Udon Thani Thailand Forum - Udon Thani, Thailand

To me when they are not posting prices , the reason must be ..they are to expensive?, if i would have a business and i would have competitive prices i would be eager to post them to draw people to the shop/restaurant ...
it would also be easy for people to make up their shopping list at home /or what to eat in case of restaurant ....
of course we all think different...

The other reason for not displaying prices could well be that they change too often - due to a whole load of market conditions. Or that the price depends on the volume & value you are buying. Highly usual in the wholesale trade.

An advert on a Forum is to encourage real potential customers to come & visit & see what you have to offer I would have thought. If the customer then finds that Product A is too expensive they then choose product B or go somewhere else.

If a business is only doing retail sales or is selling products just at a greatly reduced price or selling loss leaders to get people through their doors or actually selling via the internet then posting prices on line could make sense.

If they are just trying to encourage shoppers to come to their establishment to view the exceptional quality & range of products, it makes no sense & I am rather surprised if intelligent people cannot see that..

@kopkei

I used to help run a small shop that dealt with imports once upon a time and the reasoning for not posting prices online was quite similar to what BobHelm wrote above. Pricing changes all too often, and several very wise business reasons for not publishing online. Especially when it's 400+ items in stock. And our store was "small" compared to Chern Chim or Choice Foods Thailand.

The sheer task of keeping it all up to date throughout a given business week is cumbersome. If it were electronics, or a restaurant, or other, perhaps much easier.

Example: When everything arrives in country and you have to go pick it up from Customs. There's an unforseen "fee" which has nothing to do with any "law" but rather a "rule" (code word for corruption) administered by this or that given Customs officer. If not that it's changes in shipping costs, taxes, etc., etc. you name it.

From my experience, Chern Chim / Choice Foods (or any of the other stores) has certain things I need, and I am more than happy to pay for them, especially if the quality is good. I get my meats from one place, cheeses from another, fruit & veggies from another, coffee beans at another, and dry goods at still yet another. But that's just me.

Understandably those in remote locations would like it otherwise in terms of listing prices, thus, it's wiser to call in to the store. Also a good idea since they'd say if it's in stock or sold out.

nice explanation bob , only partially true to me , indeed some prices go up and down ,but many also stay stable , so if they can advertise for the products than they can also advertise the changes or promotions in prices ...did you all ready see fe the lotus folders come out without any price on it , only sometimes on some items they say shock price , without mentioning the price..most of the beef/pork/lamb, turkey enc..are per kilo..so how to know as potential new customer that when they advertise special price it really is special price unless you are all ready a customer whom bought the item there before...
and redwolf , i do understand very well what you mean ,and it is nice to advertise explaining what you have to offer but advertising without mentioning any prices at all?( surely not for restaurants) and i do understand too it is import , but as long as your previous stock last , the price stays same (normally)....so they must make up their mind posting regularly the change in prices or hire some one to pickup constantly the phone for those whom want to know the price? ...or posting like they do now , without any prices...to me advertising is used to show what your business has to offer and also ables the customer to compare prices with others...and than it is up to the customer where they want to go buy...depending price , service enc...
i am not interested in advertisements with a nice picture but no price , and as i stay all ready long time in thailand i have become lazy too , having to call or drive up to the shop every time wanting to know the price of the items i am interested in..

Most sizeable companies invest in a Marketing & advertising plan.
Basically, that will identify who their potential customers are & how to entice them to become real customers..

It would be rather foolish for a company to completely abandon a marketing strategy unless it was failing.
It would be even more stupid to alter a working strategy because a group who are not seen as potential customers don't 'warm' to the current strategy..

May be i'm being old fashioned, but I was always taught by my family elders "If it a'int got a price on it, don't buy it"

If a company is doing so much trade that the prices of their goods changes (that is, has to be re-stocked) so often, they can spend some time adjusting their prices on the shelves and adverts

stattointhailand wrote:May be i'm being old fashioned, but I was always taught by my family elders "If it a'int got a price on it, don't buy it"

Or of course the alternative, which is equally old fashioned." If you have to ask the price you probably can't afford it" :-"

trubrit wrote: Or of course the alternative, which is equally old fashioned." If you have to ask the price you probably can't afford it" :-"

Some products are price driven whilst others are quality / image driven. Some manufacturers would not allow retailers to price or discount their products as it may damage the image.

Many image conscious consumers would stop buying certain products if others that they felt were below them were able to afford it.
So you'll never see the price of a luxury sports car, designer product or 1st class air ticket advertised. However Trubrits comment was previously aimed at someone asking the price of a Christmas turkey for goodness sake.

I prefer the saying "better the fool that asks a question than the fool that doesn't know".
I would have started playing golf much earlier if the local municipal course advertised its green fees. I just assumed it was too expensive.

Buying a 2nd hand car in Thailand is a nightmare as you have to ask the price every time. Why doesn't someone break the trend and plaster eye catching price stickers across the screens. OK the prices are all negotiable, but it's a start

mainly i can post prices if asked for,and true things go up in price very uncommon for them to drop. the same reason all my prices are displayed on a white board so i can change it without fuss. but if anybody asks me, i tell them prices. thats what the forum is good for, just like the "shopping deal" helps us decide if its worth popping into tesco or not, someone tells me tesco have chicken for 60 baht a kilo i'm down there like a shot., we all like a bargain,

Used car market here is a prime example, most sellers do not even list the price on their lots.

In 2001 I was in the market for a good 2nd hand car/pickup so during a 28 day swing offshore I took the 3 different "Vehicle Buyer Guides" available in Bangkok with me and high lited cars of interest. All have prices listed in these magazines. TW and I set off to Bang Na to look at and 'kick tires', we spent 2 days down there and in almost every case where the salesman saw me holding the magazine and looking at a vehicle started ranting that the price listed was a misprint.

No points for guessing what I said to them before turning and walking out.
I don't know if they do it to Thais also, I'm guessing they probably do!

The end of the day we bought new. The only way I was comfortable knowing I would not be screwed over.

As a consumer my rule of thumb is to never shop in a store where prices are not posted...especially in Thailand. I want to see the starting price posted, then compare prices with other brands of the same merchandise in the same store or other stores and then see if I can negotiate down further from there...and then make a final decision based on value for money spent. If prices are not posted then the salesman can determine the starting price depending on his perception of my ability to pay, and I refuse to be pulled into that trap.

Retailers need not post all prices in advertisements, and if they're smart they will use loss leaders to pull one into a store and then do what's known as "top down selling" once the consumer becomes a captive audience. I won't always buy the best, and I may never buy the least expensive, but if the item is presented properly I will settle somewhere in the pricing mid range.

The worse thing a seller of goods can do is post all their prices and give the consumer so much information that a decision to buy or not to buy can be made without the need to actually visit the store for additional inquiries, and then the retailer has lost his hook!

The worse thing a seller of goods can do is post all their prices and give the consumer so much information that a decision to buy or not to buy can be made without the need to actually visit the store for additional inquiries, and then the retailer has lost his hook!
Unless he has good product to sell anyway
Fishing is about put the right bait for the right catch in the right place

Have yet to see any prices posted in any of the local markets. If prices where posted it would take half the fun out of shopping in the local markets. In all the major grocery shops like Tesco, Makro, Big C, Chern Chims, etc. all products have a price displayed and that is what you pay, except maybe CC sometimes you can negogiate there.

Chiang Yuen local market has the prices displayed on boards
but I have to quess like the "price is right"which price for which product

Some very good points made in the posts on this thread and all are pretty much on the mark ... my take is one based on my time operating the old gaff CC and is in no way meant to reflect how the new folks choose to run the place as It is really up to the individual business owner(s) whether to show pricing in any advertizing media they choose to utilize .

Purely thinking as a retailer I use to try to always have some weekly specials to promote at a low price .... this with the intention to entice customers to drop in to buy them ,, whilst there they would hopefully impulse buy other products. I would always answer any pricing enquiries directly by informing on the internet or by phone .. products were priced in the shop and the menu was on blackboards so easily changed as items were /were not available or the price altered .

The new booze bizz being totally wholesale drops in a different business sector requiring a different pricing , marketing and advertizing policy.

I personally think a good balance is needed regarding pricing in any advertizing as stated the idea is to get folks to firstly make contact and better still into the premises this being the first n foremost priority.... showing all or too many prices in ads can be counter productive imo .

Good luck to all business operators here in Udon , anyone investing in the city offering products or a service that is needed along with working hard always gets my vote and i think Udon is well endowed with respect to what is openly available here .

Saying all that im pleased to be no longer involved in the retail / food bizz ..it aint easy .

DM

well , now 3 years later , looks like nothing has changed about advertising your products mentioning not only whats available in your shop but also mentioning the price of the items ( for resto's , menu card?) ,
i did also not change in my view on this , advertisements without price are quickly ignored by me , as i am presuming they are too expensive , otherwise you would have posted your competitive price too?, as to the argument price of imported goods changing too much and unable to post prices? , i am sure that your imported goods (container)will not be sold in a few day's , so the price will stay the same and if for any reason not,not only discount , price do go up it is quickly mentioned on your advertising source ...what i do have noticed is that prices in udon, surely of imported goods have gone seriously up (local products not so much at all) , not due to the exuberant government import tax? , this case i do make an exception on my 15 year old rule , never comparing prices with abroad , only within los , because to me it must still always be cheaper in thailand as in my home country,so i will not pay for goodies when they are more expensive here than abroad...(with some exceptions)
i am only stating my view and opinion on this and not target anyone ...
the most important is however that you are happy as buyer and stay happy...enjoy your shopping ....

Incorrect, out of date adverts also totally devalue the business. If a business owner can't be bothered to keep advertising information up to date, then I can't be bothered to go there.

I'd never expect a business to advertise with every products price. For me when business advertise with the slogan "bargain product X" or "best value X in town" then if that is the case show the price.