Tesco Lotus- Lamai

[Malice in Wonderland]

Disgruntled Lamai market traders are currently mobilising "troops" to march on Tesco Lotus today in protest against a proposed second store in Lamai beach.... The proposed store is said to be between PTT Lamai and the temple(gas station side of the road)...

Expect much banner waving and a sea of yellow shirts; If anyone gets caught up in it,please post to let us know how the "Mob" gets on...

[taxexile]

there was a letter in the bangkok post last week calling attention to an announcement by a government minister calling for a curb on foriegners opening businesses here that compete unfairly with thai businesses by providing cheaper prices and better customer service than the thais.

[Malice in Wonderland]

Having just driven past the main market in Lamai I guess the protestors have already left as it is completely closed (first time I've seen that in 4 yrs...).Apparently they're all going to sign a petition to protest against the proposed Lamai store....

I think they're pi**ing in the breeze as i believe the land has already changed hands (the thai owner "just couldn't say "No" to the generous offer,apparently...) Hmmm....locals going to moan yet one of their own has sold out to Tesco's...Just waiting for the slant where this will somehow be the Farang's fault....

[Samui Coconut]

there was a letter in the bangkok post last week calling attention to an announcement by a government minister calling for a curb on foriegners opening businesses here that compete unfairly with thai businesses by providing cheaper prices and better customer service than the thais.

I have heard a while ago they planned to open one in Nathon...may be only a rumour.

Tesco better customer service......???? We had this subject already.....nuff said.

[taxexile]

i wasnt necessarily referring to tescos as far as customer service goes.

just to the fact that rather than stand up and try and compete , the thai minister wanted to just ban the competition.

[Lindsay]

Tesco is very convenient in many ways, but it would be a shame to let them take over everything like they have here in the UK, forcing many independent greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers etc. out of business. Another thing that happens is that they import meat and fruit from the other side of the world at rock-bottom prices (but at huge environmental expense), even though those same items are being grown and farmed just down the road. It's important to support the local markets, it would be a shame if they disappeared completely.

[Rooo]

Tesco Express in Nathon is going ahead.They have leased the land for 20 years.

[sbk]

Tesco is very convenient in many ways, but it would be a shame to let them take over everything like they have here in the UK, forcing many independent greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers etc. out of business. Another thing that happens is that they import meat and fruit from the other side of the world at rock-bottom prices (but at huge environmental expense), even though those same items are being grown and farmed just down the road. It's important to support the local markets, it would be a shame if they disappeared completely.

Nah Lindsay, for some people it is far more important to score points and disparage locals than actually do something actively positive.

[John 1]

Why all the worry about another Tesco or Big C, the problem I see are the 7/11 stores on every corner they are taking the everyday business away from the local business owners, and 7/11 is Thai owned.

[Beachedwhale]

Why all the worry about another Tesco or Big C, the problem I see are the 7/11 stores on every corner they are taking the everyday business away from the local business owners, and 7/11 is Thai owned.

Actually 7-11 is not Thai owned .. but I believe the Thai master franchise is owned by the CP group

http://www.7-eleven.com/

The Story of Convenience Shopping

7-Eleven pioneered the convenience store concept way back in 1927 at the Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas. In addition to selling blocks of ice to refrigerate food, an enterprising ice dock employee began offering milk, bread and eggs on Sundays and evenings when grocery stores were closed. This new business idea produced satisfied customers and increased sales, and convenience retailing was born!

.......

Global Convenience

Approximately 3,200 of the company's 5,300 stores in the United States are operated by franchisees, and an additional 485 are operated by licensees. 7-Eleven, Inc., its licensees and affiliates operate more than 27,900 7-Eleven and other convenience stores in Japan, Australia, Mexico, Taiwan, Singapore, Canada, the Philippines, Sweden, Denmark, South Korea, Thailand, Norway, Turkey, Malaysia, China and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and Guam.

IYG Holding Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd. and Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd., has owned a majority interest in 7-Eleven since 1991. Seven-Eleven Japan operates more than 10,000 7-Eleven stores in Japan and Hawaii under an area license agreement with 7-Eleven, Inc

While I do not necessarily like the way they seem to have sprung up everywhere (purely from an aesthetics viewpoint), I do believe that they are providing a product & service that many people want - otherwise they would not be springing up everywhere. I also believe that the 7-11 stock management is much better than Tesco and the local markets and that I am more likely to find my sought after goods there at any time convenient to me. I am forever frustrated at both Tesco and the local shops who seem to frequently run out of goods and tell you "next week" when you ask them where the goods are (and even the PTT that runs out of deisel). If the locals did not want the 7-11's why is it then that I tend to see many of them utilising them at all times of the day.

[Khun Jean]

7-11 is not a real threat. You can only eat and drink a certain amount of chips and sodas. Don't go to 7-11 to buy "real" food.

I noticed that people started selling chicken,pork etc on the market that they bought in Tesco Lotus before. Chicken they sold for 90 baht a kilo while they bought it for 45 baht at Tesco Lotus. Same for cleaning products, buying it at lotus while on a promotion and then reselling it in their shops. It is only a matter of time and the market wil change into a souvenir market for the tourists. They probably will make more money.

It is called progress and the sooner mom and pop realize this the better. Now they still have time to add some value to their products and/or change the products. It is not nice, but it is happening all over the world.