It’S Official, Carrefour Converted To Big-C

[FarangBuddha]

I would bet a pretty penny that the Pattaya store revenues will slide, including all the other shops in the arcade.

And I think you'll lose your pretty penny. Farangs around here have such an inflated notion of their own importance to Thailand.

I think we all agree that the old Carrefour better catered to the farang market. Two days ago I visited the new Big C Extra and verified what we are all saying.

But FarangBuddha was merely suggesting that Big C Extra will do well enough, financially speaking, by its focus on the Thai market as that is a far larger market than the farang market. A vast number of middle class Thais from BKK are regularly flooding into PTY on the weekends and holidays, too.

It's not the intention of Big C Extra to lose money. If they thought profits would go up significantly by greater emphasis on the farangs, they'd make exactly that. But that smaller, specialty (from the Thai point of view) market segment is being served adequately well by Foodland, Friendship, Villa, and Best. Big C can't compete with them on price, service, or convenience--and they know that.

During my visit, I found about as many customers in there as in the old Carrefour and, yes, a greater percentage were Thai. Still, there were quite a few farang as well--esp. if you count Russians as farang, which many of our TV posters perversely refuse to do, though French, Germans, and Belgians--among other Caucasians by race--have always been counted as farang.

I also found Big C adequate for my basic needs. I mostly shop at Tesco anyway w/ occasional visits to Foodland or Best. Many farangs will think the same. Many of us, believe it or not, don't go in for specialty cheeses, specialty meats, specialty fish and specialty whatnot. Now, I did find the prices a bit higher than Tesco for the same stuff, though not extremely so; and that was annoying. As for service--well, about the same as the old Carrefour. Thais are Thais, bless 'em.

Good wrap-up...can close the thread now.

[tropo]

But FarangBuddha was merely suggesting that Big C Extra will do well enough, financially speaking, by its focus on the Thai market as that is a far larger market than the farang market. A vast number of middle class Thais from BKK are regularly flooding into PTY on the weekends and holidays, too.

These middle class Thais coming from Bangkok for the weekend shop at Big C Extra?

[FarangBuddha]

But FarangBuddha was merely suggesting that Big C Extra will do well enough, financially speaking, by its focus on the Thai market as that is a far larger market than the farang market. A vast number of middle class Thais from BKK are regularly flooding into PTY on the weekends and holidays, too.

These middle class Thais coming from Bangkok for the weekend shop at Big C Extra?

Sure...and the Hi-So's shop at Central Beach...it's the "Extra" that draws them in

[JSixpack]

But FarangBuddha was merely suggesting that Big C Extra will do well enough, financially speaking, by its focus on the Thai market as that is a far larger market than the farang market. A vast number of middle class Thais from BKK are regularly flooding into PTY on the weekends and holidays, too.

These middle class Thais coming from Bangkok for the weekend shop at Big C Extra?

Not specifically for Big C Extra, but hordes of them--and not just from BKK--are streaming, or rather creeping, past it anyway on Pattaya Klang and Pattaya 3rd Rd (great location) as they make their way toward Beach Rd., and back on the return trip, so it seems certain that some, if not many--who the hell knows exactly how many?--stop in.

Be interesting to check w/ the Big C Extra service desk and see what they say about the matter.

[Phil Conners]

I think if you go to Big C Extra and look for yourself there are far fewer customers now than before, farang and Thai. Yes, there are sure more Thai's here, but they must be shopping somewhere else.

[janverbeem]

Big C Extra will do well enough, financially speaking, by its focus on the Thai market as that is a far larger market than the farang market.

Now take in consideration that there were 2 Big Craps already in Pattaya which catered to the same people.The south pattaya branch is a loss making shop as it is empty all the time.The north Pattaya branch is busy because it is located in the middle of the tourist area and the only Hypermarket available in that area.Now there is a new Big crap Xtra which again caters to those same people,so where do you think their customers will come from?I assume that most of there customers were previously customers at one of the other branches and this one has a more convenient location for them.The farang clientele which Carrefour had built up over the years have gone down significantly already and eventually will disappear for the biggest part,so in fact their gain in this branch is their loss in one of the other branches however in the south branch there wasn't much to lose anymore.

So I doubt very much if the huge investement from the take over will bear it's fruits in higher profits.Keep in mind that pattaya isn't a stand alone case.Take for example Chonburi where there was previously 1 deserted Big C and 2 Carrefours within a 5 km range so I assume that there are now 3 deserted Big C's.

[JSixpack]

My comments in blue.

Now take in consideration that there were 2 Big Craps already in Pattaya which catered to the same people.The south pattaya branch is a loss making shop as it is empty all the time.

Oh, just hot air so typical around here.

You don't know that it is empty all the time and you don't know that it is running at a loss. Clearly you hate Big C ("Big Crap") and so you don't really shop there often if at all. Though there may not be many customers in there when you go--or maybe you just don't want to see them?--there could be at other times.

In the USA, on normal weekdays, the big departments stores--Macy's, Penney's, Sears, Saks, Nieman Marcus--stay open even though pretty much deserted--all the while occupying incredibly expensive property. Now think: how can that be possible?

The north Pattaya branch is busy because it is located in the middle of the tourist area and the only Hypermarket available in that area.

Ah, no. The middle of the tourist area has has never been North Pattaya. It's traditionally been Walking Street and now has expanded towards Central Festival and Soi Buakaow.

And it is NOT the only hypermarket in the area, as Lotus is just a km or so around the corner on Pattaya Nua.

Now there is a new Big crap Xtra which again caters to those same people,so where do you think their customers will come from?I assume that most of there customers were previously customers at one of the other branches and this one has a more convenient location for them.

And so NONE, not even ONE, old Carrefour customer will set foot in Big C Extra? No new customers at all from anywhere? All promotions will be ignored? Nor will the Thai population ever grow in the future? All the Thais and farangs who shop at Home Depot next door are going to shun Big C when they know they need to pick up a few groceries or a bottle of shampoo?

I love this forum!

The farang clientele which Carrefour had built up over the years have gone down significantly already and eventually will disappear for the biggest part,

LOL. Most farang have no major objections to Big C. I've seen countless farang in the North PTY Big C over the years.

The whinges of a few farang here with their panties all in a wad over the absence of their favorite cheese in Big C Extra can't be taken as representative of the vast majority who don't much care about all those specialty items or pick them occasionally at Foodland etc.

I also see a significant number of farang in the new Big C Extra (gotta post some pics). It's not by any means deserted. I might note that Big C also offers some advantages over the old Carrefour, as in clothing selection.

Now, I also liked the old Carrefour better; but I'm not going to spout nonsense about Big C Extra or about anything else.

so in fact their gain in this branch is their loss in one of the other branches however in the south branch there wasn't much to lose anymore.

Wrong.

So I doubt very much if the huge investement from the take over will bear it's fruits in higher profits.Keep in mind that pattaya isn't a stand alone case.Take for example Chonburi where there was previously 1 deserted Big C and 2 Carrefours within a 5 km range so I assume that there are now 3 deserted Big C's.

Clearly your dreams drive your assumptions. Why assume, when you can just go find out? I do, before I post.

Each new change in PTY is always greeted with loudmouth cries and prophecies of doom. Central was going to be a dark and deserted tomb; in fact, it was going to fall down. Northshore was going to be a "concrete coffin." And it was going to fall down, too. The closing of a few beer bars on Beach Road was "a nail in the coffin." And now all the farangs are disappearing! Dying Pattaya!

As another research expedition last night I happened to ride by the supposedly deserted beer bars on Sois 7 and 8. Some of them had lots of farang enjoying themselves and many had at least a few. The Silver Star go-go on Soi 7 was absolutely PACKED, only a couple seats left in the place. I haven't seen it that crowded during the high season.

Looks like a better than usual low season even for the bars, certainly better than last year. (Yes, Russians count as farang.) I had thought about taking a few pics of some crowded bars, but of course someone would simply post a pic of a deserted bar, there being hundreds of beer bars in PTY.

I leave all to enjoy speculations as to the reasons for all these cries and prophecies of doom. It seems there are a lot of little Che Guevaras running around here who just, emotionally speaking, don't like change or development and will say most anything to whip up sentiment against it--not that it matters to the Thais in the slightest . . . .

Edited July 30, 2011 by JSixpack

[janverbeem]

My comments in blue.

Now take in consideration that there were 2 Big Craps already in Pattaya which catered to the same people.The south pattaya branch is a loss making shop as it is empty all the time.

Oh, just hot air so typical around here.

You don't know that it is empty all the time and you don't know that it is running at a loss. Clearly you hate Big C ("Big Crap") and so you don't really shop there often if at all. Though there may not be many customers in there when you go--or maybe you just don't want to see them?--there could be at other times.

In the USA, on normal weekdays, the big departments stores--Macy's, Penney's, Sears, Saks, Nieman Marcus--stay open even though pretty much deserted--all the while occupying incredibly expensive property. Now think: how can that be possible?

The north Pattaya branch is busy because it is located in the middle of the tourist area and the only Hypermarket available in that area.

Ah, no. The middle of the tourist area has has never been North Pattaya. It's traditionally been Walking Street and now has expanded towards Central Festival and Soi Buakaow.

And it is NOT the only hypermarket in the area, as Lotus is just a km or so around the corner on Pattaya Nua.

Now there is a new Big crap Xtra which again caters to those same people,so where do you think their customers will come from?I assume that most of there customers were previously customers at one of the other branches and this one has a more convenient location for them.

And so NONE, not even ONE, old Carrefour customer will set foot in Big C Extra? No new customers at all from anywhere? All promotions will be ignored? Nor will the Thai population ever grow in the future? All the Thais and farangs who shop at Home Depot next door are going to shun Big C when they know they need to pick up a few groceries or a bottle of shampoo?

I love this forum!

The farang clientele which Carrefour had built up over the years have gone down significantly already and eventually will disappear for the biggest part,

LOL. Most farang have no major objections to Big C. I've seen countless farang in the North PTY Big C over the years.

The whinges of a few farang here with their panties all in a wad over the absence of their favorite cheese in Big C Extra can't be taken as representative of the vast majority who don't much care about all those specialty items or pick them occasionally at Foodland etc.

I also see a significant number of farang in the new Big C Extra (gotta post some pics). It's not by any means deserted. I might note that Big C also offers some advantages over the old Carrefour, as in clothing selection.

Now, I also liked the old Carrefour better; but I'm not going to spout nonsense about Big C Extra or about anything else.

so in fact their gain in this branch is their loss in one of the other branches however in the south branch there wasn't much to lose anymore.

Wrong.

So I doubt very much if the huge investement from the take over will bear it's fruits in higher profits.Keep in mind that pattaya isn't a stand alone case.Take for example Chonburi where there was previously 1 deserted Big C and 2 Carrefours within a 5 km range so I assume that there are now 3 deserted Big C's.

Clearly your dreams drive your assumptions. Why assume, when you can just go find out? I do, before I post.

Each new change in PTY is always greeted with loudmouth cries and prophecies of doom. Central was going to be a dark and deserted tomb; in fact, it was going to fall down. Northshore was going to be a "concrete coffin." And it was going to fall down, too. The closing of a few beer bars on Beach Road was "a nail in the coffin." And now all the farangs are disappearing! Dying Pattaya!

As another research expedition last night I happened to ride by the supposedly deserted beer bars on Sois 7 and 8. Some of them had lots of farang enjoying themselves and many had at least a few. The Silver Star go-go on Soi 7 was absolutely PACKED, only a couple seats left in the place. I haven't seen it that crowded during the high season.

Looks like a better than usual low season even for the bars, certainly better than last year. (Yes, Russians count as farang.) I had thought about taking a few pics of some crowded bars, but of course someone would simply post a pic of a deserted bar, there being hundreds of beer bars in PTY.

I leave all to enjoy speculations as to the reasons for all these cries and prophecies of doom. It seems there are a lot of little Che Guevaras running around here who just, emotionally speaking, don't like change or development and will say most anything to whip up sentiment against it--not that it matters to the Thais in the slightest . . . .

I don't want to spend too much words on this,but is that really a picture of you in your avatar?At least it reflects perfectly your attitude.:jap:

[tropo]

Each new change in PTY is always greeted with loudmouth cries and prophecies of doom.

I'm also a hater of Big-C, but only for groceries. It is definitely a step down losing a big supermarket chain and replacing it with Big-C which already has 2 in the area. I'll get over it, but it is a loss.

Anyway, we can't expect every change in Pattaya to be positive. We have to take some losses along the way.

[JSixpack]

Each new change in PTY is always greeted with loudmouth cries and prophecies of doom.

I'm also a hater of Big-C, but only for groceries. It is definitely a step down losing a big supermarket chain and replacing it with Big-C which already has 2 in the area. I'll get over it, but it is a loss.

Anyway, we can't expect every change in Pattaya to be positive. We have to take some losses along the way.

I mostly agree w/ you. As I said, I also liked Carrefour better; I'm also sorry to see it go.

On the other hand, I don't really hate Big C; and a part of taking the loss along the way is to recognize and accept the reality, however unpalatable, that this store is, in fact, not going to fail for lack of business: such irrational predictions are mostly owing to farang sour grapes besides the Che Guevara stance.

Now, true, that location would probably support an even more profitable retail establishment such as Wal-Mart, Target, or IKEA, esp. given the saturation of Big Cs in the greater Pattaya area. But I don't see that happenin'. Anyway, I would imagine that Big C would give up the South Pattaya store first.

Edited July 31, 2011 by JSixpack

[JSixpack]

I don't want to spend too much words on this,but is that really a picture of you in your avatar?At least it reflects perfectly your attitude.:jap:

Yes, thank you, I look just like Clark Gable. You've made my day!

[tropo]

greater Pattaya area. But I don't see that happenin'. Anyway, I would imagine that Big C would give up the South Pattaya store first.

I would have thought that the Big C on Sukhumvit was in the best location of the three. I use that store a lot for non-grocery items and find it better than Carrefour used to be.

[luckyluke]

Big C X, ok for me : only place, I know, where you can buy rillettes.

[JSixpack]

greater Pattaya area. But I don't see that happenin'. Anyway, I would imagine that Big C would give up the South Pattaya store first.

I would have thought that the Big C on Sukhumvit was in the best location of the three. I use that store a lot for non-grocery items and find it better than Carrefour used to be.

For non-grocery items, Big C might often be better than the old Carrefour, true.

The South Pattaya location is less desirable than Pattaya Klang, seems to me, because it's less convenient to get into (I'm thinking of the south lane of Sukhumvit) and because competitor Lotus is quite nearby. On Sukhumvit many commuters are intent on getting home or getting to work and they are moving faster. Pattaya Klang and 3rd Rd. traffic represents a high proportion of people who are shopping around or touristing around in PTY or, like Glitterman (recently spotted coming out of the new Big C Xtra), posing. They're often not on their way to any distant target, or they are stuck in traffic and can easily decide to stop in.

And there you have a huge lunchtime traffic from surrounding businesses. After having lunch in the Food Court or wherever in the mall, commuters pick up a few items in (now) Big C to take home. I know a Thai working in the area who does exactly this most every day. Finally, Home Depot is a significant draw right next door.

I could be wrong, of course. In any case I believe the S. PTY store will be remaining open too.

Edited July 31, 2011 by JSixpack

[Semper]

'It’S Official, Carrefour Converted To Big-C'

Shock, horror. 3300 views because two companies made an business agreement. And half of Pattaya expats are worried that they can't buy their extra special product from the west.

[Ulysses G.]

Always preferable to yet another "lets whine about Thailand" thread!

[janverbeem]

My comments in blue.

All the Thais and farangs who shop at Home Depot next door are going to shun Big C when they know they need to pick up a few groceries or a bottle of shampoo?

I love this forum!

Clearly your dreams drive your assumptions. Why assume, when you can just go find out? I do, before I post.

Well today,about 2 weeks after your last post I did some more research as you suggest.I entered through the side where HOMEPRO is located,strange that you didn't notice yet that it isn't called home depot on your careful research trips.I was there at about 5.30 Pm which should be about prime time for any supermarket.The store was deserted.

I used to buy those ready cooked meals,both farang and thai food, on a daily base at Carrefour for the past 3-4 years or so but had given up on that shortly after it transformed into Big Crap.

So today I gave it a new try.The farang food section was almost empty apart from a few beefstews,which looked not so healthy,and some chicken stew.Then up to the Thai food section.........They had grilled pigeon on sale at 119 Baht a piece,I remember previously Carrefour had grilled chicken at that section at the same price.They also had some barbequed chicken joints and wings at 250 Baht/kilo.I calculated that it would probably cost me a thousand baht of those to fill my stomach so I thanked for that.Further on they still had what previously was known as masaman khai,and which I often bought previously, but now it was written in Thai so I couldn't read what it was.The way it looked now was,a small plastic bag with 2 half of a smallish potato with some red curry peanut sauce and a bone inside.Maybe someone can explain what this dish is called.They had some more ready made Thai food on sale but it all had the same red color of chilli all over it.Probably to kill the taste of the rubish inside.I then took a quick look at the salad bar,which had gonne up in price and they had Mayonaise with something that looked like brocolli but was half yelow of color,mayonaise with tomato,mayonaise with cabbage,mayonaise with carrot and probably also mayonaise with mayonaise.

The bakery also had nothin much to offer other then some banana cakes, which weren't brown but white greenish and half the size of what they used to be ,and some cheap sandwich bread,Whole wheat or sesam bread only from farmhouse.

At that time I knew it was time to move on to Tesco,and when I passed through the checkout I noticed that there were a total of 5 counters open with none of them more than 2 customers.Remember this was at 5.30 Pm and it wasn't raining outside.

So maybe there lays some thruth in the negative comments that are posted in this thread.

[tropo]

Well today,about 2 weeks after your last post I did some more research as you suggest.I entered through the side where HOMEPRO is located,strange that you didn't notice yet that it isn't called home depot on your careful research trips.I was there at about 5.30 Pm which should be about prime time for any supermarket.The store was deserted.

I used to buy those ready cooked meals,both farang and thai food, on a daily base at Carrefour for the past 3-4 years or so but had given up on that shortly after it transformed into Big Crap.

So today I gave it a new try.The farang food section was almost empty apart from a few beefstews,which looked not so healthy,and some chicken stew.Then up to the Thai food section.........They had grilled pigeon on sale at 119 Baht a piece,I remember previously Carrefour had grilled chicken at that section at the same price.They also had some barbequed chicken joints and wings at 250 Baht/kilo.I calculated that it would probably cost me a thousand baht of those to fill my stomach so I thanked for that.Further on they still had what previously was known as masaman khai,and which I often bought previously, but now it was written in Thai so I couldn't read what it was.The way it looked now was,a small plastic bag with 2 half of a smallish potato with some red curry peanut sauce and a bone inside.Maybe someone can explain what this dish is called.They had some more ready made Thai food on sale but it all had the same red color of chilli all over it.Probably to kill the taste of the rubish inside.I then took a quick look at the salad bar,which had gonne up in price and they had Mayonaise with something that looked like brocolli but was half yelow of color,mayonaise with tomato,mayonaise with cabbage,mayonaise with carrot and probably also mayonaise with mayonaise.

The bakery also had nothin much to offer other then some banana cakes, which weren't brown but white greenish and half the size of what they used to be ,and some cheap sandwich bread,Whole wheat or sesam bread only from farmhouse.

At that time I knew it was time to move on to Tesco,and when I passed through the checkout I noticed that there were a total of 5 counters open with none of them more than 2 customers.Remember this was at 5.30 Pm and it wasn't raining outside.

So maybe there lays some thruth in the negative comments that are posted in this thread.

Coming from a guy who has been buying the prepared food for so long, your report means a lot. I get the same feeling when I look over the food. Considering that they're trying to focus on the foreign market, why have they taken out almost every English label. That's really dumb.

Did anyone notice how bad the service has become at the fresh fish counter? It didn't take long for Carrefour to deteriorate into a Big-C.

[raro]

Hovmästarsås(a mustard based sauce that goes exceptionally well with salmon)

Does anyone know where i can get a good one ?

You'll probably be able to find it in IKEA shortly, when they open in Bangkok

I posted a link to the recipe just a couple of days ago....google is your friend

[raro]

I was shopping there last Saturday. Again no shopping carts, had to hi-jack one from a customer coming out of the check-out. Then out of soda water, so we decided to try somewhere else.

TOPS - run down and expensive. Car Park can enter from 2nd road if you haggle enough with the security guard, exit is not possible. We didn't buy anything.

Tesco in North Pattaya - was ok for vegetables, fruit and some other commodities and non-food. Diapers were more expensive than at Big C Extra, though. meat section looked worse than at Big C.

Foodland: for more vegetables and the meat.

Big c extra still has the advantage of its proximity to Foodland, making it an almost one-stop shopping trip. TOPS never again and Tesco......yeah, why not when anyways in the area.

[luckyluke]

Good Casino chocolate at +/- 75 ThB for 200 gr. at BigCX

[JSixpack]

Well today,about 2 weeks after your last post I did some more research as you suggest.I entered through the side where HOMEPRO is located,strange that you didn't notice yet that it isn't called home depot on your careful research trips.

Not strange at all as I shopped numerous times recently in the USA at Home Depot and Home Pro is the nearest equivalent here.

I was there at about 5.30 Pm which should be about prime time for any supermarket.The store was deserted.

Well, I was there at 2 PM yesterday and it had plenty of customers including farang.

I used to buy those ready cooked meals,both farang and thai food, on a daily base at Carrefour for the past 3-4 years or so but had given up on that shortly after it transformed into Big Crap.

Big C doesn't owe you any ready cooked meals of any sort. Get over it. You should be eating healthier anyway, so they're doing you a favor.

So today I gave it a new try.The farang food section

Sorry, I don't see any sign anywhere in the store that says, "FARANG FOOD SECTION." Where is that sign?

Are you confusing BCX with Carrefour? This is a DIFFERENT store under DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT.

was almost empty apart from a few beefstews,which looked not so healthy,and some chicken stew.Then up to the Thai food section.........They had grilled pigeon on sale at 119 Baht a piece,I remember previously Carrefour had grilled chicken at that section at the same price.They also had some barbequed chicken joints and wings at 250 Baht/kilo.I calculated that it would probably cost me a thousand baht of those to fill my stomach so I thanked for that.Further on they still had what previously was known as masaman khai,and which I often bought previously,

No, they didn't "still had what previously," because BCX has just opened. They didn't have anything at all there previously. Carrefour did. You're totally confusing two different stores operated by two different companies.

If you realize this, then you can whine much less.

but now it was written in Thai so I couldn't read what it was.

The thing is, now the Thais can read what it is, and there are a lot more Thais in Thailand than farang.

Yep, the native language of this country is Thai. You chose to live in a non-English speaking country and so have no right to complain about Thais using their native language only--unless for documents essential that foreigners read such as immigration forms.

Try China, even major streets signs can be in Chinese only.

The way it looked now was,a small plastic bag with 2 half of a smallish potato with some red curry peanut sauce and a bone inside.Maybe someone can explain what this dish is called.They had some more ready made Thai food on sale but it all had the same red color of chilli all over it.Probably to kill the taste of the rubish inside.I then took a quick look at the salad bar,which had gonne up in price and they had Mayonaise with something that looked like brocolli but was half yelow of color,mayonaise with tomato,mayonaise with cabbage,mayonaise with carrot and probably also mayonaise with mayonaise.

No, the salad bar has more than mayonnaise. It has fresh veggies as well. Thais do eat stuff w/ mayonnaise; the idea of simple vegetables with no junk on them is foreign.

The bakery also had nothin much to offer other then some banana cakes, which weren't brown but white greenish and half the size of what they used to be ,and some cheap sandwich bread,Whole wheat or sesam bread only from farmhouse.

You know, Thais eat a lot more rice than bread. Did you check the rice selection?

At that time I knew it was time to move on to Tesco,and when I passed through the checkout I noticed that there were a total of 5 counters open with none of them more than 2 customers.Remember this was at 5.30 Pm and it wasn't raining outside.

I went thru at around 2 PM yesterday and there were 11 cashiers open and each had 2 or more customers, meaning relatively fast checkout. At least 1/3 of those had a farang waiting to purchase. About 5 farangs were in the food section. Overall, plenty of shoppers in there, though it wasn't crowded being a weekday afternoon.

So, Tesco has 3 cashiers open and long lines and you think there are plenty of customers while you stand and wait 20 min. I hate the Tesco checkout.

So maybe there lays some thruth in the negative comments that are posted in this thread.

What's true is that many of our flowers posting here (a very small percentage of farangs residing in or visiting PTY) are all wilted because they can't find their favorite cheese etc. in BCX.

And it's true that BCX is less farang-friendly than Carrefour. I also liked Carrefour better, and in fact I like Tesco better except for the checkout. Service in both stores can be equally poor and downright infuriating. Foodland's service has always been about the best around in the supermarket category. Their cashiers are well-trained for the farang market.

Here's what's not true and you aren't going to be able to make true by wishing:

• BCX is not already doing reasonably good business for a new store.
  
• BCX has some obligation to cater to farangs.
  
• BCX has farangs as its target market.
  
• BCX (Central) is going to lose money and fail.
  
• BCX's business is not going to grow.
  
• BCX unreasonably overcharges consumers.
  
• Few farangs are shopping or are going shop at BCX.
  
• Few foreigners are shopping or are going to shop at BCX.
  
• BCX only offers food for sale, nothing else.
  
• BCX has worse service than Tesco overall.
  
• Carrefour offered more selection--overall, without regard to farang specialty items--in clothing, bedding, furniture, toys, kitchen supplies, and hardware than BCX.
  

Edited August 12, 2011 by JSixpack

[janverbeem]

Well today,about 2 weeks after your last post I did some more research as you suggest.I entered through the side where HOMEPRO is located,strange that you didn't notice yet that it isn't called home depot on your careful research trips.

Not strange at all as I shopped numerous times recently in the USA at Home Depot and Home Pro is the nearest equivalent here.

I was there at about 5.30 Pm which should be about prime time for any supermarket.The store was deserted.

Well, I was there at 2 PM yesterday and it had plenty of customers including farang.

I used to buy those ready cooked meals,both farang and thai food, on a daily base at Carrefour for the past 3-4 years or so but had given up on that shortly after it transformed into Big Crap.

Big C doesn't owe you any ready cooked meals of any sort. Get over it. You should be eating healthier anyway, so they're doing you a favor.

So today I gave it a new try.The farang food section

Sorry, I don't see any sign anywhere in the store that says, "FARANG FOOD SECTION." Where is that sign?

Are you confusing BCX with Carrefour? This is a DIFFERENT store under DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT.

was almost empty apart from a few beefstews,which looked not so healthy,and some chicken stew.Then up to the Thai food section.........They had grilled pigeon on sale at 119 Baht a piece,I remember previously Carrefour had grilled chicken at that section at the same price.They also had some barbequed chicken joints and wings at 250 Baht/kilo.I calculated that it would probably cost me a thousand baht of those to fill my stomach so I thanked for that.Further on they still had what previously was known as masaman khai,and which I often bought previously,

No, they didn't "still had what previously," because BCX has just opened. They didn't have anything at all there previously. Carrefour did. You're totally confusing two different stores operated by two different companies.

If you realize this, then you can whine much less.

but now it was written in Thai so I couldn't read what it was.

The thing is, now the Thais can read what it is, and there are a lot more Thais in Thailand than farang.

Yep, the native language of this country is Thai. You chose to live in a non-English speaking country and so have no right to complain about Thais using their native language only--unless for documents essential that foreigners read such as immigration forms.

Try China, even major streets signs can be in Chinese only.

The way it looked now was,a small plastic bag with 2 half of a smallish potato with some red curry peanut sauce and a bone inside.Maybe someone can explain what this dish is called.They had some more ready made Thai food on sale but it all had the same red color of chilli all over it.Probably to kill the taste of the rubish inside.I then took a quick look at the salad bar,which had gonne up in price and they had Mayonaise with something that looked like brocolli but was half yelow of color,mayonaise with tomato,mayonaise with cabbage,mayonaise with carrot and probably also mayonaise with mayonaise.

No, the salad bar has more than mayonnaise. It has fresh veggies as well. Thais do eat stuff w/ mayonnaise; the idea of simple vegetables with no junk on them is foreign.

The bakery also had nothin much to offer other then some banana cakes, which weren't brown but white greenish and half the size of what they used to be ,and some cheap sandwich bread,Whole wheat or sesam bread only from farmhouse.

You know, Thais eat a lot more rice than bread. Did you check the rice selection?

At that time I knew it was time to move on to Tesco,and when I passed through the checkout I noticed that there were a total of 5 counters open with none of them more than 2 customers.Remember this was at 5.30 Pm and it wasn't raining outside.

I went thru at around 2 PM yesterday and there were 11 cashiers open and each had 2 or more customers, meaning relatively fast checkout. At least 1/3 of those had a farang waiting to purchase. About 5 farangs were in the food section. Overall, plenty of shoppers in there, though it wasn't crowded being a weekday afternoon.

So, Tesco has 3 cashiers open and long lines and you think there are plenty of customers while you stand and wait 20 min. I hate the Tesco checkout.

So maybe there lays some thruth in the negative comments that are posted in this thread.

What's true is that many of our flowers posting here (a very small percentage of farangs residing in or visiting PTY) are all wilted because they can't find their favorite cheese etc. in BCX.

And it's true that BCX is less farang-friendly than Carrefour. I also liked Carrefour better, and in fact I like Tesco better except for the checkout. Service in both stores can be equally poor and downright infuriating. Foodland's service has always been about the best around in the supermarket category. Their cashiers are well-trained for the farang market.

Here's what's not true and you aren't going to be able to make true by wishing:

• BCX is not already doing reasonably good business for a new store.
• BCX has some obligation to cater to farangs.
• BCX has farangs as its target market.
• BCX (Central) is going to lose money and fail.
• BCX's business is not going to grow.
• BCX unreasonably overcharges consumers.
• Few farangs are shopping or are going shop at BCX.
• Few foreigners are shopping or are going to shop at BCX.
• BCX only offers food for sale, nothing else.
• BCX has worse service than Tesco overall.
• Carrefour offered more selection--overall, without regard to farang specialty items--in clothing, bedding, furniture, toys, kitchen supplies, and hardware than BCX.

Just one line to nullify your complete comment :

Extra big crap announced when they took over Carrefour that the would orientate to the foreign customer market inline with what Carrefour did,your comments clearly point to the opposite,and yes Big C has worse service than any supermarket in Thailand.

[tropo]

but now it was written in Thai so I couldn't read what it was.

The thing is, now the Thais can read what it is, and there are a lot more Thais in Thailand than farang.

Yep, the native language of this country is Thai. You chose to live in a non-English speaking country and so have no right to complain about Thais using their native language only--unless for documents essential that foreigners read such as immigration forms.

Try China, even major streets signs can be in Chinese only.

You're being overly argumentative here. In the context of a store which claims to be servicing the needs of foreigners it is quite ridiculous to eliminate English text.

A smart business model would be to increase English text on goods and receipts as is policy with other more tuned in supermarket chains.

In the end it's their problem as they will lose business to the more foreigner-friendly stores.

[JSixpack]

Just one line to nullify your complete comment :

Dream on!

Extra big crap announced when they took over Carrefour that the would orientate to the foreign customer market inline with what Carrefour did

No, that assertion of yours will have to be nullified so that my "complete comment" will still stand.

Here's what Big C corp said about the mission of Big C Extra:

Big C Extra" will offer exciting shopping experience and new lifestyle dimensions to all range of customers. At the initial stage, Big C Extra will present shoppers beyond a wide range of premium imported merchandise sourced from around the world including France. The new dimensions on Big C Extra stores will gradually be unveiled and continue to evolve throughout this year to offer merchandise and services that best meet specific customers' preferences and lifestyles.

--http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/05/16/business/%22Extra%22-clash-of-Big-C-and-Tesco-30155469.html

"All range of customers." Consider that phrase carefully; let it sink in. They don't say that farangs in particular are their target market: all range of customers.

Now, much of the premium imported merchandise, as well as most all of the usual stuff, should obviously appeal to the majority of their customers, i. e., Thais. Consider that most of the customers at Central Dept. Store are Thais.

The idea seems to be to offer some higher end products that will appeal to both upscale Thais AND farangs, not just farangs and not just Thais. And they don't mean food only.

Now, they have in fact done some things mostly for the farang market, as with the Casino range that some in this forum have praised. I picked up a bottle of Casino balsamic vinegar there yesterday and it was the cheapest I've seen such a product in Thailand. Moreover, they say will "continue to evolve."

Anyway, now that your misunderstanding about the purpose of Big C Extra is cleared up, you should be able to rest easier.

,your comments clearly point to the opposite,

No, they don't. Actually they are not inconsistent with what Big C said.

and yes Big C has worse service than any supermarket in Thailand.

We'll need to agree to disagree on that point as well. I mostly shop at Tesco but get a few specialty items sometimes at Foodland or Best. I know it well.

A week ago I had another miserable experience at Tesco, waiting to buy fish while being ignored by 5 employees slowly "working" behind the counter. Then there was the long checkout line; Thais were allowed to disregard the "10 items only" restrictions and haul up large shopping carts. Then there was the long wait trying to get my bags out of the customer service counter while one counter lady chatted on the phone and the other lady dealt with returns and what not.

In BCX, I got my fresh meat and veggies weighed quickly and checked out quickly too. That part, I liked. All 11 of the checkout lines were moving steadily; Tesco would have had 3 lines. May it last!

[JSixpack]

but now it was written in Thai so I couldn't read what it was.

The thing is, now the Thais can read what it is, and there are a lot more Thais in Thailand than farang.

Yep, the native language of this country is Thai. You chose to live in a non-English speaking country and so have no right to complain about Thais using their native language only--unless for documents essential that foreigners read such as immigration forms.

Try China, even major streets signs can be in Chinese only.

You're being overly argumentative here. In the context of a store which claims to be servicing the needs of foreigners it is quite ridiculous to eliminate English text.

A smart business model would be to increase English text on goods and receipts as is policy with other more tuned in supermarket chains.

In the end it's their problem as they will lose business to the more foreigner-friendly stores.

They didn't eliminate English text because, you see, BCX never really had it in the first place, though at first they may have used old labels left over from Carrefour. You're confusing two different stores running two different computer and accounting systems.

Of course I'd agree with the idea of increasing English; I would imagine BCX surely does too, given its mission, and it probably has plans to do so as "evolves." Still, if you move to a non-English speaking country, you don't have an automatic right to enjoy the convenience of reading English whenever you'd find it convenient. That's why you won't hear whining from me on that score.

Edited August 12, 2011 by JSixpack

[janverbeem]

In BCX, I got my fresh meat and veggies weighed quickly and checked out quickly too. That part, I liked. All 11 of the checkout lines were moving steadily; Tesco would have had 3 lines. May it last!

That must be a first then,never seen FRESH meat and veggies in the history of big c,or do you conider contaminated meat in those grab boxes in the middle of the store as FRESH?

[BB1950]

In the context of a store which claims to be servicing the needs of foreigners it is quite ridiculous to eliminate English text.

Where is it that BCX claimed to be serving the needs of the foreigners?

[janverbeem]

In the context of a store which claims to be servicing the needs of foreigners it is quite ridiculous to eliminate English text.

Where is it that BCX claimed to be serving the needs of the foreigners?

I guess this press release should read in that direction since Pattaya looks like a locale with a considerable population of foreigners.

Source : http://demo.newswit....0cd90e9fb4d574/

The first wave of "Big C Extra" to be launched on 25 May 2011 are Ladphrao, Ramintra, On-Nuch, Sukapiban 3, Chonburi, and Petchkasem. More "Big C Extra" stores, including Rama 4, Ratchadapisek, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and many more, will be strategically rolled out in the next few months.

With wider ranges of products and services tailored to each specific locale,

Edited August 12, 2011 by janverbeem

[tropo]

In the context of a store which claims to be servicing the needs of foreigners it is quite ridiculous to eliminate English text.

Where is it that BCX claimed to be serving the needs of the foreigners?

Yeah, hard to believe, isn't it?

It's in the "X".