Big C shrinking?

Have a question or comment about Shopping in Udon Thani? Post it here!
macca46
udonmap.com
Posts: 981
Joined: May 26, 2014, 8:55 am
Location: Udon Thani
Contact:

Big C shrinking?

Post by macca46 » October 2, 2018, 4:50 pm

It would appear that the two big supermarkets no long wish to cater to their western clientele not all that long ago Old Tesco gave the big A to most of its western food.

Then on visiting old Big C today they have moved what little they have left to close down the back where the oil's used to be and in IMO they now have less of what they used to have.

We all know that Thai's have very little common sense or knowledge when it come to marketing or who spends more per head just stand at the check out and compare what a farang spends to a Thai.

Maybe they would prefer us to shop at Villa or Tops and pay a little more and loose our baht completely?



User avatar
tamada
udonmap.com
Posts: 17216
Joined: February 21, 2007, 4:03 am
Location: Down two...then left

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by tamada » October 2, 2018, 6:13 pm

So they've moved the 1 and half aisles of farang centric foodstuffs that two days ago were immediately behind the left side 'express' checkouts to the far back left?

Regarding their 'per-head' revenues, last time I looked, there was loads more locals filling up multiple carts of the 'especial de hoy' than silver-haired farangs with their overpriced can of baked beans and a packet of digestives.

macca46
udonmap.com
Posts: 981
Joined: May 26, 2014, 8:55 am
Location: Udon Thani
Contact:

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by macca46 » October 2, 2018, 6:57 pm

Think you need to visit Spec Savers.

User avatar
vincemunday
udonmap.com
Posts: 3709
Joined: December 11, 2014, 11:36 pm
Location: Udon Thani ex North Stifford and Ramsgate
Contact:

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by vincemunday » October 2, 2018, 7:25 pm

Have to agree with Tamada here, the locals outspend Farang by a long chalk, all I see is old men with their young wives and infant chldren arguing because the wife wants to buy something and he's trying to hang on to his ever decreasing pension. Supermarkets aren't fools and if the Farang aisles were the main profit taker, they'd be bigger and very prominently placed at the front of the supermarket, instead the lines are decreasing the shelf space is becoming less, what's more they don't give a stuff where we buy our products if they aren't making money out of selling them.
The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

the-monk
udonmap.com
Posts: 1033
Joined: August 20, 2012, 4:56 am

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by the-monk » October 2, 2018, 7:51 pm

I agree the foreign space has been shrinking, but it s more than just a full or half full half empty shopping cart. You will see Thai with 5-6 palm oil bottles priced at 27 B, and 5-6 Mama noodles at 32 B per pack and so on... How much margin do you make on these ? Few baht per litre of oil and few baht on the Mama pack. The foreign food margin should be anywhere from 25 % to 100 % , so the store earned a minimum of 40 baht on your 200 B cheddar cheese.. In the foreign food category one must include << non-traditional Thai products >> , a good example is the pumpkin chips from the Royal project, sold for 25 b per bag at the Royal project shop at Central Plaza and Big C offering the exact same thing ( same bag same product ) for 39 B, a more than 100 % markup..
Few weeks ago I recall reading that Big C will be undertaking a major renovation program at all stores aiming to increase the number of higher price tickets, maybe this would mean better and more diversified foreign products and food.

User avatar
FrazeeDK
udonmap.com
Posts: 4909
Joined: February 13, 2006, 2:02 am
Location: Udon Thani Thailand

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by FrazeeDK » October 2, 2018, 9:35 pm

t'is all about volume.. Go to the Big C by the east Ring Road practically any day, and particularly on weekends and the parking lot is usually packed. Their target audience is your average Thai. Oh, the Farang stuff at the larger Big C was right up front just a day or two ago unless the moved it. There is a bit of Farang stuff back in the rear but not nearly as much.. Frankly there's not much in the way of speciality Farang stuff I need anyway...
Dave

User avatar
tamada
udonmap.com
Posts: 17216
Joined: February 21, 2007, 4:03 am
Location: Down two...then left

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by tamada » October 2, 2018, 10:27 pm

I was reading on the big forum a few weeks back that Big C have a new tie-in with Morrisons to carry a limited, 100-product line of their UK supermarket stuff. Pretty sure we won't see much of it in the boonies, maybe certain Bangkok branches but more probably Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai?

User avatar
tamada
udonmap.com
Posts: 17216
Joined: February 21, 2007, 4:03 am
Location: Down two...then left

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by tamada » October 2, 2018, 10:41 pm

the-monk wrote:
October 2, 2018, 7:51 pm
I agree the foreign space has been shrinking, but it s more than just a full or half full half empty shopping cart. You will see Thai with 5-6 palm oil bottles priced at 27 B, and 5-6 Mama noodles at 32 B per pack and so on... How much margin do you make on these ? Few baht per litre of oil and few baht on the Mama pack. The foreign food margin should be anywhere from 25 % to 100 % , so the store earned a minimum of 40 baht on your 200 B cheddar cheese.. In the foreign food category one must include << non-traditional Thai products >> , a good example is the pumpkin chips from the Royal project, sold for 25 b per bag at the Royal project shop at Central Plaza and Big C offering the exact same thing ( same bag same product ) for 39 B, a more than 100 % markup..
Few weeks ago I recall reading that Big C will be undertaking a major renovation program at all stores aiming to increase the number of higher price tickets, maybe this would mean better and more diversified foreign products and food.
The discounted cooking oil and noodles are the loss leader. It gets them in the door and shlep-shlepping around the aisles, elbows on trolleys, savoring the air-conditioning and if Thai supermarkets have learned anything from the west, strategic floor placement of other, higher margin products will see them trickling into the locals carts as well. I reckon 10 Thai carts loaded up with the maximum allowable amount of 'bulk' oil and noodles still trumps even 100 farangs with a hankering for cheese. Using the numbers above, one hundred blocks of Mainland cheddar will only get them 4000 baht. That's easily about 2 or 3 Thai family shopping carts worth, even less on their big weekend spends.

Sorry, we just aint that significant and Tesco-Lotus's eventual burying of a much reduced line of their 'Made in England' products in among everything else on the shelves is testament to that IMHO.

User avatar
tamada
udonmap.com
Posts: 17216
Joined: February 21, 2007, 4:03 am
Location: Down two...then left

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by tamada » October 3, 2018, 12:41 pm

Checked out Big C at 9.30 this morning with tam jr. supervising from the front of the cart. Yes, the Import aisle-and-a-half has been relocated as noted by the OP but it's exactly the same size as it has been for the past 3 years at least, maybe a bit longer now running east-west? They have also consolidated some imported stuff from the regular cookies and candies aisle to this new location. No big deal.

Big C still lub falang mahk...
500.jpg
Us: Haa loy.
...but ruhk kohn Thai forever.
1000.jpg
Them: Nung pahn

the-monk
udonmap.com
Posts: 1033
Joined: August 20, 2012, 4:56 am

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by the-monk » October 3, 2018, 1:02 pm

Nice to see that your son is sitting properly in the cart.. Well done... Not a frequent sight.

dragonz
udonmap.com
Posts: 513
Joined: October 24, 2017, 8:29 am

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by dragonz » October 3, 2018, 2:00 pm

It seems like not many expats went shopping in supermarkets before they came to thailand and therefore have no idea what they are talking about . Thais with full shopping trollies ??? Never seen one in 11 yrs shopping at big c and tesco except the odd business bulk buy which is not allowed in europe . Max 6 - 10 of any one item (selected items ).
Stopped going to tesco nadee a few weeks ago because of the prices but popped in a few days ago at 2pm as i was passing . Empty , 2 full checkouts open with no customers . rented shops mostly closed . Big new t shirt shop on the left closed and never saw 1 customer in there in about 9 months. Big c is going the same way . To expensive for most thais earning 8 pound ($11)a day .
Went to big c on the nong bua lamphu road a while ago . Had 1 customer , ME !
Real supermakrkets ! i went to pembroke dock tesco in wales for years (small population) . On fri ,sat sunday 20 checkouts with 2 girls on each still queues at each checkout , trollies overloaded , some with 2 trollies . Sainsburys 200 metres away the same
Tesco at my sons in hemel hemstead in london , used to go 5.30 am or 10pm to avoid the queues in a huge supermarket.
HH shopping mall people walking out with armfulls of bags .Robinsons or big c see the odd person with a bag. The amount sold in supermarkets and malls in thailand is miniscule to most countries .
Wages are 10 times less here so logically should be 10 times cheaper but is more expensive than uk so will never see thais with full trollies

LoneTraveler
udonmap.com
Posts: 243
Joined: April 26, 2011, 2:29 pm

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by LoneTraveler » October 4, 2018, 7:26 am

Where does Mackro fit in? Have not been there in a while, too much chaos with the stocking of items and isles closed while doing so. The parking situation is not good so I have been going to UD town where I can go to both Tesco-Lotus and Villa on the same day. I usually go to Big C for bottled water, paper towels, tissue, etc and banking. I agree there is not much out there for foreigners. Villa is the only exception.

User avatar
Old Grumpy
udonmap.com
Posts: 383
Joined: April 28, 2018, 10:36 am

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by Old Grumpy » October 4, 2018, 10:17 am

There is a new mini Big C in Non Wau Sor ,almost next door to 7/11, only opened last month but seems to be quite busy, maybe the novelty factor, Thais love anything new, taking their selfies in there.The mini Tesco in Nong Wai seems to be doing okay but have stopped the open all night service and gone back to closing at 10pm, never saw the point of that anyway, just a few drunks buying another bottle after midnight .Yet in comparison the two Tops in both places closed down .Seems smaller and more of them is the way to go for the supermarkets after all 7/11 are everywhere with their franchised shops .For me, most of my weekly shop is split between Tops and Makro with a rare visit to Villa the latter also always seems to have more staff than customers .For anyone living out the NBL side of town I recommend the Makro there rather than the Udon branch, same big choice of goods, maybe more, wider aisles make for easier shopping and plenty of easy parking .
Age is a matter of mind.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
Mark Twain,

User avatar
tamada
udonmap.com
Posts: 17216
Joined: February 21, 2007, 4:03 am
Location: Down two...then left

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by tamada » October 4, 2018, 12:40 pm

dragonz wrote:
October 3, 2018, 2:00 pm
It seems like not many expats went shopping in supermarkets before they came to thailand and therefore have no idea what they are talking about . Thais with full shopping trollies ??? Never seen one in 11 yrs shopping at big c and tesco except the odd business bulk buy which is not allowed in europe . Max 6 - 10 of any one item (selected items ).
Stopped going to tesco nadee a few weeks ago because of the prices but popped in a few days ago at 2pm as i was passing . Empty , 2 full checkouts open with no customers . rented shops mostly closed . Big new t shirt shop on the left closed and never saw 1 customer in there in about 9 months. Big c is going the same way . To expensive for most thais earning 8 pound ($11)a day .
Went to big c on the nong bua lamphu road a while ago . Had 1 customer , ME !
Real supermakrkets ! i went to pembroke dock tesco in wales for years (small population) . On fri ,sat sunday 20 checkouts with 2 girls on each still queues at each checkout , trollies overloaded , some with 2 trollies . Sainsburys 200 metres away the same
Tesco at my sons in hemel hemstead in london , used to go 5.30 am or 10pm to avoid the queues in a huge supermarket.
HH shopping mall people walking out with armfulls of bags .Robinsons or big c see the odd person with a bag. The amount sold in supermarkets and malls in thailand is miniscule to most countries .
Wages are 10 times less here so logically should be 10 times cheaper but is more expensive than uk so will never see thais with full trollies
Higher volume weekend shopping at supermarkets isn't unique to the UK. As for your observational skills.... don't give up your day job.

I guess you've never shopped at Big C Phosri (flyover) on a weekend? There's not enough parking spaces, even the 'fire lanes' are packed and there's plenty locals with a loaded cart or 2 at the check outs. The myth that the locals can't afford it is maybe a distortion of the reality by the fact that you can't afford afford it? There's more locals making credit/debit card payments at the checkouts too and my observations from FREQUENT shopping at the above Big C is the locals can afford it.

The Big C and Tesco Nadee are by no means indicative of the footfall and cart filling by locals at the original two branches. I agree that their weekly footfall beggars the question how they stay open but there's a reason the southern ringroad and points beyond aren't busy. No bugger lives out there in sufficient numbers... for now. Even Tesco (north) floor space reduction and reorganization hasn't fazed the locals as much as it has the whining farangs. Maybe only the buggered up access due to the highway construction is a mutually agreed gripe.

As for you claims that, "The amount sold in supermarkets and malls in thailand is miniscule to most countries" a citation badly needed. And that means facts and not just your 'observations'.

Pity there's no Specsavers at the local malls eh? I reckon you need new glasses.

User avatar
tamada
udonmap.com
Posts: 17216
Joined: February 21, 2007, 4:03 am
Location: Down two...then left

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by tamada » October 4, 2018, 12:46 pm

LoneTraveler wrote:
October 4, 2018, 7:26 am
Where does Mackro fit in? Have not been there in a while, too much chaos with the stocking of items and isles closed while doing so. The parking situation is not good so I have been going to UD town where I can go to both Tesco-Lotus and Villa on the same day. I usually go to Big C for bottled water, paper towels, tissue, etc and banking. I agree there is not much out there for foreigners. Villa is the only exception.
Still busy especially on weekends when a lot of Lao traders come in and load up multiple pallet carts (not shopping trolleys) and drop upwards of 12-15k per cash out. If Makro is still run like it was when I signed up years ago, certain days are geared towards the customer with a commercial account (big printer receipts versus the ticker-tape one for the regular single cart guy) and you see the restaurant operators and mom and pop store owners from the outer reaches of Udon filling up baskets and trucks.

saint
udonmap.com
Posts: 3516
Joined: February 28, 2008, 5:31 pm
Location: On lookout duty ,spotting for snipers .

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by saint » October 4, 2018, 1:20 pm

Basically , Thais have a lot more disposable income, for various reasons , mainly higher incomes , than they did when i moved here over a decade ago.
Farang on the other hand have a lot less .
So , if i owned , or ran a food chain of any description , do i cater for the locals who do not scrimp on food , or do i cater for the aging farang who moans about the price of a biscuit , yet is happy to spend their meager pension on numb juice?
Mmmm tricky one!

User avatar
vincemunday
udonmap.com
Posts: 3709
Joined: December 11, 2014, 11:36 pm
Location: Udon Thani ex North Stifford and Ramsgate
Contact:

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by vincemunday » October 4, 2018, 1:36 pm

Was in Big C an hour ago, they still have the same lines (for now) but they're relocated as Tamada says. Sorry but the Thais were definitely queuing with trollies of shopping and the farang weren't, I'd have taken photos but they'd think I was odd, still had the old men looking glum while their young wives and babies were getting what they needed.
The forest was shrinking daily but the trees kept voting for the axe as its handle was made of wood and they thought it was one of them.

RLTrader
udonmap.com
Posts: 1994
Joined: June 3, 2007, 8:49 am

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by RLTrader » October 4, 2018, 5:04 pm

What, "farang food" at Tesco or Big C, since when? One would have to guess at, What exactly IS “Farang food”?

On another subject, WATER!
Just had the Fire Dept fill up my water tank! Wife saw them in the neighborhood and said WTF, free water!

Been off for a couple of days. Maybe back sometime tommorow. :D

dragonz
udonmap.com
Posts: 513
Joined: October 24, 2017, 8:29 am

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by dragonz » October 6, 2018, 5:48 pm

tamada wrote:
October 4, 2018, 12:40 pm
dragonz wrote:
October 3, 2018, 2:00 pm
It seems like not many expats went shopping in supermarkets before they came to thailand and therefore have no idea what they are talking about . Thais with full shopping trollies ??? Never seen one in 11 yrs shopping at big c and tesco except the odd business bulk buy which is not allowed in europe . Max 6 - 10 of any one item (selected items ).
Stopped going to tesco nadee a few weeks ago because of the prices but popped in a few days ago at 2pm as i was passing . Empty , 2 full checkouts open with no customers . rented shops mostly closed . Big new t shirt shop on the left closed and never saw 1 customer in there in about 9 months. Big c is going the same way . To expensive for most thais earning 8 pound ($11)a day .
Went to big c on the nong bua lamphu road a while ago . Had 1 customer , ME !
Real supermakrkets ! i went to pembroke dock tesco in wales for years (small population) . On fri ,sat sunday 20 checkouts with 2 girls on each still queues at each checkout , trollies overloaded , some with 2 trollies . Sainsburys 200 metres away the same
Tesco at my sons in hemel hemstead in london , used to go 5.30 am or 10pm to avoid the queues in a huge supermarket.
HH shopping mall people walking out with armfulls of bags .Robinsons or big c see the odd person with a bag. The amount sold in supermarkets and malls in thailand is miniscule to most countries .
Wages are 10 times less here so logically should be 10 times cheaper but is more expensive than uk so will never see thais with full trollies
Higher volume weekend shopping at supermarkets isn't unique to the UK. As for your observational skills.... don't give up your day job.

I guess you've never shopped at Big C Phosri (flyover) on a weekend? There's not enough parking spaces, even the 'fire lanes' are packed and there's plenty locals with a loaded cart or 2 at the check outs. The myth that the locals can't afford it is maybe a distortion of the reality by the fact that you can't afford afford it? There's more locals making credit/debit card payments at the checkouts too and my observations from FREQUENT shopping at the above Big C is the locals can afford it.

The Big C and Tesco Nadee are by no means indicative of the footfall and cart filling by locals at the original two branches. I agree that their weekly footfall beggars the question how they stay open but there's a reason the southern ringroad and points beyond aren't busy. No bugger lives out there in sufficient numbers... for now. Even Tesco (north) floor space reduction and reorganization hasn't fazed the locals as much as it has the whining farangs. Maybe only the buggered up access due to the highway construction is a mutually agreed gripe.

As for you claims that, "The amount sold in supermarkets and malls in thailand is miniscule to most countries" a citation badly needed. And that means facts and not just your 'observations'.

Pity there's no Specsavers at the local malls eh? I reckon you need new glasses.
Why do you fell the need to slag me off over an innocent post ?
Dont give up my day job
I cannot afford to shop in big c
I need glasses
Whining farang
my post WAS about my observations and not wikileaks
It has fazed the locals as i was in there a few days ago about 10 people in the shop 2 checkouts open with no customers.
You are telling lies as in 11 yrs going to tesco i have never once seen a thai doing a weekly shop with a full trolley and never seen any thai with 2 trollies except businesses buying . My local market and shop prob have more customers than tesco . I was in big c today. Car park full shops downstairs and outside busy , food court very busy . Inside big c empty

User avatar
tamada
udonmap.com
Posts: 17216
Joined: February 21, 2007, 4:03 am
Location: Down two...then left

Re: Big C shrinking?

Post by tamada » October 7, 2018, 3:44 pm

dragonz wrote:
October 6, 2018, 5:48 pm

Why do you fell the need to slag me off over an innocent post ?
Dont give up my day job
I cannot afford to shop in big c
I need glasses
Whining farang
my post WAS about my observations and not wikileaks
It has fazed the locals as i was in there a few days ago about 10 people in the shop 2 checkouts open with no customers.
You are telling lies as in 11 yrs going to tesco i have never once seen a thai doing a weekly shop with a full trolley and never seen any thai with 2 trollies except businesses buying . My local market and shop prob have more customers than tesco . I was in big c today. Car park full shops downstairs and outside busy , food court very busy . Inside big c empty
'cos you're posting nonsense.

I haven't time to take pictures of Thai's doing the family shopping either but last Friday, I got stuck behind a 2-carter at Tops under Central and they wandered off and got some more stuff while it was being rung up... and then they used a gold card to pay.

Look, you've confessed that your blind and broke but then say you go to Tesco and Big C... which is it?

PS. Don't answer that. I don't care.

Post Reply

Return to “Udon Thani Shopping”