When I took one of my usual twice-weekly trips to the Big C supermarket on Ladprao yesterday (the one that used to be Carrefour until it was bought out by Big C at the end of last year) I was surprised to see a new sign saying “Big C Extra”. The ‘Extra’ is a new addition I’d never heard of and, tacky as it sounds, it was a little intriguing. But what does it mean? According to the Bangkok Post, it’s a new marketing campaign (and fight!) between Tesco Lotus and Big C – with both companies adding the word “Extra” to some of their store names in Thailand.
But what will ‘Extra” mean for the average consumer? As yet, nobody seems to know.
Tesco Lotus says they’ll be selling more premium brands, imported fashion and lots of other things targeting westerners and other expats. These will be at only select stores in Bangkok at the moment, the ones that already have a high number of expats and westerners shopping there.
As for Big C, who knows what their “Extra” entails. Hopefully, it means there will be a lot more imported products or products produced for westerners added to their list of items – cheeses, meats, good bread, imported cereals, cookies, chocolate etc – now that would please me no end, along with the huge number of farangs (westerners) I also know shop at Big C.
All I know is, I’m happy Big C has decided to change their former-Carrefour store on Ladprao to a ‘Big C Extra’. I’ve shopped there two to three times a week for the last five years (when it was Carrefour and, oh, how I loved Carrefour) and, unless the store really goes downhill fast, I have no intention of shopping anywhere else.
I hate Tesco Lotus, their branding and the way they target ‘mom and pop stores’ when they open new branches, and try to shut them down. And, as Tesco Lotus is constantly suing people who say things about them they don’t like, it will be a cold day in hell before I ever set foot in another Tesco Lotus store.
So, please, Big C – DON’T LET ME DOWN. Make your Big C Extra branches the best supermarkets in Bangkok and, from me, you’ll have a happy customer for life. I’ll tell all my friends too.