If you are on holiday in Thailand and are looking for Western products, you can go to Big C or Tesco lotus.
Tesco Lotus is a supercenter or hypermarket group in Thailand, founded in 1998. It is a collaboration of the Thai Charoen Pokphand Group Lotus and the British retail giant Tesco. They sell everything from food and clothing to housewares, electronics and furniture.
Just like Big C, Tesco Lotus is popular with Thai, Western expats and tourists because you can go there for all your groceries. Are you looking for specific western products? Chances are you will find them here. The same applies to foodstuffs. Jam and other spreads, coffee and tea, but also bread, cheese and cold cuts are available. You will find a fairly extensive selection of wine, beer and spirits.
Every Tesco has a good bakery and even a pharmacy / drugstore where you can buy medicines. There is also an excellent seafood section. Affordable and fresh, just like the fish. Tesco can cook, fry, bake or grill the fish you have chosen for you. It's free and done while you wait.
Many Thai people buy their electronics there, such as rice cookers, televisions, mobile phones, fans, washing machines and even computers. The department store has a large toy department, where you can buy reasonably cheap toys and games.
If you are looking for a store where you can do all your shopping at once, Tesco Lotus is a good choice. The prices are reasonable, you have a lot of choice and it's easy. In particular, the presence of a food court (self-service restaurant), bank, telephone shop and a pharmacy in the Tesco Lotus branches offer shoppers great convenience.
Wonderful shop to do your shopping, unfortunately they speak almost no English, but then we also have to adapt a bit and learn their language. If I'm looking for something special, I'll make sure I've made a fofoot of it and you'll be helped quickly.
These types of department stores are preferably visited with a car with an extra large loading platform, a couple of hired porters and a pair of sturdy walking shoes. Great for Long-Stayers to stock up.
Personally, I don't feel very comfortable in such an environment. Fortunately, there is a branch of Villa Market in Pattaya (at the back of the parking lot at Pattaya Avenue). That is more like an Albert Heijn (in terms of assortment and price level) where you can do some shopping, especially for western things that can sometimes make life so much more pleasant.
Most branches are in Bangkok, only a few in Hua Hin and Phuket, one in Udon Thani and therefore also one in Pattaya.
They also have a website where the entire range can be viewed via the shop online function.
They are strict with the alcohol sales hours, the entire liquor store is then put in the dark.
http://www.villamarket.com
And in the north you have Rimping. Similar to Villa market
Just an improvement Tesco England has sold its shares (49%) to CP Makro was part of Metro Dusseldorf, but those shares have also been sold to .... CP So 7-Eleven, Makro and Tesco-Lotus are all the same.
Makro was part of SHV (Steenkolen Handels Vereniging, Fentener van Vlissingen) and was sold not so long ago for 3,5 billion euros.
Tesco is now the only one that still exists as a half foreign company - the others were Carrefour and BigC (at the time set up with the French Casino group), Cf was taken over by BC (French buys French, doesn't it) and then the French in BC were bought out by again that CP/Central group and now Thai.
BigC itself has expanded to China and Vietnam - but I believe the latter was recently sold on to Koreans or Japs because it was too small.
Then there is something if AEON was started by the Japanese and now MAX-Value it, even if barely Japanese anymore. And appie happie once set up the TOPS supermarket chain with Thai and taught them how to do it all. the belish Delhaize has also done something like FoodLion-later bought up by the TOPs.
Tesco varies in what their markets offer, those in tourist areas/where many expats live have a much wider range. of farang-hungry food, of course mainly English (but also even rusk, that as "Dutch rusk biscuits"). I assume (regarding BKK) that there is a strong tendency to downsize - especially the fresh departments do that, and the once huge food courts have often been considerably reduced in supply and size.
Oh yes - among the gay community BigC has an understandable, but cult-like status because of that strange name.
BigC Thailand and Vietnam has been acquired by the Thaibev group.
CP and the Central group (Tops) have nothing to do with each other or ever with BigC. Tops once belonged to the Dutch Ahold group, but De Central group bought them out.
CP has not been a shareholder in Tesco Lotus for more than 10 years, Lotus in the name referred to the LOTUS supermarket group in China, which does belong to the CP group.
Cp is a franchisee of 7eleven in Thailand and….. China.
Another improvement.
Not all 7/11 are under the CP club.
A large portion of 7/11 is franchise.
For example, the PTT BSA group owns a large number of 7/11s.
This also includes a number of Amazon coffee shops, Fit auto and NGV stations, and petrol stations. You often see combinations of this at the petrol stations.
Please note that every company has its own manager and there may be an umbrella manager again.
In conclusion, by the way, the tesco lotus is a higher level in terms of service and quality.
The tops market shops also have a very extensive range.
Since CP has the franchise for Thailand, it also controls all framchise stores. Cp even has its own High School
https://interprogram.pim.ac.th/
Sorry, just adding.
When Thaksin was still PM and main shareholder of PTT, which was not yet a state-owned company at the time, he concluded a contract with CP, who is an intimate friend, that gave 7eleven the franchise for the operation of Convenience stores for X number of years for the existing PTT Stations. When PTT became a state-owned company, the new gas stations no longer had 7eleven shops, but Jiffy shops. The franchise contract between PTT and 7Eleven expires and more than 1100 7eleven shops at PTT stations will be replaced by Jifft shops.
Amazon cofee shops are owned by Yoawapa Shinawatra elder sister of Thaksin Shinawatra.
I never buy from Tesco, because it mainly sells low quality products and there are almost no Western quality products to be found. Tesco mainly focuses on the Thai low-income groups.
As a bangkokian, I am of course spoiled when it comes to shopping. I mainly buy at Tops, Foodland and to a lesser extent at Big =C Extra
Have the same experience here in BKK: targeting the lower end of the market.
After the takeover by CP almost no Western products anymore. Sauerkraut is gone, as is Gruenkohl (kale) and countless soups and sauces. At Villa Market you see the better off, they have many kinds of bread, which is not made of rice.
It is a pity that the roller mops have disappeared from the range there.
Don't know where in BKK (BKK is big), but Tops and Tesco joined us last year on the same road. Tops, Max Value, Tesco and BigC are now located on a stretch of 4-5 km. The latter has even been completely refurbished and has a much more extensive range than before. Even saw licorice. (Lacktiz Snack from Haribo). I'm probably the only one who buys it, because it's now discounted to 40 Thb (I immediately bought everything 🙂 )
I agree with you. I think the Tesco is a particularly shabby supermarket. With less than a quarter of the products of a Dutch, French or German supermarket. 10,000 cans of mackerel in tomato sauce. I haven't seen a normal piece of bread in a Tesco yet. Jar (200 gr) of Skippy peanut butter about 6€. Good for building a wall. Cheese? Most tescos only have packaged cheddar slices. Doesn't look like anything. Overives: the Makro idem ditto
Gosh, no cheese, no bread, expensive peanut butter…. all things that the Thai do not eat, but of which the supermarket must of course have a wide selection in stock in case Jacobus comes by.
It is also at the top for the Thai and tourists, so not for you the spoiled foreigner who cannot do without Western stuff and you probably won't come there anyway otherwise you would have known that there is indeed a good range of Western goods for sale.
That the tesco lotus focuses on the low income group is nonsense.
The products are of good quality and if you look around you will see all target groups buying there.
We regularly come to the tesco lotus on nut.
It is a pleasant shop and both the Thai and the tourist and the expat buy here.
It is also nonsense that there are no Western products for sale.
A spoiled bangkokian?
If you think you are a bangkokian, you are certainly not looking for western products.
Henry feels like a bangkokian with western demands.
I occasionally walk through Tesco Lotus when I go to pay my True bill.
henry,
If you like Western conveniences and benefits so much, you can also have the True account automatically debited from your bank account.
What would the neighbors think when you spot you at Tesco Lotus?
Welcome to Thailand and Tesco Lotus.
For Thai low income groups, Tesco Lotus is very expensive the same as Albert Hein in the Netherlands.
Thus, there are specific Thai small shops where you can buy the same products as Tesco, only 20% or more cheaper.
Am still a relative newcomer to Thailand, been there for 4th time now since 2014. Since 2015 with my current partner NUT.
Last year found an international supermarket in Hua Hin at the bottom of a new Mall, forgot names,
Been to a Topsmarkt in Sara Buri now, perfect and a decent range of western products. Read the connection with AH above and understand why I felt so at home there.
Always stay near Thep Sathit in Chayapum, close to Nut's family. There is only a small Tesco and a 7eleven. Been to a BigC in Chayapum city, also OK.
Relax here in Thailand with the generally very friendly people.
Only that language huh?!
It is now no Tesco Lotus mrr, but only Lotus under the direction of CP. In recent years, Western articles have been published under the name Tescp Lotus. And since Tesco left, there are even fewer Western items. This is partly due to the requirements that the government set for the sale to CP.
Tesco Holding has withdrawn from the Lotus setup, it is now LOTUS with their mini stores as LOTUS'S
Last year the name was changed from Tesco Lotus to Lotus's.
Tesco lotus no longer exists is now lotus and is fully owned by Thais now.