What's going on behind the scene?

Hi all,

drove by the Index on the ring road to see the space beside it is now in full construction phase. The walls have big labels telling us what they are building: a premium outlet with Disney, Warner Brothers, Golf sports and some more.

WTF???????

After all the unbelievable and not really logical latest developments (Udon Plaza, Udon Center, Downtown Plaza, Tesco Superstore, more Hotel rooms than habitants and so on and so on) this is the final proof for me that something is going on behind the scenes. There must be something planned, something really big, or coming, to Udon. Otherwise all this makes zero sense. The people that invest such huge amounts of money usually know what's going on, so I think they know something that we don't know.

And why the &%§"! don't they build at least one water park, like just done outside Korat at the zoo? It would be THE major attraction for a really big area with tons of people coming every day. Premium outlet...I don't understand...

Sounds like the same outlet shops, 10 kms before Chok Chai Steak House on the way to BKK from Korat

I agree, the "Outlet Mall on Southbound Rte 2 near Pak Chong has all the outlets mentioned in the original string. I came by that place a week ago and it was completely jammed with cars.. Of course, that was a Thai holiday weekend..

On a water park.. Be advised that they used to have one on top of the Complex at the end where the bowling alleys are now. I'd reckon they yanked it out because it wasn't all that popular. If you're hot to go to a water park they do have one in Vientiane beside the Morning Market, you can see it on Google Earth..

Jammed with cars...like Carefour in the beginning which is now dead as anyone expected it?

Thanks for the note about the Vientiane water park. Will check that out...

Who's been to St. Mall? Okay, who's bought anything at St. Mall? We went once, not impressed with the layout, stock, prices, dearth of customers. I'm not knocking anyone who has shopped there, but I'm really surprised they're building another St. Mall, just like the first St. Mall, just up the road from Harry's, same side, on the way to the airport.
We're always amazed at the few customers in big places like Index/Home Pro......the number of clerks/salesmen easily outnumber the customers, even on a busy day. How do they make money? Or, do they?

parrot wrote:Who's been to St. Mall? Okay, who's bought anything at St. Mall? We went once, not impressed with the layout, stock, prices, dearth of customers. I'm not knocking anyone who has shopped there, but I'm really surprised they're building another St. Mall, just like the first St. Mall, just up the road from Harry's, same side, on the way to the airport.
We're always amazed at the few customers in big places like Index/Home Pro......the number of clerks/salesmen easily outnumber the customers, even on a busy day. How do they make money? Or, do they?

Went to Mall to look at kitchens, the prices were a joke.
High prices for MDF cupboards, no end panels, or top and bottom cornices. The same for the hobs, ovens and hoods.
We saw the same hood as we have in the house in the UK, at 3 times the price!!! No wonder there are no customers in there. We love Index, much busier at weekends, a very good restaurant and coffe shop inside. Free coffee if you have the Joy discount card. Can pick some good bargains on the end of range and promotions. Looking at the comtemporary style and design in Index a lot of the folks in Udon are not ready for that yet. A dining room set up here is a straw mat. One place I never see any customers or cars paked outside is Koncept.

On a water park.. Be advised that they used to have one on top of the Complex at the end where the bowling alleys are now. I'd reckon they yanked it out because it wasn't all that popular

Actually they had a swimming pool abpove the food centre . it leaked so they closed it before it even opened, where the bowling alley is was built a couple of years ago.
This is the reasobn why KFC, Svendsons and Pizza are now downstairs as all their equipment was flooded and the only way to get their money back was too demand a relocation to the 'Prime spots' as the builders could not aford to recompense for lost equipment.
It was in fact due to a worker who actually left the tap running 'Amazing Thailand or what'

parrot wrote:How do they make money?

Staff gets paid next to nothing and the mark up on goods is obscene.

How do they make their money? Well I can't reply for St Mall but for some years now the household name supermarkets have got so big and powerful that they actually charge their suppliers to display their products in their stores .Haven't you ever wondered why you see very big displays of certain brand hair products, far larger than needed for normal retail purposes, to the exclusion of competitive products. Its because the manufacturer pays a rent for the space, supplies the stock and sometimes the sales staff, then gives a percentage of the revenue from sales as a commission to the store. The stores don't even have to buy the products on their shelves. Next time you see all those guy's and girls in the red or blue vests , depending on which shop you are in , look on their back. You will see the name of the product manufacture they represent. Neither they or the goods they are selling have anything to do with the supermarket your in. Thats why they not have!! or its no good, if your interested in any other make .
It also explains why they build more stores. They make more money leasing retail space than selling goods. They can then retail the food products competively knowing the overheads and profit margins are taken care of .