Commerce Ministry touting idea of 'Low Cost Department Stores'

BANGKOK, 29 Jan 2015, (NNT) - The Ministry of Commerce has proposed the idea of establishing ‘Low Cost Department Stores’, in its bid to enable to cut living expenses.

According to Commerce Minister, General Chatchai Sarikallaya, he has earlier discussed the idea and the feasibility of the project with the private sector. The ministry aims to establish 14 such supermarkets by the end of this year, and 142 within 5 years.

The project is in accordance with Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha's policy aimed at easing consumers' financial burden. The minister said a private company has already expressed its interest in the program, agreeing to fund the whole project itself.

The ministry would ask manufacturers sell at cost all items to be sold in the these low cost stores, which do not focus on package design but rather on function and quality.

The Minister is confident that the establishment of these stores would not affect local grocery stores, as the department would use zoning to prevent such a problem.

He will further discuss the details with the private sector next week, said the minister.


-- NNT 2015-01-29

Within 5 years. Going to be around for a while, huh?

"Ask businesses." There is an international and well founded word for governments who control private businesses.

Why do I have the feeling that "ask" means "tell."

"ask manufacturrers to sell at cost" conflicts with legit retailers will be avoided through zoning, ..what could possibly go wrong?

They will call the stores BIG C

A Primark in Pattaya Yeh!

"The ministry would ask manufacturers sell at cost all items to be sold in the these low cost stores..."

Sounds like "Atlas Shrugged".

you know the united states military has grocery stores that sell food for way less than civilian grocery stores. of course you have to be military to get in. they are run for zero profit.

who will be allowed to shop at these stores? how will you control the effect it will have on other stores?

are you competing with the tens of thousands of mom and pop shops? then it is not really helping. now the people are competing with the government.

who makes up the difference in price? taxpayer? then it is not really cheaper, is it? or is it zero profit?

maybe keeping people on farms growing their food, raising their own livestock, and owning their own land is the real solution.

I hope the junta's Low Cost Department Store don't collapse easily, like in Korea.

The devil will be in the details.

We have one locally it's called ''A Market.''

One can purchase all types of goods there too. Quality ranges from sub standard to cheap and cheerful, tacky and crap.

Low-cost supermarkets to help the poor underway



BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Commerce has come up with an idea when it proposes to set up ‘low-cost supermarket' to help low-income earners cut their living costs. The idea was revealed by Commerce Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikallaya.

He said he has raised the idea and the feasibility of the scheme during his meeting with the private sector.

Under scheme, the ministry aims to set up 14 low-cost supermarkets by the end of this year, and 142 within five years.

The scheme corresponded with Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s policy which aimed at easing consumers’ financial burden.

The minister said a private company has already expressed its interest in the programme, agreeing to fund the whole scheme itself.

He said manufacturers would be asked to sell all items at cost prices in the these low-cost stores.

Items sold in these stores would not focus on packaging designs but rather on function and quality.

He said he was confident that the setting up of these stores would not affect local grocery stores, as sale zoning would be applied to prevent such a problem.

He added that more details would be discussed with the private sector next week.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/low-cost-supermarkets-help-poor-underway


-- Thai PBS 2015-01-29

They already exist, in Chiang Mai at least, and are called "19-Baht shops" !

Perhaps the Minister needs to get out more ?

All they need to do is let in a few Western stores like Aldi. Lidl and possibly even the likes of Wallmart and that would bring prices down pretty quickly across the board. Big C, Tesco and Makro are way too comfortable running their cartels at the moment.

There is nothing wrong with the idea in principle but rather than set up a network of new stores just make the unbranded items plain packed items available in existing super markets, in the UK they had something like this years ago called "Yellow Pack"

or issue food vouchers to those that qualify allowing them a discount on certain essential items

Hey, here's an idea! How about lowering the 100-300% tax on imported goods? Wouldn't that lower the cost of goods in stores?

Generally in a Democracy the government lets the business sector find its own momentum , only in a dictatorship , totalitarian or commo governments do you ever see governments strutting there stuff showing the population we are here for you, if this idea had been suitable for Thailand don't you think it would have already been done and as rightly pointed out who is the Idiot that picks up the short fall in costs, it is alright to wake up one morning with a vision it is another thing to put into practice, one thing for sure Thailand isn't short on being the HUB of brainstorming ideas.

The real plan was to install signs at all department stores that say "Up to 500% off" (the signs were to say 50% off but no one asked a farang to proofread the copy.

"The ministry would ask manufacturers sell at cost all items to be sold in the these low cost stores, which do not focus on package design but rather on function and quality."

Um, no store can sell at cost and remain open (here comes another populist subsidy!). Further, ten stores are to be in Bangkok, with one in Nonthaburi, one in Pak Kret, one in Hat Yai and one in Korat. I feel certain fourteen stores can significantly add to the well-being of 76 million people.

This has become the Administration of Good Starts (with no follow through)....beach vendors, sukhumvit sidewalk hawkers, corrupt taxi drivers, and on and on and on and on and on.....

I am afraid this would mean that the small family shops and street and market vendors will disappear

this way creating more poor people who will need low cost department stores

What a load of nonsense. Low cost superstore.

They have one already, normally open air, under a massive tarpaulin, with soaking wet floors, fish, meat, veg and all the rest with baskets, brooms all in there.

Its called the market or I think talat in Thai.

Generally in a Democracy the government lets the business sector find its own momentum , only in a dictatorship , totalitarian or commo governments do you ever see governments strutting there stuff showing the population we are here for you, if this idea had been suitable for Thailand don't you think it would have already been done and as rightly pointed out who is the Idiot that picks up the short fall in costs, it is alright to wake up one morning with a vision it is another thing to put into practice, one thing for sure Thailand isn't short on being the HUB of brainstorming ideas.

Generally in Thailand everything is a cartel.

Commerce Ministry touting idea of 'Low Cost Department Stores'

Is this also where they want the hi-so tourists to shop?

I hope the junta's Low Cost Department Store don't collapse easily, like in Korea.

Commerce Ministry touting idea of 'Low Cost Department Stores'

Good for them, doing something constructive instead of mulling, considering and debating.

Commerce Ministry touting idea of 'Low Cost Department Stores'

Good for them, doing something constructive instead of mulling, considering and debating.

Lets forget practical or useful though

Commerce Ministry touting idea of 'Low Cost Department Stores'

Good for them, doing something constructive instead of mulling, considering and debating.

Lets forget practical or useful though

Practical ? Useful? They are irrelevant.

What we have here is an idea designed to help the poor, maybe a populist idea.

Sort of like a Thai version of Value Village or the Sally Ann.

All they need to do is let in a few Western stores like Aldi. Lidl and possibly even the likes of Wallmart and that would bring prices down pretty quickly across the board. Big C, Tesco and Makro are way too comfortable running their cartels at the moment.

I was also about to suggest ALDI, a German company. Good quality, tested goods, only one of each type of product on sale, almost no advertising, (apart from on line) and quality products.

They're doing very well in Australia, cheaper than any supermarket.

It would be so nice to see some of their specials here, especially around Christmas time!

The ministry would ask manufacturers sell at cost all items to be sold in the these low cost stores.

No profit ???..............Good luck with that one.

a private company has already expressed its interest in the program, agreeing to fund the whole project itself.

Please please please let it be Walmart. I'd love to see a Thai production of The People of Walmart.

Thailand already has these. they're called markets. and some are even wet.

So save your time and effort for more worthy issues worth addressing.