Tesco Lotus Launches Online Grocery

[mamypoko]

Love their new service and have used it many times...guessing you all have their new "no delivery fee",,,but:

tlem60

think the first order is free...mine was

[mamypoko]

this came via email today:

200 baht off next order

code: TLEMSHOP2

It was a thank you for your last order code...don't know if it will work for a first order.

[RubbaJohnny]

Directly copying a press release and using it as a 'news item' generally is 'advertising'.

Nice to see they deliver spam free

[mamypoko]

I made the news...sorry...a "news item"...i have news for you

[mamypoko]

The news is...you are correct...just read rule #10...I will ask to have that post removed now.

Seriously, that's for setting me straight. I'll go back to class.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

To anyone who thought Tesco's online shopping site was difficult to use (and I'm not one of them), have a look at Big C's relatively new online shopping site:

http://shoppingonline.bigc.co.th/?___store=default&___from_store=mainstore_thai

They do have a selection of Thai beers, imported wines and liquors, and have a nice selection of their technology stuff like mobile phones and tablets. But the overall product category listings and search function are nearly useless. I also didn't see any refrigerated items offered, so apparently their trucks cannot handle refrig or frozen products, unlike Tesco.

And as best as I can tell, they're only offering free home delivery on orders of 1,000 baht or more. I couldn't find any option similar to Tesco where you can place a smaller order and still have it home delivered for the 60 baht fee.

Also, as best as I could tell, it looks like you have to place your order online with Big C by 1 pm in order to have it home delivered the next day. Tesco allows you to place and change orders much later than that for next day delivery.

[isawasnake]

I have used tops and tesco at this point. I think the service was better from tesco. I got free delivery from both; I guess promotions may change. Tops has alcohol. It is about a tossup for me at this point as far as picking one. It is nice to see Big c in the mix; the more competition, the better.... if such a thing even exists in Thailand anyway. I personally will stick with the one that keeps offering free delivery, no matter the charge minimum.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I think overall, Tesco tends to have the best (most economical/flexible) delivery policy.

You can have anything, even a single item, delivered for paying the 60 baht delivery fee. But then, they're always having promotions for free delivery, either with a certain amount of purchase or some other detail, such as paying with a VISA card, etc etc.

As I recall, Tops is only free delivery with a 1500 baht minimum order, and Big C appears to be only home delivery with 1,000 baht minimum order, and don't even appear to have an option to pay a delivery fee for smaller orders.

Maybe it's different for bigger families, but for just my wife and I, the things I normally would want to order from Tesco (which usually excludes meat and vegetables) tends to run between 800 and 1000 baht per week. So I'd have trouble reaching the minimum delivery threshholds for Big C and really for Tops, especially considering I'd be likely to order fewer things from those stores compared to Tesco.

[mamypoko]

They are making it difficult to get off my fat behind and visit the brick and mortar.

I just cyber shopped and received 300B off my order plus a 60B delivery charge.

As one member got bent out of shape for my posting of THEIR discount ad (I don't work for'em (pardon the shout))...I won't include the discount code...

Alas, to where am I to go to look at university uniforms now?...can't even see my feet.

Edited September 22, 2013 by mamypoko

[Triglav]

Just saw that alcohol appeared on tesco's online store. No pictures for some reason, but seems like pretty much their whole typical store assortment is there.

[isawasnake]

It looks like Big c is joining the online shopping bunch as well. Have not yet tried it.

[JetsetBkk]

It looks like Big c is joining the online shopping bunch as well. Have not yet tried it.

Interesting site, the Big C one.

I was just perusing it and came across this little gem:

"BigC has just celebrated the Grand Opening of its latest outlet, 29^th branch, at Phuket on November 29^th, 2001. "

http://bigc.co.th/en/stores/news/1134/

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It looks like Big c is joining the online shopping bunch as well. Have not yet tried it.

I did a quick overview post of Big C's offering above...in post #126.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/630941-tesco-lotus-launches-online-grocery/page-6#entry6799144

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just saw that alcohol appeared on tesco's online store. No pictures for some reason, but seems like pretty much their whole typical store assortment is there.

Interesting... I'm seeing a selection of Chimay, Leffe, Hoegaarten and Paulaner -- which isn't bad considering this is Thailand.

I just entered "Beer" in the search box, and it brought up their entire list... along with A&W root beer and all the various pisswater Thai brands.

Re the missing product item photos, I'm wondering whether that might have anything to do with Thailand's legal restrictions on alcohol advertising???

PS - Whether they actually have those items in stock, however, is a different question. Lately, it seems I've been getting an increasing number of products where I'll order them online and they get a substitute item delivered instead, which I usually turn back.

Tesco's system seems to have no linkage between what shows up in their online products listing and what's actually available for delivery. But I can understand, that's probably complicated by the fact that their deliveries are coming from different stores, depending on where you live.

For example, while the Rama IV branch may well have Chimay available, the OnNut branch may be out of stock. Some items, not just beer, that they show online have NEVER been available through the store that handles my deliveries. I've tried ordering a couple items repeatedly over the months, and never yet have had a successful delivery. Which pretty well tells me my area-delivery store simply doesn't stock that item, even if other Tesco's do.

[Ricardo]

Any horse meat on the shopping list?

"It's on its way in an instant at the gallop !"

"Our on-line shopping clip-clopping Really Works !"

"Yes, but it's saddled, with a delivery-charge !"

"Try not to stirrup more trouble !"

"Ask all you want ... you'll only make yourself horse !"

[Triglav]

Re the missing product item photos, I'm wondering whether that might have anything to do with Thailand's legal restrictions on alcohol advertising???

PS - Whether they actually have those items in stock, however, is a different question. Lately, it seems I've been getting an increasing number of products where I'll order them online and they get a substitute item delivered instead, which I usually turn back.

Yeah, photos are probably meant to be this way (Big C does the same on their website).

Stock-wise, there's a lot of substitutions with my orders too, but they are very clear about what's been replaced. I generally use online store to buy heavy/large/long-lasting stuff for which brand isn't that relevant, so replacements are better than missing products IMO.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Their substitution are usually reasonable alternatives, in my experience with Tesco...

But, for example, if my wife wants a particular brand of shampoo or I want a particular type of cereal, it does make a difference if they don't actually have the items they show as being available and instead substitute a different brand. If we had wanted those other brands, we would have ordered them. So it's not quite the same.

Still, the drivers have always been fine about taking back substitute items and taking those charges off our bill prior to payment. So can't complain about that.

One little tip: Re the free delivery for orders over 1,000 baht with a VISA card, that amount threshhold only applies to the total of your online order... not to the final total of whatever you end up accepting and paying for.

So, for example, if you knew they were going to be out of a particular item (as I often do, because we tend to repeat order things), you can add several of those to your order to pad the total to get to the 1,000 threshhold. They'll then not have it for delivery and you're not required to accept a substitute. So kick back the substitute items, and you still get free delivery for an order that ends up totaling 500 or 600 baht.

[Langsuan Man]

Their auto replacement is the only thing that I don't like about the Tesco online shopping experience. They should have a "fill or kill" option instead of someone who does the "picking" making the decision for you

Otherwise I like the service, especially not having to look at my watch to determine whether or not I can buy alcohol

BTW. If you use a foreign credit card it is charged in Thai Baht, none of this dynamic conversion BS

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I agree about your idea, LSM. I'd love to have the option with Tesco of either a global or an item by item "fill or kill" setting. Most of the time, if given the choice, I'd opt out of getting un-requested substitutes.

Unfortunately, in the months since they've launched the online ordering and home delivery service, I haven't seen Tesco make much in the way of positive or user-friendly improvements to their web presence.

[Langsuan Man]

I am going to send them an email about this problem and maybe that will get some action (BTW. Their website only allows comments on the website not their service)

[email protected]

[taony]

How are you all using the website to draw the map required to get the delivery guy to make it anywhere near to where you live?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I live in BKK...and when I signed up some months ago, I never saw any locational map display for the Tesco site.

There was a place in the info box to give written directions on how to find your address or what phone to call on arrival.

But I've never seen or had to do anything other than that.

[isawasnake]

I think I will give big c a try one of these times, but I have to agree that Tesco has pretty much won me over. My big problem with them before, over tops, was no beer. They solved that, and their service is much better imo. I am not sure who wins on prices, probably a tossup. Tesco also delivers more of an item. I like to buy a lot of coke, and tops only brings 12 I think, while Tesco brought me max 23.

[Langsuan Man]

How are you all using the website to draw the map required to get the delivery guy to make it anywhere near to where you live?

Draw what map ?

The web site gives you a drop downs that have pre-fined location fields

Province : drop down

District: drop down

Sub-district: drop down

Point of Interest: drop down

House Name / House Number / Flat : fill in

Road Name / :fill in

PostcodeRequired : fill in

[taony]

555, that is never enough information to find a place. If you are lucky, you'll only get 12 phones calls with that information!

Anyway, it must be working, there aren't any complaints about it in this thread. Its just that in my experience over the years, finding anywhere for Thai people is a major song and dance. Maybe the delivery guys have a grasp of street addresses, I don't know. Usually people don't. I don't even live in a soi anymore, I live right off a major avenue in between two well-known landmarks and its still a struggle explain how to get there. I ordered furniture from two different places in the past month and even with all that info, they wanted me to draw a map on the receipt.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Never have complained here re Tesco on directions... But, for the first couple months, even though we had detailed written directions on how to find our house listed with our orders, we regularly got calls from the Tesco drivers once they were in our neighborhood asking for directions in Thai language on how to find us. And our house ISN'T hard to find on a major Sukhumvit Soi.

But now a few months later, perhaps because most of the drivers have probably been to our house at least once before by now, they don't seem to be calling ahead as much as before.

I guess such is one of the problems that arises when you lay out a city and its streets without any sense of sequential address numbering.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just a small update here:

Tesco seems to be pulling back on the original online order and delivery promotions they were running at the outset.

For many months, we've been able to get free delivery (a 60 baht value) with 1,000b or greater orders. Since the start of the new year, they seem to have canceled those free delivery options.

Now, the best they're offering is 100b or more coupons when you order 2,000b or greater at a time -- something we rarely do.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Did a Tesco online order yesterday that was scheduled for delivery this morning. Today, just about the time our delivery was to arrive, got a call from Tesco saying they had canceled our order because we lived in an area they felt they couldn't deliver to because of the protests.

In fact, the area and street where we live is easily accessible, although it might have required the Tesco truck to take a different incoming route than the normal one they seem to use -- because one of the intersections on their incoming route is blocked by a protest site. It would have been easy for them to avoid that intersection and still get to our house. But apparently, that's something they're not willing to do.

They have some info posted on their website about various areas that they won't deliver to because of the protests. But when I pointed out to the Tesco guy who called that our neighborhood wasn't among those listed for no-deliveries, he responded that the info on their website wasn't up-to-date. Thanks Tesco!!!