Rimping Promenada Report

[jko]

A report based on a first time visit, with entry from interior car park on 21 July:

OVERVIEW

Location: Building ‘A’ Promenada Resort Mall, 192-193 Moo 2 Tumbon Tasala, on the Chiang Mai-San Kamphaeng Road.

Position: First level above parking area and ground floor

Access: Travelator and elevator. Both can take supermarket shopping trolleys

Supermarket area: I was told it is 3000 square metres - about the size of 10 tennis courts

Interior design: Thai village style with decorative balconies. (Worth looking up to see the many tastefully creative artistic touches)

Lighting: Mostly LED spotlights, giving soft illumination

Ambiance: Restful and pleasant, despite being quite crowded with shoppers. Unobtrusive background of classical music.

Open: 0800-2100 hrs daily

GENERAL

Usual selection of Rimping mainstream shelf products, well identified with separate headings, including Organics, Korean, Japanese, etc. Adequate walking space between various sections. Price tags mostly well illuminated and clear, usually with weight in grams at top of the label. Promotional items located at the narrow end of the sections. Large selection of imported fruit and vegetables, with some price tags clearly aimed at the very rich – e.g. 820 Baht for a kilo of radishes (!) Usual fish, meat, wine and other sections, including kitchenware, cutlery, including high quality kitchen knives, plus a small bakery close to the main entrance.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Bistro – Small high quality restaurant serving well-prepared European dishes with a farang chef in attendance. Reasonable prices, pleasant service staff, and very helpful lady manager with excellent English. Choice of wines available by bottle (from 725 Baht) or glass (from 185 Baht) Thumbs up for their transparent pricing - menu prices inclusive, no plus-plus (++) service charge or tax added afterwards. THOM coffee counter adjacent, and the 60 Baht nett Cappuccino served at my table was excellent - compared to a bitter and undrinkable S&P Mee Chok equivalent a few days before, which cost 65% more, at 99 Baht nett, which is what you expect to pay in London.

Oyster Bar – Choice of five different varieties flown in from the US, ranging from 95-120 Baht per piece, including Barron Point, Eagle Rock, Fine de Claire, Hammersley Inlet, and Skookum Inlet.

Wine Bar – Premium wines served by the bottle or glass, at tables, or at the counter in a comfortably small and special section off the wine department itself. Prices start around 750 Baht per bottle but connoisseurs will not be disappointed – I saw a bottle of Opus One on the shelf for 11,900 Baht. They told me snacks (cheese, charcuterie etc.,) will be served here when fully operational.

Japanese Restaurant – Kikarie, operated by Nippon Kai, located immediately to your right at far end, as you enter the store

Sandwich Bar – Convenient made to order snacks in the middle of the Supermarket – a useful ‘stop to eat as you shop’ option

There is also a small pharmacy and bookshop embedded in the store, close to the main entrance.

FINAL IMPRESSION

An innovative and commendable effort, very tastefully done, and a pleasure to shop-browse-eat in. I am sure Central Festival will have already sent their spies in to have a look, and it will be interesting to see what they come up with, when they open in six months or so from now.

Whatever they do, I think they will have a tough job surpassing what has been created here at Promenada.

Hats off to Rimping -- chapeau, indeed.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

That is an astonishing report. Thank you.

(Are you sure you're getting enough fun and sex though in general? )

[hellodolly]

I found the lighting to be on the dim side. I always carry my glasses to check prices. Here there was times I had to put them on to check the product. As you say the foods were very well marked with signs directly over them. Problem being you had to be standing in front of the product to see what it said. Like they had a sign saying pastas and you could see all the pastas directly under it. Or spices. The main problem was you had to walk down the aisle to see them. They were not at the head of the aisle or hung facing the ends of the aisles.

I did not purchase anything from the various counters but it appear to me the staff behind them was much more on the ball than the staff at the Rimping by the river or Tops. I can see where it will take a little time to learn where things are. For my self I like the aisles I can go up around the corner and back down the next one. This was possible but not in a lot of the store. I did not bother with the pots and pans section but it looked like it was a larger area than the river and would have more items on offer.

I didn't bother with the coffee shops or the restaurant as I seldom go to a grocery store for either one. Maybe they will get to be like back in parts of the states and Canada. Every Safeway has a Starbucks in it and a cup holder on the shopping carts. Over all I think it will just be a matter of getting used to it and definatly the lights need more power. They were not the same intensity they changed to darker until you had moved a little and another light helped out. I have to admit the price tagging was good every tag was where it belonged and easily readable. That is why I carry my glasses.

I can hardly wait to see the whole project in September when all the construction will be done. I have been out there three times and yet to see it all. I was hoping for a place where taxis songthells and tuck tucks would be available. I did not see such a place but then again they are not done with the construction.

We were there on Friday the opening day and I can see where parking is going to be a problem when it is completed.

[ThaiPauly]

Have they opened the second car park yet?

How did you find the parking in general?

[MartinBKK]

I had planned to eat there but I didn't because the prices in the bistro were not at all reasonable imo. To give just one example 275 for a hamburger I can take you to numerous places in CM with a delicious burger for less than half that. Miguels and Sahara being just 2 off the top of my head. I'm not quite sure of the target market because many of the main dishes were around 500 baht and I would much prefer to go somewhere like the shangri la buffet and make an evening of it than spend that for a meal in a crowded supermarket. I had envisaged it would be something similar to foodland in BKK but it was not like that at all.

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MartinBKK]

Parking was difficult and I parked on the street. I don't think all of the car park is open yet.

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Bung]

I drove right through and never found a place to park so I just left. Bit of a joke promoting a place and not providing adequate parking.

[circusman]

That is an astonishing report. Thank you.

(Are you sure you're getting enough fun and sex though in general? )

Everyone knows, don't they, that our posts are not graded.

Edited July 22, 2013 by circusman

[chiang mai]

How do two posters know that the OP lives in general, just wondering!

[hellodolly]

Parking was difficult and I parked on the street. I don't think all of the car park is open yet.

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

That was my thought if it isn't they are in trouble.

There didn't seem to be that many people there.

[MartinBKK]

I agree with you about the supermarket it is a little bit dark.

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Krupnik]

I just came back from there and the parking was terrible!! Inside all the cars were doubled and blocking each other etc. Outside was possible, but meant walking up there in the rain.

In Rimping I was very impressed to find a vegetable spiraliser which was something that I have been trying to find for a really long time even in England! Although it was 895 BAHT which is a total rip-off. Their prices are ridiculous. Marmite is 330 BAHT per normal size jar whereas in Tops it is only 279 BAHT!

[gamini]

Japanese restaurant far too expensive. Small helpings of shashimi. Rimping itself was very impressive. Has items hard to find any where else. But expensive but is acceptable because it is an up market operation so you would expect to pay more

[Gonzo the Face]

How do two posters know that the OP lives in general, just wondering!

We strongly suspect that the OP LIVES as very rarely do dead people make posts..... Brain dead sometimes , but totally dead , No

[JepSoDii]

Oops on the multi posts. Had no indication the posts took so I kept re-clicking.

Edited July 23, 2013 by JepSoDii

[jaideeguy]

Could you repeat that again please??

[JepSoDii]

Could you repeat that again please??

I'd love to but the other ones just flat wore me out!

[elektrified]

I had planned to eat there but I didn't because the prices in the bistro were not at all reasonable imo. To give just one example 275 for a hamburger I can take you to numerous places in CM with a delicious burger for less than half that. Miguels and Sahara being just 2 off the top of my head. I'm not quite sure of the target market because many of the main dishes were around 500 baht and I would much prefer to go somewhere like the shangri la buffet and make an evening of it than spend that for a meal in a crowded supermarket. I had envisaged it would be something similar to foodland in BKK but it was not like that at all.

Sent from my GT-N7000B using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

With prices like that, I give it 2 months before it folds up. Who are they kidding?

[chiang mai]

How do two posters know that the OP lives in general, just wondering!

We strongly suspect that the OP LIVES as very rarely do dead people make posts..... Brain dead sometimes , but totally dead , No

I was thinking more along the lines of the town called general, never mind.

[Gonzo the Face]

How do two posters know that the OP lives in general, just wondering!

We strongly suspect that the OP LIVES as very rarely do dead people make posts..... Brain dead sometimes , but totally dead , No

I was thinking more along the lines of the town called general, never mind.

Oh OK , That explains it then..... by the way, General is a great little town, great beaches, mountain view, and large icebergs floating by frequently..... I can highly recommend it for getting a good blue on the beach.....

[JepSoDii]

So . . . does anybody know if Rimping sells real greek yogurt? Chobani or some other kind of authentic greek?

[jaideeguy]

So, bottom line..............is this latest Rimping the largest of all the others?? And when will the parking situation be worked out?? It would be a real pain in the arse to have to push a trolly a half a kilometer with a load of perishable food items to your car. It seems to me that as good as Rimping is, all their stores are lacking in parking/planning.

[maanoi]

Parking at promenada is chaos if you arrive early to mid afternoon, or on a weekend.

Before 12 or after 6pm and its fine.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[skills32]

Maybe this thread is a set up designed for Rimping to get public reaction.

[KhunVee]

So . . . does anybody know if Rimping sells real greek yogurt? Chobani or some other kind of authentic greek?

Real Greek Yoghurt you will find in Big-C.

Big-C Sells a lot of great Imported or "foreigners' products as it is actually owned by (or part of) the French "Casino-Group" for far better prices than......

[tigerbeer]

maybe they could allow parking in their spacious corridors around the shops.

[Dante99]

maybe they could allow parking in their spacious corridors around the shops.

sorry, that space is soon to be rented by the sq cm and filled with night bazar type street stalls

[laban]

I was there yesterday morning, parking no problem. Place looks great with still many shops to be opened but will take time. Had lunch at Wine Connection with good selection of dishes and cheapest wine in Thailand - I frequent their restaurants in Bangkok.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I want there last week.
Rimping ....... . turn on the lights, unbelievable.
Fried ice cream was good, found it in the Cinema entrance hall.
Food court, way overpriced, 70bht for very small portions.

Cinema on Wednesday 100bht, that's the day to go.

[elektrified]

Went there about a week ago. Absolutely hated the place and would not be surprised if it goes bust in less than 2 years. What a waste of space to house a bunch of snack bars and way too many coffee shops. Terrible food court as has been said. I did not check out the cinema. That may be the strong point. Next time I'll check it out - if there is a next time.

BUT, I loved Rimping. What a great selection of unusual (for Thailand or at least C.M.) products all done first-class. Have to agree with the others about the lighting. Seems quite strange.... Yes, turn on the lights.

Parking - horrendous and chaotic. Saw a minor argument erupt when 2 people were fighting over a parking spot.

I give it a FAIL. Wish it was not such a hassle because it would be worth going to just for Rimping. But nothing is worth that much trouble.