what happened to the Central Festival market

[logon1]

When that Tops first opened in the festival complex it was like shopping in Paris or London. It had so many hard to find products. The charcuterie and cheese sections were without equal. They had fresh crab meat, marrow bones so many delicacies. i went back today after an absence and it was like shopping in a 7/11. The bakery and the potato chip sections were well stocked however

[lkn]

Are you talking about Airport Plaza?

 

I think the affluent people prefer Central Festival and their food hall (or Rimping), so not enough demand to make it profitable for Tops in Airport Plaza to stock fresh crab meat and other perishables that few, if any, of their customers buy.

 

[junglechef]

From day one they had rotten product on the shelves

[elektrified]

I agree. The first two months the selection was incredible. We stocked up on cheeses, salami, breads - all very good quality. A few months later I asked what happened and was told that there was practically no turnover and they had to throw out almost everything. They also said that the farang working in the bakery was sent back to Bangkok. So now they only have packaged cheeses and locally produced hams and so forth that are popular with Thais. And the bread is now sweet and soft.

 

Now it's like a high-end 7-Eleven..... Fruit prices are beyond silly.

[logon1]

9 hours ago, lkn said:

Are you talking about Airport Plaza?

 

I think the affluent people prefer Central Festival and their food hall (or Rimping), so not enough demand to make it profitable for Tops in Airport Plaza to stock fresh crab meat and other perishables that few, if any, of their customers buy.

 

 

9 hours ago, lkn said:

Are you talking about Airport Plaza?

 

I think the affluent people prefer Central Festival and their food hall (or Rimping), so not enough demand to make it profitable for Tops in Airport Plaza to stock fresh crab meat and other perishables that few, if any, of their customers buy.

 

No the festival shopping mall  corner 118 & super highway

[NancyL]

The Central Food Halls at the big malls in Bangkok are like what the OP described; the those places are teeming with customers -- and not just foreigners, but many Thai people who have developed a taste for high-end, imported products.  Obviously, Central tried it for a couple months in Chiang Mai, saw it didn't work and adjusted their stock to the tastes of the local market.  Can't really blame them, can you?

 

Back to Rim Ping if you want a thoughtful collection of high-end products, curated for our market.  That's as good as it gets.

[fredge45]

2 hours ago, NancyL said:

The Central Food Halls at the big malls in Bangkok are like what the OP described; the those places are teeming with customers -- and not just foreigners, but many Thai people who have developed a taste for high-end, imported products.  Obviously, Central tried it for a couple months in Chiang Mai, saw it didn't work and adjusted their stock to the tastes of the local market.  Can't really blame them, can you?

 

Back to Rim Ping if you want a thoughtful collection of high-end products, curated for our market.  That's as good as it gets.

Must not have been to Rimping of late then... stocking levels very poor, and don't even think to get any response from their website or emails if you have any questions or requests.   We go there for a few specific items which are usually out of stock but checking anyways...

 

[TheFishman1]

TIT

[Minnehaha]

I remember the days in CNX when there was no bread ! No nothing. 

You could get canned and jar goods at that shop in Kad Luang. 

Rim Pings and Tantrapan were stocking some goods by 1993 and the supermarket at Kad Suan Kaew opened and that had a bit of stuff too. Still no coffee until around 1994. American Cafe in Tah Pah road had brewed coffee with bottomless cup by 1993 or 94. And some western food but not much. Mostly they sold coffee, drinks, and screened dvd movies for people to sit and watch. I go to CNX now and hate it. Traffic. Noise. The quiet town is never more. Airport Plaza opening was kind of the turning point. The super highway (what a great name!) was the newest big deal. Now, I go and can orient myself if I know where the river is or can see Doi Suthep. Used to live up Suthep road past Wat U Mong and had all kinds of wild animals wandering in - birds and more. Neighbors had monkeys visit more than once and we saw them often. We knew they were pets that had gotten loose. But they stayed loose and so whats the difference? Back in the day ...

I digress. and do not like going to CNX anymore.  

Edited December 3, 2016 by Minnehaha

[henry15]

Chiang Mai just don't  have the customers Thai or farang to by High End foreign food, because they can't afford it. Even in Bkk there is a big difference between different difference between  Tops supermarkets in different

Locations.The Tops in Pathum Thani, even in Future Park, the larges mall in Thailand  has almost no wesrern food, while Tops in  Central  chaeng wattana have  a large selection, even its an almost 100% Thai Neighbourhood.

 

The same go's for BigC Extra, Chaeng Wattana have a lot of Casino products and  Belgian, German and other foreign beers. Can't find them in Udon, even Udon have a large farang population. And that for the same reason as Tops. Too los imcome, can't afford to buy foreign food

[elektrified]

23 minutes ago, Minnehaha said:

I remember the days in CNX when there was no bread ! No nothing. 

You could get canned and jar goods at that shop in Kad Luang. 

Rim Pings and Tantrapan were stocking some goods by 1993 and the supermarket at Kad Suan Kaew opened and that had a bit of stuff too. Still no coffee until around 1994. American Cafe in Tah Pah road had brewed coffee with bottomless cup by 1993 or 94. And some western food but not much. Mostly they sold coffee, drinks, and screened dvd movies for people to sit and watch. I go to CNX now and hate it. Traffic. Noise. The quiet town is never more. Airport Plaza opening was kind of the turning point. The super highway (what a great name!) was the newest big deal. Now, I go and can orient myself if I know where the river is or can see Doi Suthep. Used to live up Suthep road past Wat U Mong and had all kinds of wild animals wandering in - birds and more. Neighbors had monkeys visit more than once and we saw them often. We knew they were pets that had gotten loose. But they stayed loose and so whats the difference? Back in the day ...

I digress. and do not like going to CNX anymore.  

Actually, the old Thantrapan is now Rimping. I didn't know that until recently. Same company, same owner.

[worgeordie]

It's the same with most shops in the Mall,no customers,some will be

lucky if they generate enough to pay the rents,never mind anything

else,it was a very ambitious project to say the least,there are not

enough Farangs willing to pay the prices,and the majority of Thai's

just don't have enough disposable income to make it work,someone

overestimated the demand.

regards Worgeordie

[mania]

7 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

It's the same with most shops in the Mall,no customers,some will be

lucky if they generate enough to pay the rents,never mind anything

else

 

Yes I was there a few times in November & the place was quite empty

 

Also Ristr8to that closed downstairs near Starbucks was suppose to open on the 3rd floor quite awhile ago

Info desk said they still will next month.

I couldn't help but notice a lot of shops on that 3rd floor are gone now & white plywood out front as maybe someone takes over...or not

 

How about Platinum Fashion? Mall next to Big C Extra... still not open last month?? Has it been years now in the process?

 

It all looks so familiar to parts of the US in 2008 right before the mess

[Suradit69]

2 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

TIT

 

So you're implying that stocking shops with items that are never bought and have to be thrown out is the hallmark of the so called advanced economies.

[Brer Fox]

16 hours ago, elektrified said:

I agree. The first two months the selection was incredible. We stocked up on cheeses, salami, breads - all very good quality. A few months later I asked what happened and was told that there was practically no turnover and they had to throw out almost everything. They also said that the farang working in the bakery was sent back to Bangkok. So now they only have packaged cheeses and locally produced hams and so forth that are popular with Thais. And the bread is now sweet and soft.

 

Now it's like a high-end 7-Eleven..... Fruit prices are beyond silly.

After a while people wake up. Tops is the most expensive of the large supermarkets. Much more expensive than Foodland. So if other options are available nearby that's where they go.

As for the Tops bakeries the products there are disgusting. Just to look at some items almost makes me want to vomit. Especially the donuts being gnawed at by rats.

[Bung]

Anyone seen any vegemite? I need vegemite. (or even better,  promite!) Seems to be gone from everywhere although I have seen that horrible substitute,  marmite..... 

[mania]

6 minutes ago, Brer Fox said:

 Especially the donuts being gnawed at by rats.

 

 

I was eating at the famous Jok  place on the Moat one day

While waiting for my order I was looking in the kitchen & watching 2 chihuahuas rolling around playing & running

out of the way anytime a worker went past

Then back out playing in middle of kitchen floor

Told my wife look how cute & she pointed out I needed glasses as those were 2 large rats

 

She was right about both things 555

[cmsally]

Both Vegemite and Marmite in Kasem Store.

They seem to have done something with the recipe for Vegemite because it doesn't seem to taste so good anymore. I now stick mostly with Marmite . 

[lkn]

4 hours ago, henry15 said:

Chiang Mai just don't  have the customers Thai or farang to by High End foreign food, because they can't afford it

 

That, or they just don’t have an interest in eating imported food when the local food is cheaper and more delicious.

 

The only imported food I find worth buying is wine and cheese.

[elektrified]

4 hours ago, mania said:

 

Yes I was there a few times in November & the place was quite empty

 

Also Ristr8to that closed downstairs near Starbucks was suppose to open on the 3rd floor quite awhile ago

Info desk said they still will next month.

I couldn't help but notice a lot of shops on that 3rd floor are gone now & white plywood out front as maybe someone takes over...or not

 

How about Platinum Fashion? Mall next to Big C Extra... still not open last month?? Has it been years now in the process?

 

It all looks so familiar to parts of the US in 2008 right before the mess

Yes many shops have folded there but it is not as apparent as say Promenada. They cleverly use that plywood in a way where it blends in and almost seems as it's part of the design of the mall. Unless you know a shop was there, you don't even notice it.

 

Platinum Mall won't open anytime soon. They are looking for additional investors still. Even when it opens it won't be anything like one in Bangkok - which is a HUGE success story. There are so many shopfronts and apartments that were built in that area near Big C - all by the same developer/owner. It looks like perhaps 80% of them are unsalable/unrentable due to unrealistic pricing. The wife's friend went to look at a shop in there and the rent was 200K per month. Previously a skin clinic was there (they lasted three months). Many are already looking run down after sitting there for 2-3 years.

 

Yup, I think it's pretty obvious a bubble is about to burst. When? Who knows.

Edited December 3, 2016 by elektrified

[daveAustin]

20 hours ago, Bung said:

Anyone seen any vegemite? I need vegemite. (or even better,  promite!) Seems to be gone from everywhere although I have seen that horrible substitute,  marmite..... 

 

lol. There is a reason marmite is still available because no-one was buying that DELETED impostor (the real substitute) so they had to throw it all out. Tried it once in Oz. Gawd, like eating mud but the natives seemed to like it.

 

Tops was always a poor second to Rim Ping. Also more expensive.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2016 by seedy
Language

[lkn]

On 12/3/2016 at 4:57 PM, elektrified said:

There are so many shopfronts and apartments that were built in that area near Big C […] The wife's friend went to look at a shop in there and the rent was 200K per month. Previously a skin clinic was there (they lasted three months). Many are already looking run down after sitting there for 2-3 years.

 

Was this a stand-alone shop (not part of a mall or similar complex)?

 

 

This would indicate the owner thinks the value of the property is 25-50 million baht. That sounds rather delusional (for that area) and I would not expect many shops to have enough profit to be able to pay that steep a rent, especially in that area where there aren’t many locals to which you can sell your goods and services.

[elektrified]

4 hours ago, lkn said:

 

Was this a stand-alone shop (not part of a mall or similar complex)?

 

 

This would indicate the owner thinks the value of the property is 25-50 million baht. That sounds rather delusional (for that area) and I would not expect many shops to have enough profit to be able to pay that steep a rent, especially in that area where there aren’t many locals to which you can sell your goods and services.

One of the strip mall complexes that have gone up - not stand alone. Double shopfront unit. The soi where you turn into from the Super Highway (just past Big C), or maybe the next one over going away from Big C - I forget. The owner/developer owns the land and all of the new buildings that have been erected in the last couple of years (Chiang Mai Business Park). I believe he also owns the school as well as the hotel and a number of other business around there. Only the land starting at the soi where Green Bus Co. and going towards Khum Phaya has been sold off.

[flare]

On December 3, 2016 at 1:53 PM, Bung said:

Anyone seen any vegemite? I need vegemite. (or even better,  promite!) Seems to be gone from everywhere although I have seen that horrible substitute,  marmite..... 

Vegemite, Marmite, Branston Pickle, and one other weird thing you Limeys and Aussies like (Bovril, maybe?) were all at Rimping Meechoke yesterday.

[balo]

After living here for 3 months I find Rimping to have the best selection of western food and fresh veggies and fruit. But the fruit is a bit overpriced so I buy sometimes in Big C. 

Edited December 4, 2016 by balo

[seedy]

Flaming post Removed

[balo]

What is that supposed to mean ? 

[stament]

1 hour ago, balo said:

After living here for 3 months I find Rimping to have the best selection of western food and fresh veggies and fruit. But the fruit is a bit overpriced so I buy sometimes in Big C. 

Have you only been on the CM forum for 3 months Balo? Must say seems like longer......

 

Some very useful posts in that time though 

[balo]

10 minutes ago, stament said:

Have you only been on the CM forum for 3 months Balo?

 

I relocated from Pattaya in August so I guess a bit more than 3 months . I intend to stay 1 year , I have some relatives here, and then back to the south again . 

 

 

[6thST]

On 12/2/2016 at 5:16 PM, lkn said:

Are you talking about Airport Plaza?

 

I think the affluent people prefer Central Festival and their food hall (or Rimping), so not enough demand to make it profitable for Tops in Airport Plaza to stock fresh crab meat and other perishables that few, if any, of their customers buy.

 

In my opinion best shopping is Rimping.