Is there a future for Carrefour in Udon ?

[Peterplay]

I have been to Carrefour several times in the last weeks and today, on a Sunday as well. I go there for things you can’t buy somewhere else like the gourmet stuff , cheese selection (camembert) and French breads.

All these times the place was almost empty and I am beginning to wonder how long this can last and what will happen next.

Will they stop doing business in Udon or make it a lot bigger and nicer ?

I have noticed that they stock fesh items in such small numbers that now I often look in vain because they’re already sold out. That does annoy me because I have to drive 90 minutes to get there.

What is the future of Carrefour especially to this quite wonderful Tesco’s next door ? Does anybody have an (educated) guess ? Heard any rumours ? Wouldn’t it be a good thing if they opned just a gourmet shop in the centre ?

[Bandung_Dero]

For the 1st 3 years I spent in Thailand we maintained an apartment in Din Daeng, Bangkok along with our home here (I used it as a half way house whilst working in the Gulf). Just down the road were all the department stores including Carrefour and back then I could never figure how they were going to make it. Sales staff way out numbered customers every time I went in there.

[747man]

I was in Carrefour Udon last Tuesday,And if I said they're maybe 10 OTHER people in the store I would be exagerating,I Dont think they'll last long at that rate,Pity I really like some of the breads they bake there....

[jingjai]

Well I sure hope they make it. Every time I'm there, I see both Thais and farang shopping.
Some people commented when they first opened it was the same as everywhere else, except with higher prices. I disagreed with that back in April and now after it being open for 9 months, I still say: some things are more, some are the same, and some are even less. Plus all the items we can't get anywhere else I think it all evens out at the checkout counter. My wife agrees.
But, even if everything was a little more money, I'd still chose Carrefour. Shopping at Carrefour is a relatively easy and peaceful shopping experience, IMO. With none of the cacophony of blasting music coming from 12 different locations, which is SOP at Tesco & Big C .

[Shado]

I concur with jingjai's assessment. I hope they make it as well. It is a convenient location for me and I enjoy shopping there for reasons already stated. So many items that I used to have bring back from Bangkok are now locally available and I don't mind paying a bit more for things that I truly want. We almost never buy fresh produce or meat there. The bakery selections are pretty good and I have a weakness for French cheese, cured meats and pates. I just like going there because Carrefour stocks items that I can find no where else in Udon Thani.

The wife prefers shopping at Tesco and that is where we will look for fresh vegetables and certain fresh meats. Since most grocery items come out of her household budget, she keeps a pretty tight reign on my penchant for tossing import items into the basket. At Tesco, the element of temptation is lessened.

[globalwanderer]

Aren't they supposed to be opening at UD Town?

[The Farmer]

Globalwanderer,you are right.
I am thinking about all these supermarkets and their investments long time ago.
Starting with Ngee Soon,lonesome at this street to Nong Phua,
the poor forest area,behind the mountains(lang khao)

Ok,there is an Airport.And?
Than Carefour,followed by Lotus.
So,there is an other big player comming soon.
Ok,we have like an business island.

But look at UD-Center,Central(starting now to rebuild the whole street)
And today i saw a new Center,corner beside the bus-station,Charoen Hotel.It's in building.

All these investors,they know something more than us?
Or there is just no alternative to invest their money?Worry about inflation?Goldprice?

I was in Carefour,Sunday for two hours.I was counting 4 Farangs walking around.We still looking for a Farang Meeting Point.
I quit.No way over there.
Central,I saw in Pattaya,second road to Beachroad,Soi 9.Absolutly empty,but very beautiful.All in marple,all 70% discount,Adidas T-shirt only 2500,-Bath,incl.discount.

Where is the purchasing power in Udon?Who please?
Oh,yes,we Farangs.I heard very "nice" stories from the Visa Imigration office,again.
So,if we Farangs are bringing,I would guess we brought, around 9 Bill.Bath per year only to Udon Province,
(there is a research from Udonourhome and Chamber of Commerce),
so,where is the red carpet for us?

No,one of my customer,over 80 year old,over 10 years in Thailand,making always his 1 year Visa,
got 4 visitors in black uniforms,comming in a black van.Very friendly,making photos all over the house,
from him and his wife in his bedroom,sitting at the bed got interviewed about everything.Very friendly.
This guy is a customer of Carefoure,he never mind,naybe he was rememberd at 1938 around,Germany.

I would like to compare the chicken legs with the Farang business.
I would like to ask all these managers,what they are doing,if all this blood suckers and there families
are without us Farangs.My statistik is quite correct,my eyes are still ok,my instinct tells me be careful.

So,where is the next Center,Supermarket?
I go back to my farm,raising 2 chicken a day,hav now nearly 100 egg-givers
planting my potatoes,herbs:D
Nobi

[thrilled]

I was there in December,There were people in there shopping.I mean it wasn't what i'd call busy but people were there.

[The Farmer]

We will have a meeting with Udonourhome and our cooperation from about 100 farmers and the management of Makro,Lotus and Carerour tomorrow.

We start to coordinate producing chemical free vegetables,fruits,whatever.

I will ask them some othe questions too,maybe we know something nore after.

For me personally it's hard to inderstand from the economically side for now.
We will see
Nobi

[Zidane]

Monday to Friday,the new Tesco's is dead.....only 3 checkouts open....the only people about are staff.
I did go the Sunday before New Year.It was busier but hardly bursting at the seams.
Same with Carrefour.....last went the Monday before Xmas,very quiet.
Tang Ngee Soon nearby....not doing too bad but mainly Thais buying in bulk.

In contrast the old Tescos seems busier than ever.At weekends the car park is very full and,even in the week,it is pretty busy.No way this site will close but I wonder at the reasoning on building the new place out of town ?

[BobHelm]

I went into Tang Ngee Soon between Christmas & New Year & they had every check out open - the busiest I had ever seen it. I think the building of the new Tesco & Carrefour has benefited them far more than the 2 large stores.
Agree with most of the comments above about Carrefour. Quiet & so they seem to have downsized the quantity of the more perishable goods they sell. I like to shop there because they do stock products I like that the others do not. However it would not be the end of the world if they did close.

[trubrit]

I think the problem with Carrefour is the lack of backup shops. When you enter at ground level it is just one empty space, whereas Tesco next door has managed to attract quite a variety of other big name outlets, so its a more varied shopping experience rather than just a trip to the supermarket. I too like Carrefour but find my time in there totals about one hour, whereas we spend normally 2-3 hours in the Tesco building .
On an associated subject. It would appear that Central have settled for refurbishing the old store rather than building a new one. Maybe only temporarily but a significant change in investment strategy.

[fatbas***d]

Carrefour has to be hemorrhaging money, last week a visit revealed maybe 10-15 other customers & only 2 in the food court, and two checkouts open.
Because of the low volume of business they have cut back on the fresh goods, leading to the spiral of death. Even their bakery dept had fewer items on offer, they used to have a nice Sour Dough white bread, now gone.
Mind you Lotus wasn't exactly humming either although many more customers than Carrefour.
Sort of leads to thinking about the genius's in business planning leading to the establishment of these retail giants, including Homepro and Index.

[stoneman]

Not trying to change the subject, but I have the same doubts about the future of McDonald's..We were there today and there were 3 other customers between noon and 1 PM...Every time we are there, we see a few farangs and very few Thais...I don't think that the farangs in Udon are a large enough contingency to keep it open...I heard that the franchise fee was 7 million baht...If that is true, I am glad I do not own it...

[globalwanderer]

Having thought about it, there are the following things to consider...

They have made the capital investment, a sunk cost. How much do their running costs amount to. Not as much as in Europe or the US.

None of the big chains are cheap on many things. We can, for example, buy baby milk cheaper in the village than at any of Big C, Carrefour or Tesco/Lotus. The 'big chains' are about 20 baht per box more expensive unless running a special offer. Maybe that says something about how they can survive.

[Techland]

> I have the same doubts about the future of McDonald's..We were there today and there were 3 other customers between noon and 1 PM...Every time we are there, we see a few farangs and very few Thais.

You overlooked that the whole shopping complex is not yet operating. If so there will be more people stopping by for a lunch.

[pompui]

Went to Carrefour this morning,there at 9am alongwith 3 other customers.I think the management seriously need to get their act together regarding cheeses, as has beem mentioned before,empty shelves,no camembert,brie ionly from the tin,one emmantel to choose from and no blue cheese.So if anybody was thinking of going today to stock up,do not bother,am sure if the management cannot sort out the supply chain for the store then they surely could never organize a pissup in a brewery!

[parrot]

I mentioned the dearth of customers in Carrefour and the new Lotus to a friend of mine. His eyes lit up as he told me about a trip he and his father (Chinese) just took to Loei. Apparently, the father hadn't been along that road in quite some time. When he saw Carrefour, Lotus, and Ngeesoon all lined up, he commented to his son, "Why would anyone build a business on the death highway?" He was referring to the Chinese and Christian cemeteries up the road from those 3 stores.
Of course, I'd never put those parts of the equation together.....but this is Thailand....the country that held an exocism in the new airport to improve business (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8351952.stm).

[Peterplay]

If they don't stock up their freshware anymore, then there is no reason to go there anymore, I'll have to cope with Big-C (noisy, full, but reliable) and Tops. And Nobi's, but I buy there anyway.
Would be a shame though, just happy to be able to buy nice things and gone already...
easy gained...

[stickyrice]

I am so sorry for asking such a basic question. But, I can not quite figure out where Carrefour is on the map of Udon. I read in a previous post that I may be able to pick up some non-alcoholic beer there and would like to do so, but I don't know the lay out of the city very well.