him when he leaves next month.

If you thought we Brits had a lot of bother with red-tape, this poor lad has been through the mill big time.

He is also feeling extremely bitter towards Carrefour (as apparently do many of their non-Thai employees) who had made lives here on the promise that Carrefour were in it for 'the long run' as it were, only to have the carpet pulled from under them.

After a few drinks as night fell, during which time I pointed him firmly this direction for assistance, I left him looking the very picture of Gallic defeatism, hunched in a constant shrug over his wine.

Just goes to show you really never do know what is around the next corner...

[farang000999]

The best grocery is the company that is in Emporium and Paragon.

[powderpuff]

Can't believe Big C can continue to operate with the Carrefour signage. Maybe slow change over on purpose?

According to the manager at Carrefour in Chiang Mai is that Big C do not take over the business until August.

The merge is complete. If they were smart they would continue to operate under current signage.

btw Carrefour want tio be number one or number 2 in any market. Thus there is no plan to exit Red China where they are number 2.

[powderpuff]

Yeah Big C's parent is Casino - another French outfit. Low class.

[Bagwan]

Newspaper reports stated that Carrefour were pulling out of SEA so that they had the dosh to open up the sub continent. India is on the up and up and there are bucks to be made. I don't know what Carrefour's penetration was in neighbouring countries but I would guess that they were less than enthusiastic about the future of Thailand.

[ihunnieibee]

The Carrefour near my house- around Bang Po, it is very small..and hasn't been there very long...but they always ALWAYS have expired goods!! i was just in there tonight and bought some cookies that were expired...(on accident obviously..)

Although I usually check...for some reason I didn't on those particular cookies...but after I took a bite i realized something was wrong...then i checked...they expired back in Jan. I just feel that it should be part of the stockers job to check those dates... and take those items off the shelf....Either way, I know they'll be changing to Big C but just a warning to all of you..remember to check the expiration dates... I know TIT and I should be ashamed of myself for even hoping that a huge chain store would actually care about their customers....I'm delusional

[LaoPo]

Carrefour is selling all it's businesses in Asia

In Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore it is; not in China with 180 hypermarkets and still expanding; although they are facing some difficulties there.

But, they're still #2 worldwide with 475.000 employees and Euro 107 Billion in sales in 34 countries. Not exactly a baby retailer.

LaoPo

[Kilgore Trout]

Went to carrefour rama 4 taday and no more paul newmans salad dressing