Expat Oriented Grocery Stores And The Economics Of Ricotta Cheese ...

[Jingthing]

Expat oriented grocery stores and the economics of Ricotta cheese ...

Sounds like the title of a graduate school thesis.

Anyway ...

Some business things in Thailand I really don't understand!

Take the case of ricotta cheese.

One expat oriented grocery in town, Foodland, carries a made in Thailand ricotta cheese. It is well priced and is acceptable. It isn't as good as imported ricotta cheese, but it is indeed ricotta cheese, and we are in THAILAND.

Anyway, when you can find ricotta cheese in OTHER expat oriented grocery stores, it is ALWAYS imported ricotta cheese at of course vastly higher prices.

I buy the Thai cheese. I can't afford the imported cheese. Why don't the other stores sell the made in Thailand cheese? Wouldn't they sell a lot more it? Do they really sell that much highly priced imported cheese to economically justify not offering the locally made cheese?

I really don't get it. Do you?

Also, it's not as if all products are treated this way. For example, NANA brand pasta sauces. They are well priced (and also good products) compared to imported pasta sauces, and they are found pretty much as ALL local expat oriented grocery stores.

That might be a clue actually. The Nana sauces are only moderately more expensive than the imported sauces, so it's conceivable that many people will choose their favorite foreign brands instead.

But the ricotta cheese price differential is much higher. So how many people are going to pay 400 baht (for example) for the same portion as 80 baht when presented to them side by side? Some of course, but only rich gourmets. Mostly offering the well priced local ricotta will severely squeeze out the market for the imported ricotta.

(OK, this matters to me because I like ricotta cheese and Foodland is very inconvenient for me.)

Edited May 16, 2012 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

BTW, on second thought,

Expat oriented grocery stores and the economics of Ricotta cheese

would also make a great title for an off-off Broadway play!

[FOODLOVER]

BTW, on second thought,

Expat oriented grocery stores and the economics of Ricotta cheese

would also make a great title for an off-off Broadway play!

Cheesy!

[Jingthing]

Seriously, maybe someone is reading who understands the grocery store business.

Are they making more profit overall carrying the expensive imported Ricotta cheese only even though they are obviously selling less volume than they could?

Are the imported brands pressuring them to not carry local cheese because they can't compete with them?

Is the local brand just too weak to get their product in many stores?

Are the buyers just lazy/don't care?

I really am curious.

(Evidence of the laziness theory. Have you noticed that when these expensive imported ricotta cheeses are displayed, you have to work very hard to find out the price? I realize the price will scare off many, but do they think people will pay ANYTHING for the products?)

Edited May 16, 2012 by Jingthing

[RabC]

Jing there is also the snobbery of some of the shoppers. I notice right next to the locally made Heinz Tomato Ketchup in Friendship is imported Heinz Tomato Ketchup at just over 2.5 times the price of the locally made stuff. For the supermarket to do this there must be a market and I believe it is the expats thinking the local stuff is not good enough............Just my thoughts.

[Jingthing]

Jing there is also the snobbery of some of the shoppers. I notice right next to the locally made Heinz Tomato Ketchup in Friendship is imported Heinz Tomato Ketchup at just over 2.5 times the price of the locally made stuff. For the supermarket to do this there must be a market and I believe it is the expats thinking the local stuff is not good enough............Just my thoughts.

Both Heinz products. BTW, the flavor is very different as well. I hate Thai palate ketchup!

Also ricotta is an INGREDIENT. It's not something you display on the table like a bottle of wine or even ketchup.

Yeah, I have paid a lot more for the imported ketchup because I can't stomach the local stuff. Not snobbery. I'm sure some people would feel the same way about the local ricotta, that though cheap it's not good enough flavor-wise. For me, it's good enough.

Mayo is another example. You couldn't pay me to eat Thai mayo. That stuff is totally disgusting. Will gladly pay for imported mayo.

I am not buying this snob theory of the shoppers. But maybe that's an element of how the grocery buyers think.

Edited May 16, 2012 by Jingthing

[prefabs]

Jing Thing, little off topic, but how many hours a day do you spend thinking about food? You sure have a lot of thoughts you put down in writing for us to discuss. Respect to you for all you do for us wanabee foodies

[prefabs]

Mayo is something I cannot get my head round. Can't understand what it is for. Reminds me of a jar of nothing. Similar to a cucumber, just don't understand what they are there for either. Both tasteless but well loved by food experts

[Michaelaway]

Mayo is something I cannot get my head round. Can't understand what it is for. Reminds me of a jar of nothing. Similar to a cucumber, just don't understand what they are there for either. Both tasteless but well loved by food experts

Order..... up!

[Litlos]

Well I just spent 9 days in overpriced and ripped off Australia, in the worst area for rip offs, Western Australia. While there I heard a classic line from a retailer. "We will price to whatever the market will stand". Never heard a truer line in my life.

So basically we as consumers are exposed to the greed of the retailers or your basic avarice. Do not mind some of the other sins, just this one is pain in the wallet without the side benefits of the others like sloth, gluttony or lust for example. Also it is not just confined to Pattaya or Thailand at large. So basically the consumer will be ripped off until he takes his business elsewhere, or Yingluck legislates otherwise.

Cheers

[patsfangr]

Jing, you have to (seiously) consider the fact that the Thais have no concept of how to properly run a business, including a grocery business. The supply-demand process is beyond them; as is the concept of inventory management.

How many of you have frequently found products that you enjoy out of stock. One example I can name is Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail. Foodland constantly runs out of it, while they the shelves are stocked to the fill point with other Cranberry Juice products. I could name dozens of other examples, but you get the point.

They simply do not understand how to monitor and manage their inventory of ANY product, whether food or other items. I honestly don't believe that they make any effort to monitor sales volumes, or that they even understand that there's a sound business reason to do so.

As to your point about cheese, I am not a gourmet with regard to any food. But I am a cheese lover. I find the Thai cheeses to be very satisfactory. My favorite cheese is emmental, and the Thai variety certainly lacks the full flavor of a good import. But it is, at the very least, recognizable as emmental; and a reasonable "quality vs price" value. Same is true, IMO, for other varieties. (I do wish that Foodland would stock more sliced emmental; but that, again, goes back to my point of not monitoring sales volumes.)

[Jingthing]

Yes, that makes some sense of course. I would think if they cared and they are catering to a market they don't really understand (let's face it, they don't) they might show a little initiative and actively REACH OUT to their customer base for feedback. I know, wishful thinking.

[Naam]

Jing there is also the snobbery of some of the shoppers. I notice right next to the locally made Heinz Tomato Ketchup in Friendship is imported Heinz Tomato Ketchup at just over 2.5 times the price of the locally made stuff. For the supermarket to do this there must be a market and I believe it is the expats thinking the local stuff is not good enough............Just my thoughts.

not to forget that the local Heinz stuff tastes (in my view) much better.

[Jingthing]

Jing there is also the snobbery of some of the shoppers. I notice right next to the locally made Heinz Tomato Ketchup in Friendship is imported Heinz Tomato Ketchup at just over 2.5 times the price of the locally made stuff. For the supermarket to do this there must be a market and I believe it is the expats thinking the local stuff is not good enough............Just my thoughts.

not to forget that the local Heinz stuff tastes (in my view) much better.

Sweet tooth, eh?

[doggie888888]

I think some people avoid Thai stuff because they cannot figure out the label (eg ingredients list is in Thai). If it is important enough, I'd buy the stuff and get label translated...and it is worthwhile if the imported stuff is xx times more than the local stuff!

[Michaelaway]

Local Heinz bottles look like ketchup but say, "Tomato Sauce." Imported bottles' labels say, "Tomato Ketchup."

Edited May 17, 2012 by Michaelaway

[petercool]

Retailing foodstuffs or anything else can focus on a wide range and variety or depth of choice in each item. It is not uncommon to not worry about one particular low volume item if overall the profits are up across the board. Bigger retailers here do indeed try to manage inventories but the main concern here is supply irregularity be that from local suppliers or overseas ones. I am not surprised that not all retailers want to source their products from some suppliers who have proved unreliable in supply. Smaller retailers need less volume supply and are more flexible. than the bigger stores.

[Jingthing]

I think some people avoid Thai stuff because they cannot figure out the label (eg ingredients list is in Thai). If it is important enough, I'd buy the stuff and get label translated...and it is worthwhile if the imported stuff is xx times more than the local stuff!

The Thai made ricotta cheese product is clearly targeted to foreigners. On the label. The makers know perfectly well not many Thais are fans of ricotta cheese.

[JakeBKK]

between 71% - 90% percent of asian people are lactose intoletant....... now guess why cheese isn't the big thing here =-)

[doggie888888]

I think most lactose intolerant people can tolerate cheese because a lot of the lactose is discarded during the cheesemaking process. I have a relative who is intolerant but can eat most cheeses, especially the aged ones. Or did she tell me a fib???

[petercool]

Lactose intolerance was indeed once a factor for Thais but the incidence has been greatly reduced in recent decades when many Thais leap frogged from powdered baby milk to fresh milk and related products. Cheese is not that popular other than as Pizza toppings which many urban Thais enjoy.

[JakeBKK]

Cheese is not that popular other than as Pizza toppings which many urban Thais enjoy.

And unfortunately that is not even real cheese =((( on a large amount of pizza's here..... it's blo**y substitute

Look here: http://pubs.acs.org/...f/7806sci2.html

Edited May 19, 2012 by JakeBKK

[Jingthing]

Talking here about ricotta cheese mostly targeted to the non-Thai market. Come on, seriously, what fraction of one percent of Thai people do you reckon even KNOW what ricotta cheese is?

[JakeBKK]

Jing: next time you make an egg or thuna salad switch the mayo for ricotta =) and serve it to the masses ... it actually taste quite well .

Edited May 19, 2012 by JakeBKK

[Jingthing]

Jing: next time you make an egg or thuna salad switch the mayo for ricotta =) and serve it to the masses ... it actually taste quite well .

No idea where you're coming from. I never use ricotta to make tuna or egg salad sandwiches. Always (real) mayo! Is using ricotta for that popular somewhere? Edited May 19, 2012 by Jingthing

[JakeBKK]

it;s a bit more lean, like to use miracle whip instead real mayo.

[Spalpeen]

I called in to Tops in Jomtiem this morning on the off chance that their choice of cheeses might have improved. It hasn't, unless you want either grated parmesan or those horrible slices of processed cheese. But another thing about the place struck me as strange. About half the aisles were blocked by boxes of stuff waiting to be put on shelves, so not that bothered if customers can get around the store or not.

[FOODLOVER]

I called in to Tops in Jomtiem this morning on the off chance that their choice of cheeses might have improved. It hasn't, unless you want either grated parmesan or those horrible slices of processed cheese. But another thing about the place struck me as strange. About half the aisles were blocked by boxes of stuff waiting to be put on shelves, so not that bothered if customers can get around the store or not.

They have Parmesan Reggiano at Makro.