Getting Tops to reorder out of stock items.

[watcharacters]

 

 

Sorry if this is a repeat but I could not find my OP.

 

Tops  in our area seems to occasionally order a product and then just lets it sell out without any interest in reordering.   Tops is not a Costco kind of merchant.   The frequency of  this  happening causes me to question their  merchandising approach.

 

The best (most egregious) example of this was a wonderful display of Bar-B-Que  sauces.     I was happy to find the company took a flyer and explored buying some newer products.      They must have had close to 200 bottles of  various sauce on display.       I bought several including Tony Roma, American Stockyard and others I'd never before seen.

 

In two months they have nearly  no stock left.     The prices were  as to be expected  (high) with imported items.

 

I insisted the Missus ask at the customer counter desk about reordering.   She hated to confront the company.     The girl with whom she spoke took no time before she had a  glazed look come over her face and showed no interest whatsoever  with  anything to do with  reordering anything.   

 

Does anyone have an idea  of how to contact the person who matters when it comes to reordering things for Tops.    Is there any corporate person who may care about what the company can sell well?

[worgeordie]

It was the same with jars of Patak's curry pastes, they had a good stock of them,

sold out,and have never ordered them again,it's the same with other products.

 

regards worgeordie

[seajae]

this is typical all over Thailand in every store from what I have seen. Many times in different stores I have found items I have been after and start buying them only to find that they run out and then do not re stock the items even though they are popular, in any other country they re order when stocks get low so they do not run out completely but here they ignore that, seems they think that if they have to buy in more stock then they dont have/show as much profit so they simply ignore it. This applies to tools, canned/packaged food, health items, condiments etc and in a huge variety of stores, they(the managers/bosses) simply have no idea how to run a store, the other thing that really sh*ts me is every time you go into some stores they have re arranged everything so you have to search all the isles, the people running them are simply idiots and lack any logical thought, they also have no business sense what so ever.

[55Jay]

Seems to be a recurring theme.  Particularly annoying for those running restaurants/bars with menus relying on consistency from Makro.   

 

When I first came here 4 years ago, bought the large, clear plastic container of grated/dry Parmesan cheese at Makro for 285 Baht -  think the brand is Schafer, something like that.  Then it was gone for 4 or 5 months, returned briefly at 295.  Gone then back at 310.  Hit or miss now but last time I paid attention, it was 320 or 325 Baht.

[Briggsy]

Often the chain of suppliers has more links in it here than in the West. So, it may well be that Tops or Makro is not the importer. So they are dependent on what the importer brings in.

3 hours ago, watcharacters said:

I insisted the Missus ask at the customer counter desk about reordering.   She hated to confront the company.     The girl with whom she spoke took no time before she had a  glazed look come over her face and showed no interest whatsoever  with  anything to do with  reordering anything.   

I like this paragraph.

 

I too have  asked about items out of stock. If you are lucky, you will get a good staff member. Even then, they have no idea how to pass your request along to anybody who could make a decision on it. Perhaps try the website. Good luck with that.

[Rc2702]

6 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Often the chain of suppliers has more links in it here than in the West. So, it may well be that Tops or Makro is not the importer. So they are dependent on what the importer brings in.

I like this paragraph.

 

I too have  asked about items out of stock. If you are lucky, you will get a good staff member. Even then, they have no idea how to pass your request along to anybody who could make a decision on it. Perhaps try the website. Good luck with that.

Topps I believe do not import they buy of a bkk distributor western brands. Try Delishop.co.th for western goods.

[mcfish]

The trick is to never fall in love with any food items in Thailand. Always move on...

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[fruitman]

Topps also has a deli-like-store who probably will have it. It's also called Topps though.

 

When i like a product a lot i go back next day and buy as much as i can use before it expires. That's the only way to be sure.

 

You can email Tops and other supermarkets and they'll reply. Even in english.

[mcfish]

Topps also has a deli-like-store who probably will have it. It's also called Topps though.
 
When i like a product a lot i go back next day and buy as much as i can use before it expires. That's the only way to be sure.
 

That's exactly the reason why it gets wiped out so quickly.


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[chickenslegs]

9 hours ago, seajae said:

... the other thing that really sh*ts me is every time you go into some stores they have re arranged everything so you have to search all the isles, the people running them are simply idiots and lack any logical thought, they also have no business sense what so ever.

 

It's a sales tactic. They want you to search all the aisles - more chance that you will buy things that you didn't come in for and didn't know you needed.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Overall, in my experience, it's kind of hard to tell just who's to blame for these kinds of recurring problems.

 

When I've talked to store managers in the past, they often seem to blame holdups with Thai customs for imported things falling out of stock.

 

But, it also seems that the in-store ordering process (recognizing that they're getting low or have run out of stock, and then actually doing something about it) often seems to be left to store staff with about as much initiative or awareness as a block of cheese.

 

I don't know about Tops per se, but I do have one contact at the parent Central organization who's been helpful in the past in getting their stocking for imported stuff untangled.

Edited December 25, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[dotpoom]

Just musing to myself after reading the header. ....."Why did I come to live in Thailand and what were my concerns about it at the time" ....Not on the top of my list was "How to get a store to re-order stock. 

    I'm not making light of your question OP,   I just sometimes feel that we humans tend to focus our lives around trivisl stuff, while we are missing the "big picture" going on all around us.

     Just a personal view of course.

[AlQaholic]

Yes this is a recurring thing, not only with Tops, but especially with Lotus. But I have found this relates to the working mentality in individual stores, not in general. It comes down to management for that individual store. The problem is that the staff is lazy and do not want to do things that are difficult or complicated. For example a lot of the stock is stocked up automatically by the whole sale supplier by agreement between store and supplier. But many items (usually the most popular) have to be re-stocked by the staff. This may involve making a phone call, keeping a sheet updated with the stock, remembering said sheet, preparing store space for the items etc etc etc.....

This is not a good thing because in Thai culture it is not "Sanook", therefore not doable.....

It comes down to the manager to put his/her foot down, which is not "Sanook" either for many a manager......

Edited December 26, 2016 by AlQaholic

[i claudius]

I notice that all of a sudden they have stopped stocking kraft miracle whip and sandwich spread , as have most other stores ,after selling them for about 10 years , anyone know where in Pattaya to get them?

[AlQaholic]

28 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

Just musing to myself after reading the header. ....."Why did I come to live in Thailand and what were my concerns about it at the time" ....Not on the top of my list was "How to get a store to re-order stock. 

    I'm not making light of your question OP,   I just sometimes feel that we humans tend to focus our lives around trivisl stuff, while we are missing the "big picture" going on all around us.

     Just a personal view of course.

Yeahhh!! And while we are at it: What is it with the Thai and the <deleted> <deleted> shrimp tails that they never remove, even in a dish such as "HaMook". Is it so <deleted> <deleted> difficult to remove the <deleted> tail??? I am sick and tired of these damned tails, always the tails!!

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

My policy here is to buy products when they are available because you dont know when you will get it again.

[Emster23]

Do they not teach quantitative methods courses at Thai business schools? QM101 covered queuing theory (aka inventory control)... not a terribly difficult equation; back when I took the classes in '71 we had no pocket calculators, just pencil and paper. The motto of Thai business is "no hab".

[catinthehat]

..................how to contact the person who matters ............"

 

An expat manager at Foodland told me that as many times they pay new foreign suppliers very late, those same suppliers do not wish to have any further to do with them.

[new2here]

I tend to find at the local store level, they are acutely aware of what's out of stock ... and they POS system also confirms this against the incoming shipment manifest (less of course for things like shrinkage, etc).

However, what I tend to find is that there is a disconnect between the local inventory and the DCs (distribution center) pick/pack...

So, Id take a guess that the local store level POS systems and the DCs are just not that tuned to trigger a replenishment order based on real-time inventory control at the store level.




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[TheFishman1]

In many foreign country's I have lived it's the same exception was Mexico TIT

[ThailandLOS]

20 hours ago, 55Jay said:

When I first came here 4 years ago, bought the large, clear plastic container of grated/dry Parmesan cheese at Makro for 285 Baht -  think the brand is Schafer, something like that.  Then it was gone for 4 or 5 months, returned briefly at 295.  Gone then back at 310.  Hit or miss now but last time I paid attention, it was 320 or 325 Baht.

 

The will keep increasing the price until nobody buys it anymore and they don't need to restock. Thai market logic at work.

[coppywriter]

I usually order everything I want from British Corner Shop 

 

www.britishcornershop.com

 

Edited December 26, 2016 by coppywriter

[madmax2]

20 hours ago, 55Jay said:

Seems to be a recurring theme.  Particularly annoying for those running restaurants/bars with menus relying on consistency from Makro.   

 

When I first came here 4 years ago, bought the large, clear plastic container of grated/dry Parmesan cheese at Makro for 285 Baht -  think the brand is Schafer, something like that.  Then it was gone for 4 or 5 months, returned briefly at 295.  Gone then back at 310.  Hit or miss now but last time I paid attention, it was 320 or 325 Baht.

Called inflation depends on where it comes from and the exchange rate at the time of purchase

[FritsSikkink]

"I insisted the Missus ask at the customer counter"

What about learning Thai so you can do your own conversations?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

14 hours ago, Rc2702 said:

Try Delishop.co.th for western goods.

 

Thanks for the suggestion about that business/site. I hadn't heard of them before.

 

But after your post, I took a long look at their website and what they have available over the night, and ended up placing my first order for delivery later today.  They're offering a standard 200b discount coupon for first orders, and free delivery in BKK for orders 1200b and above.

 

A lot of their packaged/canned products seem to be French brands and origin. But they also have a lot of other things, including some fresh bakery, fresh veggies, meats and dairy products.

 

One thing of note: of all their products I looked at, more than a majority, I'd say, are things I haven't seen at any of the other Thai retail supermarkets.

 

[Rc2702]

34 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Thanks for the suggestion about that business/site. I hadn't heard of them before.

 

But after your post, I took a long look at their website and what they have available over the night, and ended up placing my first order for delivery later today.  They're offering a standard 200b discount coupon for first orders, and free delivery in BKK for orders 1200b and above.

 

A lot of their packaged/canned products seem to be French brands and origin. But they also have a lot of other things, including some fresh bakery, fresh veggies, meats and dairy products.

 

One thing of note: of all their products I looked at, more than a majority, I'd say, are things I haven't seen at any of the other Thai retail supermarkets.

 

Exclusive lines a lot of them which are likely consolidated in France.  Ensures supply ability has more legs. I went to one of those entrepeneurs events in bkk and they were featured. 

 

French man founded it I believe he worked for carrefour in th prior to Delishop.co.th. 

Edited December 26, 2016 by Rc2702

[elgordo38]

On 12/25/2016 at 11:50 AM, watcharacters said:

I insisted the Missus ask at the customer counter desk about reordering.   She hated to confront the company.     The girl with whom she spoke took no time before she had a  glazed look come over her face and showed no interest whatsoever  with  anything to do with  reordering anything.   

I have seen  this time and again.  Confrontation is not their style. The sale or promo is over when the last item is sold not the end of sale time they list on the front ticket. Usually when they run a promo on a item it sells out fast and they are slow to replenish. You can go up the chain of command as far as you want you will get the same attention as the first sales person offered. Its the way things are and have been done for decades. Nothing changes. 

[watcharacters]

15 hours ago, mcfish said:

The trick is to never fall in love with any food items in Thailand. Always move on...

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk
 

 

 

Sorry Fish,  maybe that works for you but  I'd like a choice especially when I know it's available to the  corporation.

 

It took hearing a lot of "no's" before I was able to get  8 gallons of Simple Green® shipped to me from a Bangkok supplier.   I faced nearly every Thai logic failure I can imagine  in the process  along the way.    E.G. the cost per unit for 16 gallons will be higher than the cost per unit for 8 gallons.      In the end they shipped it  all in an enclosed pallet which I think was strong enough to ship the Mona Lisa.

Two things come to  my mind.   Perseverance and the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

[watcharacters]

1 hour ago, elgordo38 said:

I have seen  this time and again.  Confrontation is not their style. The sale or promo is over when the last item is sold not the end of sale time they list on the front ticket. Usually when they run a promo on a item it sells out fast and they are slow to replenish. You can go up the chain of command as far as you want you will get the same attention as the first sales person offered. Its the way things are and have been done for decades. Nothing changes. 

 

 

 

Thanks elgordo but I wonder why you like to throw out the phrase  "Confrontation is not their style." There was absolutely no confrontation whatsoever.    I  posted that the lady showed complete disinterest and you make it sound fully different than it was.   ThaiVisa style at it's finest?  Thanks..

 

What makes you think I'm talking about a promo situation?

 

 

Edited December 26, 2016 by watcharacters

[elgordo38]

1 minute ago, watcharacters said:

 

 

 

Thanks elgordo but I wonder why you like to throw out the phrase  "Confrontation is not their style." There was absolutely no confrontation whatsoever.    I  posted that the lady showed complete disinterest and you make it sound fully different than it was.   ThaiVisa style at it's finest?  Thanks..

 

 

Well we can debate that till the cows come home. I was just going by what my g/f does and she is Thai. I have also seen the same first hand in stores. When she shows complete disinterest it means that she does not want to debate or confront something. Silence is the better part of valor or golden  or non confrontationial the interpretation is "Up to you"