CP Group brings Lotus supermarkets into digital age

[KaptainRob]

This article smacks of corporate propaganda and contains many statements which expats and Thai's alike may find debateable.  Excerpt below:-

"This digital pivot is part of CP Group's efforts to burnish the chain's image and shed its association with Tesco, which Thai consumers had come to associate with cheap, low-quality goods. The British retailer, struggling with competition from German discount chains in its home market, had lacked the resources to invest in improving Asian operations."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Retail/Thai-CP-Group-brings-Lotus-supermarkets-into-digital-age
 

[thai3]

Well Tesco stores were always one up from Big C, I thought Makro had the image of cheap low quality? even though prices are much the same.

[KaptainRob]

1 minute ago, thai3 said:

Well Tesco stores were always one up from Big C, I thought Makro had the image of cheap low quality? even though prices are much the same.

7-11, Makro and Lotus's all owned by CP Group now with an increasing preponderance of CP Group product.

Makro is the pseudo-wholesaler although most people use it as their primary supermarket which ensures turn-over of stock is high ... but with few specialised imported products.

Since the retreat of Carrefour, (stores sold to BigC), and now Tesco gone, quality imported product is mainly found in Central, Tops, VillaMart and Rimping outlets.

Makro and Lotus stores are being remodelled with more aisles and lower priced stocks of local products.

[Changnam43]

Gimme a break.  Everything has gone downhill since Tesco bailed out.

Higher prices, less choice, lower quality.

 

[Ubon2530]

Entirely agree with @KaptainRob

There are so many things to be annoyed with in this "article".

1) Cheap, low quality goods

- WTF?  We all know Tesco Lotus was a little bit more expensive to shop in, mostly because you could get some goods from home (If you happen to be from the UK). I went in to Lotus last week and I did notice that a lot of 7/11 stock had replaced brands I used to buy from the UK.

2) "Lotus's"  the "s" in the new suffix stands for "smart," according to the company.

- Not very smart at if you ask me. 's denotes possession. At best, it's poor grammar. Not very smart.

3) Throughout the store are "Scan & Go" panels, where shoppers can scan QR codes to buy products on display and have them delivered at times of their choosing. This lets customers handle items in person before purchasing and shop without lugging bags home.

- So you drive all the way to the store, walk around and leave empty handed? Sounds like online shopping backwards. Again - not very smart.

4) The store offers a range of other digital-physical hybrid services, including "Click & Collect" -- letting customers make purchases online and pick them up in-store

- Yeah, Tesco has been doing that for years you absolute muppet. Again, not very smart.

5) CP will also leverage the rest of the group's capabilities to improve the fresh-food selection at Lotus's -- a particular weakness during the Tesco days

- Really? Big C and Tesco lotus fresh food aisle's looked identical to me. Sounds like a regional weakness.

6) CP's convenience stores may come into play as well. The group has 12,000-plus 7-Eleven locations in Thailand, controlling more than 80% of the market, and has data and other retail know-how that could be applied to the supermarket business. Lotus's may end up competing with 7-Eleven stores also run by CP all.

- How is it competition when you own both stores? That's NOT competition - it's a monopoly. They aren't even trying to hide it with a name like CP all.

The Administrative Court agreed to consider a petition lodged by a group of consumer watchdogs over the Trade Competition Commission's (TCC) decision to approve the merger. When will we hear the results of this elusive judgement? 

[Benroon]

i don't believe for one minute thais associate Tesco with cheap low quality goods - I believe its just a made up assumption so CP can continue to bring utter crap food to the masses !

7-11 probably adds more to the thai waistlines than McDonalds !

[Changnam43]

CP eggs are disgusting.  Why are the yokes the colour of a Hi Viz jacket?  Why do they taste of nothing?  I have stopped buying them.  Now I buy from the person who owns the free range chickens.

How can they run out of things like tomatos and onions?  Now I buy fruit and veg at the local market.

Tesco own brand products used to be be great value.  As one small example I used to buy Tesco own brand cat food.  Now if I buy at Lotus's it is three times the price.  The cats don't seem to discern any quality difference.  They will quite happily eat an entire mouse so it seems they are not that fussy.

Such a shame the departure of Tesco. 

 

 

[thai3]

54 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

7-11, Makro and Lotus's all owned by CP Group now with an increasing preponderance of CP Group product.

Makro is the pseudo-wholesaler although most people use it as their primary supermarket which ensures turn-over of stock is high ... but with few specialised imported products.

Since the retreat of Carrefour, (stores sold to BigC), and now Tesco gone, quality imported product is mainly found in Central, Tops, VillaMart and Rimping outlets.

Makro and Lotus stores are being remodelled with more aisles and lower priced stocks of local products.

Our main shop is Foodland these days, that and Villa are the best IMO. Makro is a horrible shopping experience and the prices are no lower on the things I buy, shuffling round a bleak warehouse pretending to be a shop is not my idea of fun. Tops used to be ok but the Foodland points system is better,

[HolyCowCm]

Such an identical and parallel attitude to that of the CCP. Same letters almost as well. Where will they stop? They won’t unless they are stopped, same as the CCP. Swipe a QR code and then they know you and where you live. Way too personal for my liking from a group like them. 

For me I like to shop, bring my families stuff home, unpack and have a go at anything bought if I choose to, or plainly  e done with it. I don’t want anyone handling my stuff more than what they already were. 

Sorry, I don’t do any type of app food. Even today I went to a CM restaurant, orders fir take out, went to the store bought some items, returned back to pick it up and went home with moms day dinner. 
 

[HolyCowCm]

55 minutes ago, Benroon said:

i don't believe for one minute thais associate Tesco with cheap low quality goods - I believe its just a made up assumption so CP can continue to bring utter crap food to the masses !

7-11 probably adds more to the thai waistlines than McDonalds !

Maybe potentially eventually to the cancer treatment wards. 

[HolyCowCm]

24 minutes ago, thai3 said:

Our main shop is Foodland these days, that and Villa are the best IMO. Makro is a horrible shopping experience and the prices are no lower on the things I buy, shuffling round a bleak warehouse pretending to be a shop is not my idea of fun. Tops used to be ok but the Foodland points system is better,

Our choice now is Big C and the open air markets in CM. Lotus is a thing of the past for us, but my wife does get some things for her restaurant at Makro. We also for the home get drinks and such and some minor meats and food there if the price is right and if a good item. But it is not our mainstay by far for home and the family. Oh, and we do buy many items from our local CM market called Rimping. As good as Foodland and Villa. 

[colinneil]

9 hours ago, Changnam43 said:

Gimme a break.  Everything has gone downhill since Tesco bailed out.

Higher prices, less choice, lower quality.

Not only those things, They opened a new store here a few months ago, totally unusable for folk like me, impossible for wheelchair users.

This is the 21st century, and they open a store that is impossible for me,, and others like me to get in.

I contacted the local manager asking about access, and he suggested i go to big C, as they had no wheelchair access.

[gummy]

Sine CP took over control the two large stores which I go to, although not often to either of them, seem to be filling their floorspace with more and more non food items and less and less food. The choice is definitely diminishing in my opinion.

Never mind the digital age they should drag themselves into the 21st century.  Shelf stackers in most places are employed during the night shift so come opening time the aisles are clear for customers. Not here, they seem to enjoy inconveniencing their customers by blocking the isles with food in baskets or on pallets for the stackers to work away with customers hardly able to get past them with their trollies, pity people in wheelchairs trying to shop. Also I often wonder what would happen in an emergency such as a fire when so many aisle are partially blocked by these people 

[thai3]

They need to get up to date with self check outs and the latest bar scanning. They all seem to have problems reading bar codes with some items always needing imput by hand after several tries. At home Adli and Liddl system is like lightening in comparison.

[KaptainRob]

10 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

Our choice now is Big C and the open air markets in CM. Lotus is a thing of the past for us, but my wife does get some things for her restaurant at Makro. We also for the home get drinks and such and some minor meats and food there if the price is right and if a good item. But it is not our mainstay by far for home and the family. Oh, and we do buy many items from our local CM market called Rimping. As good as Foodland and Villa. 

BIGC stores vary widely in stock and quality of fresh produce.  We now travel 10km beyond our local one to shop at BIGC spupercentre on the highway.  They still maintain adequate stocks of Carrefour lines such as Casino cheeses and the deli counter has an excellent selection of cooked meats.

The Bangkok store at Bangna is real eye opener and hopefully a vision for future expansion.

Unlike CP, BigC maintain wide aisles and ease of access and appear to follow correct restocking procedures, ie placing new stock at back, older stock in front.

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, KaptainRob said:

BIGC stores vary widely in stock and quality of fresh produce.  We now travel 10km beyond our local one to shop at BIGC spupercentre on the highway.  They still maintain adequate stocks of Carrefour lines such as Casino cheeses and the deli counter has an excellent selection of cooked meats.

The Bangkok store at Bangna is real eye opener and hopefully a vision for future expansion.

Unlike CP, BigC maintain wide aisles and ease of access and appear to follow correct restocking procedures, ie placing new stock at back, older stock in front.

We use 2 Big C's. Easy one to get to for us and not expecting the nine yards is the one near Promenada. They did a wonderful remodel job there. But we also will go to the bigger Big C Extra also on the Super Highway, and yes they have a lot of things there same as you said. Imported foods for the Expat aisles for food (which has the chees on the other side) and then in the freezer section for sure. Since I am in Foods I always will look at what they are carrying and something new from the Thai market. For me that is my choice of a store now if I am not going to Rimping or an occasional TOPS which has taken a bit of a dive.

[MrStretch]

I can't say that the loss of British control of Tesco's in Hat Yai is much of a loss.

The stores were terrible, the meat department was ghastly, with the smell of dried blood and fish throughout, and the quality of the meat and how it was presented was disgusting.

I always thought that those in Hat Yai were much more attuned to the Muslim shopper than the other department stores.  We have two Big C's, as well.  The former Carrefour has begun to offer better selections of foreign brands, but Topps is still tops for that here.

Makro?  Good for bulk buys, and nothing else.  Virtually no foreign product.

[KaptainRob]

5 minutes ago, MrStretch said:

I can't say that the loss of British control of Tesco's in Hat Yai is much of a loss.

The stores were terrible, the meat department was ghastly, with the smell of dried blood and fish throughout, and the quality of the meat and how it was presented was disgusting.

I always thought that those in Hat Yai were much more attuned to the Muslim shopper than the other department stores.  We have two Big C's, as well.  The former Carrefour has begun to offer better selections of foreign brands, but Topps is still tops for that here.

Makro?  Good for bulk buys, and nothing else.  Virtually no foreign product.

Each an every store differs widely, both within the province and across the country.  It comes down to management > training and staff.  In 10 years we've seen huge changes in a variety of stores, not just food, due to management.

Our local Makro used to have the best bakery in town and stock rotation was up to international standards, then a management change occurred, bakery staff left and new stock is piled in on top of or in front of old.

There's no consistency in major retail. Staff training is either non-existent or abysmal and dodgy practices abound like relabelling unsold packaged fresh produce with new use-by-date stickers.

[HappyExpat]

Don't we find ourselves going to different stores for specific items then picking up sundries while there? I love the pork loin at Big C Extra on Pattaya Klang, I drink Makro coffee #1 exclusively, Villa Market used to have the grapefruit juice and refried beans I now yearn for as the supply chain dried up. The big farmers market on Siam Country Club Road has the fresh vegetables.

Tesco? They suck a wet fart. I stopped going there years ago.

[KaptainRob]

16 hours ago, Changnam43 said:

CP eggs are disgusting.  Why are the yokes the colour of a Hi Viz jacket?  Why do they taste of nothing?  I have stopped buying them.  Now I buy from the person who owns the free range chickens.

Pale yellow yolks indicate corn feed, not as nutritious as a mixed feed.  We avoid the partially packaged eggs and anything labelled as free range/vegetarian fed, all popular cons.

Local egg suppliers who sell direct to the small market stalls with high turnover are usually the best and if you're lucky they may actually be free roaming chooks which produce dark orange/red yolk.  Chickens like to eat worms and insects.   Duck eggs also very nutritious.

[gummy]

15 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Pale yellow yolks indicate corn feed, not as nutritious as a mixed feed.  We avoid the partially packaged eggs and anything labelled as free range/vegetarian fed, all popular cons.

Local egg suppliers who sell direct to the small market stalls with high turnover are usually the best and if you're lucky they may actually be free roaming chooks which produce dark orange/red yolk.  Chickens like to eat worms and insects.   Duck eggs also very nutritious.

With you there on duck eggs. I like goose eggs too but not common to find here

[Changnam43]

18 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Pale yellow yolks indicate corn feed, not as nutritious as a mixed feed.  We avoid the partially packaged eggs and anything labelled as free range/vegetarian fed, all popular cons.

Local egg suppliers who sell direct to the small market stalls with high turnover are usually the best and if you're lucky they may actually be free roaming chooks which produce dark orange/red yolk.  Chickens like to eat worms and insects.   Duck eggs also very nutritious.

Yes.  By free range I meant the selling point is at the roadside and the chickens are running around on the land behind.

CP/Lotus's chickens?  I assume they live a ghastly existence and die prematurely.

 

[KaptainRob]

1 minute ago, Changnam43 said:

CP/Lotus's chickens?  I assume they live a ghastly existence and die prematurely.

Reminds me of an excellent YT docco investigating the source of farmed prawns sold chilled-fresh in European supermarkets.

Upon visiting one large facility, by invitation, the sign outside contained the word 'organic'.  Scientifically analysed samples of mud from growing ponds found high (but not illegal by Thai standards) levels of copper and other compounds found in herbicides.

Toward the end you'll get an idea of why covid has spread so rapidly among migrant workers in the seafood processing regions.