Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

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Big Boy
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Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by Big Boy »

There's been a lot of unsubstantiated chatter on social media over the last 24 hours about Tops Supermarket opening up in Hua Hin soon. Does anybody know any more?

The rumour is that is will take over a large section of the existing Power Buy shop at the bottom of Soi 88.
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by VincentD »

Slightly off topic..

Years ago, both Central Department store and Robinson's Department store used to cater to the higher end of the local market, and both had supermarkets. In a bit of a coup, Central opened up Big C, purportedly to sell cheaper (Grade B and C products). They then negotiated with Robinson's and 'merged' the supermarkets into Tops, so in effect lessening the competition.

Where I am in Bangkok I have access to Tops, Foodland, Big C and Villa supermarkets, all a ten minute drive from home.
My go-to places are Big C for the essentials (wifey has discount card) and Foodland for the more farang-style stuff. I also note that Foodland is surprisingly cheaper than Tops for many similar products.

My two baht worth..
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by handdrummer »

I don't think that there are enough people here to support Bluport, Villa, MV, Big C and Tops. There are many days when I shop at Villa North and store is nearly empty & lof slow days at Bluport.
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by bsdk1960 »

Big Boy wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:44 am There's been a lot of unsubstantiated chatter on social media over the last 24 hours about Tops Supermarket opening up in Hua Hin soon. Does anybody know any more?

The rumour is that is will take over a large section of the existing Power Buy shop at the bottom of Soi 88.
we went to Power Buy 2 weeks ago,and looked like a shoop close soon ,half of the shop was empty,so could be
someone take over,but didnt ask.

:cheers: :cheers:
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by 404cameljockey »

handdrummer wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 4:33 pm I don't think that there are enough people here to support Bluport, Villa, MV, Big C and Tops. There are many days when I shop at Villa North and store is nearly empty & lof slow days at Bluport.
I think at the high end of the market (Bluport/Villa Market) I never see them very busy, a few checkouts and rarely more than one person queuing (I do shop during the day though). They must make enough from their high-end customers buying steak, imported veg, etc?...

But AFAIK (tell me if I'm wrong) Tops is not in that market, they will compete with Tesco Lotus/Big C?

Half of Powerbuy would a substantial but not huge store, and I don't see that the market couldn't absorb it.
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by hhinner »

If it would be anything like the one in the new Robinson Phetchaburi I would probably say don't bother. It's nothing special and to my mind the imported stuff can't compete with Villa, probably not even with the imports at Big C or Tesco.
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by caller »

I think I would put TOPS in Bkk and Central food halls best for 'British' influences along with MV in Bkk. I'm not talking of the basics, which you can get in many places now.

Gourmet Market is very successful in The Malls Bangkok stores, so much so, that they have just opened their first one independent of any of their shopping Malls. They are generally very busy.

What I like about Central food halls and TOPS is the availability of Waitrose stock in particular and to a lesser degree, M&S and Carrefour own brand stock. As well as similar products that you would find in a store like Waitrose in the UK. I also like the fact they stock Dickinson & Morris pork pies - lol!

Centrals food hall at Chit Lom is probably my favourite place for UK branded stuff and It's also great for ready cooked food which you can eat in the supermarket or takeaway. The other week I had goulash, mash and veg and the other half had a braised beef red wine stew with mash, both were great and cost a total of 344 baht. Hard to beat that. They had a meatloaf that looked to die for, so next time....

Where I stay in Bkk, the nearest store is MV in Thonglor, a few minutes further away is Foodland, but it's quite small and finally there is TOPS. I can get things in TOPS that aren't available in MV and likewise can find stuff in MV that I can't get in TOPS.

It would be great if TOPS opened here as long as they cater for farangs. Before Central opened a new Mall in Korat, The small TOPs there, in the save one area, was very much for Thais only, a bit like I read about as above, at Petchaburi.
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by Nereus »

Where I stay in Bkk, the nearest store is MV in Thonglor
What is MV, caller? Or do you mean Villa Market?
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by hhinner »

MaxValu at a guess but could be Villa.
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by hhinner »

Central food hall is brilliant. Tops at Sukhumvit 19 is pretty good. But Phetchaburi not worth the journey. Imo.
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by caller »

Nereus wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 9:52 pm What is MV, caller? Or do you mean Villa Market?
Yes. Apologies, I transposed the letters by mistake.

Although there are Market Villages in Bkk as well.
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by oakdale160 »

I used to shop at TOPS in bkk, it was fine, nothing special, not the range of Tesco, VM or Macro.
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by mwbrown »

bsdk1960 wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:00 pm
Big Boy wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 8:44 am There's been a lot of unsubstantiated chatter on social media over the last 24 hours about Tops Supermarket opening up in Hua Hin soon. Does anybody know any more?

The rumour is that is will take over a large section of the existing Power Buy shop at the bottom of Soi 88.
we went to Power Buy 2 weeks ago,and looked like a shoop close soon ,half of the shop was empty,so could be
someone take over,but didnt ask.

:cheers: :cheers:
I think it's looked that way for 4 years!
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by caller »

oakdale160 wrote: Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:34 pm I used to shop at TOPS in bkk, it was fine, nothing special, not the range of Tesco, VM or Macro.
Really? Which TOPS was that and how long ago? There is simply no comparison bewteen TOPS and Tesco's or Makro, in respect of the availabilty of farang goods.

I can't understand why Tesco's don't do better in this respect, as it is after all, a British company. I mean, they sell their own label tea bags elsewhere in Thailand, but not in Hua Hin, where's the logic in that? (apart that is, from the more expensive Finest range and they have just put them up by 50 baht for a pack of 100 tea bags).
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Re: Tops Supermarket in Hua Hin?

Post by Big Boy »

I agree about Tesco, they increased their own brand Farang food considerably when Bluport came, but much of it has gradually disappeared over the last 9 months.

Regarding Tops, I've never knowingly been inside one, but when I heard the rumour of them coming to Hua Hin, I looked at their online shopping range. I didn't see anything that made me think, that will improve my life in Thailand. I hope you're right caller.
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