Villa Market

[margaretcarnes]

VS - you are quite right about the minced beef in the wet market. I never had a problem with it. Unlike here in the UK where its just tasteless. I've even changed to using frozen minced lamb here from Asda for stuff like chillis and spag bol.
As for steaks - IMO its pot luck anywhere. You have to know what cuts you are buying, then slap a load of peppercorns on top!
At least in HH wet market you can get beef with the fat still on, and oxtails, which are all but banned from human consumption in the UK.
Quite why people expect so much from supermarket meat anywhere is beyond me!

[BelgianBoy]

Passed by Villa Market last night and took one look at the jammed parking lot and moved on to Tesco Lotus and the big Mall.

We were there yesterday ~ 6 PM, I would estimate about 40 % parking occupancy only.
But as the shops will get more traffic, parking will become an issue ....

BB

[Francois]

But as the shops will get more traffic, parking will become an issue ....

True. Parking is really small even for motorbikes...

[SHADOW]

Our they open twenty four seven

[Guess]

Another US dig!

Don';t let it get to ya! ............

Absolutely. It is bigotry borne from ignorance. Don't stoop down to the same level.

Our they open twenty four seven

Is this a possibility? I was told that 7/11 have to pay high premiums for late night opening. In the UK and some US states stores stay open all night to save money on security and other closing/opening costs.

[Super Joe]

Open until 10pm it said.
Was plenty of spare parkng spaces at 5pm last Tuesday when we went.
For what I get I don't need to go to Tesco, The Farm or All-in-Hua-Hin (fridges) again, it has all their stuff and far more.

Some stuff seemed more expensive than elsewhere but other stuff not, but their vast range of quality stuff you can't get elsewhere in HH outways all that to me.

The building on the left at the front is going to be a pizza restaurant, anyone know what the 2 storey front right building will be ?

SJ

[splitlid]

a tailors maybe??

[dtaai-maai]

I paid my first visit today. It was a bit of a revelation to Mrs D-M, who had apparently been on opening day, only to report that they had no food, only women's clothing. Apparently she went to the wrong shop. In my wisdom I chose not to make an issue of this perfectly understandable error.

I have to be perfectly honest and admit to feeling that it was like Christmas shopping used to be, before it became a mad rush. There are some lovely little gems tucked away in those narrow aisles (assorted chutneys, pickles, brussel sprouts and Bovril for starters).

Not a hell of lot (that I want) that I can't get elsewhere, notably JD's place, and I wound up spending a (comparative) small fortune (2500 baht - please don't sneer, all things are relative...) when I'd only gone in for a look round. I can't say I'll be popping in on a weekly, or even monthly, basis, but, as the man said, I'll be back.

As far as parking is concerned, I was there at 10.30 on a Saturday morning, and it was virtually empty. You have to get your parking pass stamped by the Villa check-out, which is fair enough. Frankly, it's not a Tesco or HH Mall equivalent. It's a pretty selective farang emporium (although apparently there was a Thai TV star in there this morning) that will undoubtedly thrive, but will certainly not take too much business away from local Thai businesses/markets.

[Chas]

Made my first visit to Villa Market today and I was very impressed. To be sure, it is about as far from the typical Thai wet market as you can get but there are many things to like about it and I plan to go back.

Now, what I liked and didnt like is my own personal opinion of course and those who have not been in might appreciate my reactions and find my report helpful ( and either rush right down or avoid it like the plague. Your choice.)

The first impression is that this is a very friendly place! Smiles and wais as you walk in, staff eager to assist even to the point of guiding your purchases through the checkout, tying up the plastic bags so stuff doesnt spill out and taking your bags out to your car. The shopping experience is terrific! (By comparison, when have you EVER had someone working at Tesco-Lotus even smile at you, let alone wai? (OK OK. The Tesco vegetable weighers have been ordered to wai. . .but it is not a happy wai!)

The place is new and clean, the shopping carts WORK and even slide sideways if you wish them to.. . .and halleluia!!! . .nice backgound music with not a single BOING BOING BOING BOING announcement that someone is due to have a lunch break!

Lots of goodies/ free samples being proffered as you roll around and smiles everywhere. These people must come from a different planet than the staff at Tesco!

I wonder at the amazing difference. ( Wages? I doubt it. Management. .perhaps? New store effort. . soon to disintegrate into typical "we just work here and we dont care?" Who knows?) Right now, it is certainly a store where you feel welcome and that is refreshing! ( Another sharp contrast: my spouse took a computer in for repair today and had to pry the attendant off her cell phone in the middle of her order for a pizza delivery.)

Wonderful wine and liqueur selection! And several things that I had not found in Tesco including oatmeal ( instant packets even) which I have not seen since I was in the US. Lots more salad dressing choices than Tesco, and more cheeses ( well, there just isnt room for those whole aisles of cooking oil and children's formula) and that leads to the only real down side. .the narrow aisles. Too bad they didnt have twice the space. Veggies seemed less varied than Tesco. No whole watermelon. They did have ready cooked deli chicken and fish though. I know nothing about buying or cooking meat so I cant report on the butchers end at all, but they seemed ready and anxious to help as we passed by.

The final pleasure was the best checkout/ register screen I have EVER seen anywhere! Every item pops up in English with the amount next to it and a running total in a large, easy to read format. Very nice!

It is also a part of a mini mall with several smaller shops including a small drugstore in the same plaza. ( I did not realize this until today) As reported, a Pizza Pizza is in the works for the corner near the road. There is another large building being built on the other corner. No clue what that will be.

To Thai "purists" this is probably just another example of Western decadence and the annihilation of Thai culture . . . and why arent we happy to go to the wet market every morning to haggle over a fish or onions. But the staff seemed just as friendly to the Thai people who walked in, even though the operation is obviously oriented toward foreigners.

Which led me to thinking about the entire concept of "service with a smile" If there were no foreigners here at all, would the staff treat the Thai customers the same way or is this something that is exclusively the realm of "Thai serving farang?" After all, perhaps that IS the difference between this store and Tesco . . .which is certainly oriented toward Thai people and not farangs. Is that why they dont smile?

[migrant]

The final pleasure was the best checkout/ register screen I have EVER seen anywhere! Every item pops up in English....

I guess this shows the target market.

I've been in the Villa market in BKK and found very attentive employees also, so maybe it won't fall by the wayside

[Vital Spark]

The first impression is that this is a very friendly place! Smiles and wais as you walk in, staff eager to assist

What a contrast to my experience in the shopping mall supermarket on Friday. They've managed to somehow squeeze an extra aisle in an already cramped shop, there's hardly room to push a trolley down. I lost count of the times I said 'kor tort, ka' in my best Thai, and with a smile, to the shelf-fillers, who then glared at me as I squeeze past them. Yes, I got the forced wai when I paid - I would have preferred a smile.

We didn't have time to check out Villa - but we certainly will next time. I've always been a great supporter of small independent businesses, but quite frankly, they've got to really start pulling their socks up if they want to keep their customers.

The biggest toothy smile I got was from the little old car parking man.

VS

[DawnHRD]

Sorry, Chas & VS. I get nice smiles & wais from Tesco & Shopping Mall staff. Maybe it's littl'un. They all love him (particularly in the shopping mall where they know him by name). Yes, Villa Market Staff were good (as I said in my post). I would hope, due to the vastly inflated prices, they are getting paid for that service.

[Chas]

I understand Dawn, but it shouldn't take a cute kid in tow to get a smile in this country that brags about being "the Land of Smiles"!

Part of my point is that I really doubt there is a salary difference for the staff in either place . . .Tesco or Villa ( I wont include the depressing "shopping maw) in this discussion.) or that the salary is what drives the friendliness. I never got a smile out of the managers at Tesco either and they must have OK salaries. ( And I must add that I am a person who when given the least excuse tends to smile . . .a LOT!) Be interesting to pin this down and find out salaries rather than speculate.

I agree with VS about supporting the small local stores

I've always been a great supporter of small independent businesses, but quite frankly, they've got to really start pulling their socks up if they want to keep their customers.

I said exactly that about the shopping maw when Tesco was on its way. . .they didnt change a thing in response to Tesco's coming. It is exactly the same as when I came here 7 years ago including the ugliest storefront in town and the rudest clerks. I tend to be very "brand loyal" and I would still be going there if I had ever been made to feel the slightest bit welcome.

[Guess]

..................when have you EVER had someone working at Tesco-Lotus even smile at you...........I wonder at the amazing difference.

Tesco is of course an English company and they have tried to bring some of the English Culture to Thailand.

Tesco was first started by a couple of London's East End Jewish barrow boys.

The culture lives on. In the West Ham branch the security guards will approach men on entry with their wives and children and say "What the F** do you think the looking at Geyser". Only the most humble of apologies will get you off of the mandatory head butting.

If you dare to enter wearing club colours from Chelsea, Spurs or Arsenal the security guard summons about 10 of his mates and you get a good kicking. To date no Millwall supporter has had the balls to visit the store.

A Tesco spokesman said that they try to make people feel at home.

Sounds to me that Villa Market probably hails from San Francisco, Brighton or Dallas.

[Chas]

Guess, I thought Villa was also an English company. ( I enjoyed your vision of their culture!)

I dont remember going into one on my trips to England, but this Tesco is EXACTLY like the Walmarts I did go into back in the US. .except that the staff break announcements were in English ( of course). . .and no Boing Boings. Just the annoying double repetition of the message.

I do believe that the difference between all three of these markets here in Hua Hin comes down to management and its attitude toward customers and customer service. .and how that is reflected in staff recruitment and training.

We have discussed this often enough here: the lack of interest in developing repeat business or building a good reputation, the lack of focus on customer satisfaction and staff morale, the absence of training programs or serious customer feedback procedures and that myopic focus on the daily bottom line. I was amazed at one of the earlier posts which described a manager taking notes on a clipboard of something a customer might want. Even if it was just for show, thats further than Tesco or shopping maw have ever gone to my knowledge.

This reminds me of the movie thread ( why no "soundtrack" movies?) and as well of the Somtawin thread ( will it go under?) and my own experiences first hand at Stamford! Head in the sand managers with no creativity or business sense, no respect for the "culture" of a place, no clue how to build customer or staff loyalty, and no interest in anything but profit or loss.