Tesco product packaging in Thailand is misleading
The other week, one of my Thai friends was complaining about Tesco product packaging in Thailand.
Apparently, she had gone to a Tesco Lotus store in Bangkok and, in her hurry, grabbed what she thought was the same packet of white, scented garbage bags she always buys. When she got home, however, she discovered instead of the brand name garbage bags made by a Thai company she usually buys, she ended up with garbage bags made by Tesco.
The problem? Tesco had repackaged their Tesco brand of garbage bags so that they looked so similar to the brand name bags, you really needed to look carefully to tell the difference.
How many items have Tesco product packaging similar to brand names? Hundreds
Intrigued by this, I visited a Tesco Lotus supermarket in Bangkok and made an effort to check Tesco product packaging. Imagine my surprise when I saw product after product, hundreds of them, either repackaged with new packaging so it closely resembles the brand name product, or a completely new Tesco product created to look the same as the brand name one.
Of course, if this was going on in a more developed country, it probably wouldn’t be allowed for long before not only the local Fairness in Advertising board but also the representatives of companies whose products were affected would be making sure it stopped.
In Thailand, however, it seems to be acceptable.
Interestingly, Richard Barrow’s website also has a similar story on the misleading Tesco product packaging in Thailand, and his photographs are even more worrying.
Tesco products and quality
Personally, I also think it is a little sad Tesco currently packages their brand’s products like this as, frankly, there is no need.
After all, Tesco brand products are usually excellent quality, and cheaper than the brand name, so most people probably do not need to be cojoled into buying them with packaging that looks similar to the brand name product.
In many cases, I already do buy them. As do many of the Thais I know.
