Local shopkeepers protest at expansion of Tesco Lotus

Ariyawat Nuamsawat - Pattaya Mail?Local business people are vigorously protesting against the decision to allow Tesco Lotus to open a number of its smaller Tesco Lotus Express outlets throughout Pattaya, saying that such an expansion would threaten their livelihoods.

 

More than 100 members of the Pattaya Retail and Wholesale Business Group gathered at Pattaya City Hall on March 6 to file a petition with Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon requesting that permission be withdrawn for the giant retailer to open Tesco Lotus Express outlets in the Soi Nernplabwan and New Naklua Market areas, and at other districts in Pattaya said to total 15 branches.?Suainee Piandee, one of the leaders of the protestors, said that Tesco Lotus is avoiding the city zoning law by decreasing the size of the business to be not more than 300 square meters, gaining advantage over a weak point of the law relating to capital. By having many branches in the city they would be able to attack the local businesses, which would not be able to compete. If there were to be 15 Tesco Lotus Express outlets in Pattaya, many of the local operations would be put out of business.

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Presumably the majority of the protestors are from 7 - Eleven and FamilyMart upset as Tesco Lotus sell similar products cheaper. It would seem fairer to limit their market saturation and allow Tesco Lotus to push them to lower their prices.

 

This protest is made to look as if it is the Mom & pop shops that are protesting but as Wowpow says it is more likely to be the Francisers of 7Eleven and Family Mart who have just announced a new big expansion in number of their own shops for all of Thailand... without protest at all? Competition will come to Thailand as it has all over the world in retailing, people will go where 'the price is right' (Tesco slogan) for the majority of goods and use local shops for convenience only.

This has a very familiar ring to it....sounds like the fight going on all over USA to keep Walmart from putting in Superstores.

 

Maybe Walmart should come to Thailand??

What would Walmart offer that Tesco Lotus doesn't have now?

What would Walmart offer that Tesco Lotus doesn't have now?

 

I am sure they would have products from US that are not easily available here in Pattaya.

Sadly it does not work like that. Wallmart's UK Gateway stores do not carry US goods and Tesco Lotus carry precious few UK goods. The few that used fly out of their stores, teabags, biscuits etc have been discontinued.

 

Blessed Carrefour, however, do carry some excellent French produce

I am sure they would have products from US that are not easily available here in Pattaya.

 

I understand what you mean here, Lvdkeyes.......but, if you wandered through the thousands of items in the Walmart stores here in the US, I doubt if you'd find a single item that was manufactured in the US. Sold here....but made elsewhere (Taiwan, Korea, China, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.).

I understand what you mean here, Lvdkeyes.......but, if you wandered through the thousands of items in the Walmart stores here in the US, I doubt if you'd find a single item that was manufactured in the US. Sold here....but made elsewhere (Taiwan, Korea, China, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.).

 

I was referring to the food items more than other products.

Last time I was in a Walmart, the food items were less than 5 percent of the store, and no produce or meat whatsoever. And, yes, almost all the other products come from China. I can't see Walmart bothering to compete in Thailand.

Speaking of food items, in Pattaya I've learned that if you shop around at the various food markets, such as Carrefour, Tops, Friendship, Foodland, etc, most of the time you can eventually find most of what you're looking for. If they ever get it built, a Villa Market is coming to Pattaya, where there should be even more (and a thank you goes to lvdkeyes for telling me about Bangkok's Villa Market) because they carry quite a number of import items.

 

You're not going to find everything you want, but you can come close . . .

Last time I was in a Walmart, the food items were less than 5 percent of the store, and no produce or meat whatsoever. And, yes, almost all the other products come from China. I can't see Walmart bothering to compete in Thailand.

 

WallMart has superstores, which have complete and very well stocked grocery, meat, produce, and all food items. They offer a very complete one stop shop, and are being fought throughout California, as the small business men want them kept out....they can't stand the competetion.

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. There is a Tesco Lotus Express right around the corner from the Pinnacle Hotel in Bangkok. It's the same thing as any 7-Eleven. As a matter of fact, I didn't think it was as well stocked as a 7-Eleven. There are 7-Elevens practically everywhere you look in Pattaya and I don't see anyone complaining about them. There are also a large number of Family Marts in Pattaya and they're the same thing. So, what's the big problem about yet another franchise, other than the fact that Pattaya is already over-killed with convenience stores?

 

These convenience stores don't even sell the same products the complaining vendors sell. I don't get it.