Villa market

General Udon Thani topics only!
Chuchi
udonmap.com
Posts: 576
Joined: April 17, 2016, 1:55 pm

Villa market

Post by Chuchi » November 5, 2019, 2:46 pm

Does anybody else get the feeling the shop is closing down, all the freezers don’t seem to be well stocked. I tend to do more and more of my shopping in Tops ,I was thinking the other day the only reason I continue to go into Villa was I like the frozen chicken tikka masalla curry nights and then lo and behold Topps are stocking them now as well.



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

Re: Villa market

Post by RLTrader » November 5, 2019, 4:23 pm

Go for a couple of items that no one else carries and only when running low, say every 2 or more likely 3 months.

Is it closing? Got me, but when there lucky to see more than 3 or 4 others shopping. So hard to see How they could break even, let alone make a profit.

Will I miss it? As Joni Mitchell would say "Don't you know, it always seems to go, you don't know what you got, til its gone" or something like that.

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

Re: Villa market

Post by tamada » November 5, 2019, 8:49 pm

I reckon they are carrying lower inventories, especially the perishables in the freezers? Apart from that, I think the variety of goods has increased. I typically do any shopping during the week when parking is easy and EVERYWHERE is quiet. However. a couple of weeks ago I needed Magnolia brand milk after Big C had been out for days. It was the weekend and I didn't fancy my chances in Makro (Tesco and Tops don't carry it). Villa was busy with two checkouts open and I was the only foreigner in sight.

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

Re: Villa market

Post by Old Grumpy » November 6, 2019, 4:12 am

Must say I wonder about it's viability myself, only go two or three times a month for a couple of items I can't get anywhere else and never more customers than staff. I particularly wonder about the fresh food, meats and fish, always a lot on display but very expensive and no one buying , what happens to it?
Age is a matter of mind.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
Mark Twain,

Marcosteffano
udonmap.com
Posts: 861
Joined: April 16, 2016, 9:20 am

Re: Villa market

Post by Marcosteffano » November 6, 2019, 6:41 am

They must be doing ok.charge top prices and now are paying about 30% less to import goods from the uk since the brexit vote.its a badly run company that in the past has just put its feet up and raked it in.there is a wide range of farang foods that can be bought a lot lot cheaper elsewhere including on line now.for a big company ive never really seen any focused advertising.theyve just got lazy and now farang are watching their money they can expect the worst as they rely on farang mostly.the loyalty scheme is an insult.ive never really shopped there after seeing the prices matching harrods.its a sinking ship in my eyes.

User avatar
TAXIfor7/11
udonmap.com
Posts: 1426
Joined: March 19, 2017, 2:08 pm

Re: Villa market

Post by TAXIfor7/11 » November 6, 2019, 10:43 pm

Marcosteffano wrote:
November 6, 2019, 6:41 am
They must be doing ok.charge top prices and now are paying about 30% less to import goods from the uk since the brexit vote.its a badly run company that in the past has just put its feet up and raked it in.there is a wide range of farang foods that can be bought a lot lot cheaper elsewhere including on line now.for a big company ive never really seen any focused advertising.theyve just got lazy and now farang are watching their money they can expect the worst as they rely on farang mostly.the loyalty scheme is an insult.ive never really shopped there after seeing the prices matching harrods.its a sinking ship in my eyes.
How much is the furniture polish? :mad:

glalt
udonmap.com
Posts: 2984
Joined: January 14, 2007, 10:35 am
Location: Nong Hin, Loei

Re: Villa market

Post by glalt » November 7, 2019, 9:06 am

Villa normally has whatever you want. If you choose to shop there, you are paying a bit more simply for the convenience of one stop shopping. I myself hate to go store to store hoping to save ten baht.

minimiglia
udonmap.com
Posts: 449
Joined: January 31, 2017, 10:24 am

Re: Villa market

Post by minimiglia » November 7, 2019, 9:41 am

Villa are great, rarely out of stock of anything that I want, rumour has it they are about to open in khon Kaen, lets hope so must be doing ok.

User avatar
joepai
udonmap.com
Posts: 803
Joined: February 25, 2012, 1:21 pm

Re: Villa market

Post by joepai » November 7, 2019, 2:42 pm

Second that, Villa is by far the best shop in Udon - their selection of hard spirts is excellent 8)
I was born with nothing and still have most of it left

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

Re: Villa market

Post by dragonz » November 7, 2019, 3:11 pm

glalt wrote:
November 7, 2019, 9:06 am
Villa normally has whatever you want. If you choose to shop there, you are paying a bit more simply for the convenience of one stop shopping. I myself hate to go store to store hoping to save ten baht.
obviously said that with reasoned thought . I went there once , bought nothing as i could buy most of what was in there at least 50% cheaper and that would be in the hundreds of bahts not 10 baht . As i shop for 3 adults and 2 children shopping there would probably be about 2,000 -3,000 baht a week more for the same items i mostly get at makro

Marcosteffano
udonmap.com
Posts: 861
Joined: April 16, 2016, 9:20 am

Re: Villa market

Post by Marcosteffano » November 7, 2019, 7:14 pm

TAXIfor7/11 wrote:
November 6, 2019, 10:43 pm
Marcosteffano wrote:
November 6, 2019, 6:41 am
They must be doing ok.charge top prices and now are paying about 30% less to import goods from the uk since the brexit vote.its a badly run company that in the past has just put its feet up and raked it in.there is a wide range of farang foods that can be bought a lot lot cheaper elsewhere including on line now.for a big company ive never really seen any focused advertising.theyve just got lazy and now farang are watching their money they can expect the worst as they rely on farang mostly.the loyalty scheme is an insult.ive never really shopped there after seeing the prices matching harrods.its a sinking ship in my eyes.
How much is the furniture polish? :mad:
I wouldn't know,check next time your in there.
About £8,50 for mr sheen multi surface cleaner but I throw one in my suitcase as it's only £1 in the uk.
You can also pay about 200b for a pataks curry paste,plus meat and make a 50b curry.
As someone else pointed out they don't like shopping around to save 10b so grab a few kilo of decent cheese while your there.

Marcosteffano
udonmap.com
Posts: 861
Joined: April 16, 2016, 9:20 am

Re: Villa market

Post by Marcosteffano » November 7, 2019, 7:43 pm

And to all of us who can't afford or choose not to pay villain mart prices,don't worry we can all eat cake.

fdimike
udonmap.com
Posts: 1876
Joined: July 7, 2005, 10:11 am
Location: Udon Thani

Re: Villa market

Post by fdimike » November 7, 2019, 7:56 pm

I shop there often because they have a very good selection of imported/Domestic foods/goods. They carry a great selection of organic products along with specialty products especially suited to a person's sensitive dietary needs. Is it more expensive? I guess that's a subjective call but I see lots of Thais shopping there along with us foreigners.
An ex-pat in the Land of Smile

Chuchi
udonmap.com
Posts: 576
Joined: April 17, 2016, 1:55 pm

Re: Villa market

Post by Chuchi » November 7, 2019, 8:04 pm

I hope it stays, the more shopping choices the better I just noticed my last couple of visits the freezers looking sparse and more workers than customers .

User avatar
Khun Paul
udonmap.com
Posts: 7741
Joined: September 16, 2008, 3:28 pm
Location: Udon Thani

Re: Villa market

Post by Khun Paul » November 7, 2019, 9:16 pm

I heard somewhere, they were opening another store somewhere else in UD, I might be mistaken but that could account for the slow down

Doodoo
udonmap.com
Posts: 6902
Joined: October 15, 2017, 8:47 pm

Re: Villa market

Post by Doodoo » November 7, 2019, 9:23 pm

No new store has opened other than Meats and More???
Anymore information would help
Or maybe the slow down is because there arent the people or the people left aint got cash to spend,or due to the exchange it isnt there to spend, loads of excuses other than another store opening

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

Re: Villa market

Post by saint » November 8, 2019, 7:03 am

I hope it stays open and prospers . Yes its expensive , but they carry many lines that cannot be sourced from anywhere else, and it doesnt hurt to treat yourself once in a while .

stereolab
udonmap.com
Posts: 339
Joined: June 12, 2014, 11:20 am

Re: Villa market

Post by stereolab » November 8, 2019, 7:55 am

Agree with Saint, Villa is the go to place for more unusual items, the key here is not to buy day to day items. There are bargains to be had, but you need to look hard for them. Last years the freezers were completely re-stocked ahead of Christmas rush, I expect that to happen again shortly. Staff levels, whilst high, are not at the level of Global House.

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

Re: Villa market

Post by tamada » November 8, 2019, 11:10 am

There will always be a few that hope that Thai businesses that they never use will fail. I can't see the logic in wishing for that beyond some sort of som nam nah feeling or possible validation of their own life failures?

Villa's mark up is undeniable but it's a few percent and not the 50% claimed earlier by the once-and-fornever shopper. Right now they have BOGOF specials on a lot of items including some of the overly expensive imported lines.

Like many here, I use it for the one-off or unique items they carry like Barr's Irn Bru, Tahuna Pinot Noir, Cathedral cheese and their burger buns. They used to have Chiang Mai Gourmet burgers which were better than their generic ones. Right now they seem to have a container load of those horrible Lady Pies to offload. The Max Pies they had before were very good, almost like a Scottish pie with the hard pastry shell and sunken top but unfortunately they're gone in lieu of Yorkies underwhelming line of meat and pastry products.

Marcosteffano
udonmap.com
Posts: 861
Joined: April 16, 2016, 9:20 am

Re: Villa market

Post by Marcosteffano » November 8, 2019, 12:34 pm

dragonz wrote:
November 7, 2019, 3:11 pm
glalt wrote:
November 7, 2019, 9:06 am
Villa normally has whatever you want. If you choose to shop there, you are paying a bit more simply for the convenience of one stop shopping. I myself hate to go store to store hoping to save ten baht.
obviously said that with reasoned thought . I went there once , bought nothing as i could buy most of what was in there at least 50% cheaper and that would be in the hundreds of bahts not 10 baht . As i shop for 3 adults and 2 children shopping there would probably be about 2,000 -3,000 baht a week more for the same items i mostly get at makro
I couldn't agree more.i don't give too hoots about the place staying open or closing as I either import my goods or order on line.they have nothing I need as I make my own meals and sell some too.from scotch eggs,200gr gourmet burgers,3 Indian curries,chilli con,faggots,chicken,smoked ham in 3 cheese sauce,the list goes on and all hand made with no preservatives.
Villain mart actually does me a favour as I can compare their prices to mine when someone is buying something off me.
It's a cut throat world out there with the baht so high and some farang now watching their money and I don't blame them.
So I say carry on villa mart and if your not getting enough custom just raise your prices as they are some still out there who miss their tinned prunes.

Post Reply

Return to “General Udon Thani Forum”