The demise of small shops

[Ratsima]

I think that there will always be room for local shopping, but if the Mom and Pop shops want to survive they're going to need to learn to change with the times.

I live in the outskirts of Korat not far from what passes for a high street. I used to do quite a bit of shopping a the local stores, but their limited stock meant that I had to cycle four or five kilometers to get things like fresh milk, bread, yogurt, and the daily essentials: wine, gin and tonic. Once a week we'd hit Home Fresh Mart at The Mall or the big Tesco Lotus for general grocery shopping.

A couple of years ago both 7Eleven and Lotus Express arrived. Now I can get almost everything I need within a half a kilometer of my home. Visits to the big outlets are now mostly monthly. Both of these small outlets are jammed most of the time. Yet, with one exception, none of the Mom and Pop stores seem to have noticed what makes 7Eleven and Express so popular.

That one exception changed dramatically once the international competition arrived: They installed automatic front doors, air conditioning, a bar code reader and cash register. They cleaned up the lighting, cleared up the aisles, improved product display and began offering a much broader array of products at very competitive products. I buy things like flour, sugar, whisky and beer there for significantly less than I'd pay at Tesco or The Mall. Needless to say, their business is thriving. Why? Because they took a look at the competition and figured out how they could meet and, perhaps, beat them.

[buksida]

Another knock-on effect from the demise of small shops and the spreading of 7-Elevens like a plague is that Thai people are getting BIGGER.

You notice it a lot when visiting other Asian countries such as Vietnam that don't have western shopping malls and junk food outlets on every corner and in every gas station.

[Pleng]

There was a great radio show years ago--Prairie Home Companion. In it there was a fictitious country store that sold everything. Its slogan was--If we don't have it, you probably don't need it.

In England, we call this store "Tesco Extra"

[johnnyk]

Small shops in North America have fought back against the Wal-Mart retail gorilla by offering better service. Trying to compete on the basis of selection and price is impossible - popguns vs. a tank - but many are holding their own.

[STEVE G]

Another knock-on effect from the demise of small shops and the spreading of 7-Elevens like a plague is that Thai people are getting BIGGER.

Certainly the other night the young girl working in our newly acquired local 7/11 in Hin Lek Fai was wearing a larger jacket against the air conditioning than the one I use here in Europe when it's below -10C!

[johnnyk]

Another knock-on effect from the demise of small shops and the spreading of 7-Elevens like a plague is that Thai people are getting BIGGER.

Certainly the other night the young girl working in our newly acquired local 7/11 in Hin Lek Fai was wearing a larger jacket against the air conditioning than the one I use here in Europe when it's below -10C!

Yes, lots of fat kids around now. Thais had very healthy diets for years, land of abundance, but with poor education they are prey for ads that encourage them to eat sugary, fatty crap.

[STEVE G]

Yes, it really depresses me that in a country with such an exquisite cuisine, when I ask my step-son what he wants to eat, he says KFC or some other American rubbish.

[lomuamart]

There was a 7-11 close to me by Somtawin School. It was a bloody nightmare at certain times of the day and I purposely avoided the place.
The teachers were the worst culprits getting their junk, microwaved food and of course the children followed suit.
As I've mentioned before, as this outlet was right next to the school, they didn't sell beer or cigarettes so there was only a limited range of products that I was interested in. They had lots of deoderants and I could pay bills there.
And they had an ATM.
It's closed now - I don't know why because they seemed to have a thriving business and as Buksi says, everyone was getting fatter!! Maybe their microwaves broke down?
Anyway, my local corner shop sells lottery and not much else. She seems to survive. She's got the coldest beers in HH but she's getting old so I have to watch my change.
She dosn't do it on purpose.

[Takiap]

Yes, it really depresses me that in a country with such an exquisite cuisine, when I ask my step-son what he wants to eat, he says KFC or some other American rubbish.

If your step-son is from rural Isaan or some other such area, then you need to remember that KFC and the like is, in his mind, something quite special. It's that expensive food that rich Farangs and wealthy Thais eat.

Even if they shut down every fast food chain in the country, I don't think it will stop the Thais from becoming overweight. From what I see, it seems as though the average Thai is totally addicted to sugar and all things sweet, including copious amounts of sugary snacks. Hell, they even add sugar to fruit which is already sweet.

Seriously though, if you sit and watch the locals in a road where there are lots of different stalls selling food, you'll notice that most of the food being sold is far from being healthy food, and you'll notice that the stalls selling seriously unhealthy foods are the ones doing the most business.

Take six unhealthy processed hot dog sausages, then deep fry them in old cooking oil just for good measure, and to round things off nicely, cover them is sweet chili sauce. Of course this then needs to be washed down with some cheap ultra sweet cold drink which is served with crushed ice and a good helping of sweetened condensed milk. Alternatively, it can be washed down some Coke or Pepsi. Then, as we all know, the nibbling and snacking continues for a few hours until it's time for the next meal.

[Roel]

Ah, sentimental threads. Nostalgia. It is from all times. I refer to my signature.

Pretty sure in 2025 there will be a thread on HHAD (in completely different new cyber technology format of course) and a poster will tell that he remembers coming to Hua Hin in 2015.

Man those where the days. Imagine Hua Hin not having a mono-rail train. You actually went from the centre from Hua Hin to Khao Takiab in a car they called a song teaw. And not everybody had a 3D home cinema so people actually went to a public cinema at a place called Market Villa that was considered a big shopping mall back then. There you could pay to go see a movie that was chosen by the cinema! Weird eh.

This was of course before they build the Shinanawatra Complex. Where the SC is now there used to be hotels, shops and bars. I remember the Hilton and the Sofitel Centara. Back then they had a few streets with small bars where the same naughty activities where going on as now on the well known SC 41st floor!
But it was all outdoors. I swear. Forgot the name. Think it was called Binbaht.

Back in 2015 you hardly had any helicopter weekend traffic from and to Bangkok. Now it is alright but imagine the noise before they introduced the silent choppers.

Cha-Am and Hua Hin were in different provinces back then and whilst driving from Hua Hin to Cha-Am on Petchkasem Road you could actually see the ocean between only a dozen condominium buildings. I know, hard to imagine now.

And back then the beaches were not privatised yet, so you could go literally everywhere you liked without paying any entrance and entertainment fees. I once walked from the centre to Khao Takiab over the beach! Talking about Khao Takiab. Khao means hill in Thai and in those days it WAS a hill. Really, I am not kidding. Where now the Shinawatra Museum and Casino is was a hill with a temple on it and monkeys (in the wild!) and a nice view. You may like the 150 m high glass and steel SMC complex but I preferred the hill. But that is me. Wonder how Hua Hin will look like in another 20 years.

Or something similar.

[buksida]

[lomuamart]

But how are Phuket, Khao Lak, Samui, etc etc?
Must admit that I havn't been to those places for a while but I bet they stink.
Horses for courses.
Chok dii.