True Value, Pattaya

[BillyZ]

What's up with True Value in Pattaya? For months, I've been expecting this place to shut down. They've got limited, sometimes incomplete selection, i.e. hoses but not the right connections to the pipe. The prices are WAY high. They close early. And the place is always empty.

A buddy of mine got a Rubbermaid mop from them last year. Within a few weeks, it had broken. When he took it back, they wouldn't give him a refund or a replacement. They told him that the quality of stuff from China isn't so good. "Wait a minute", he said, "isn't this made in the U.S.?" Not anymore, they told him. So the customer service, sucks. At least as far as returns go.

Yesterday, I went in there for the first time in months. Not only are they still open, they have more stuff in stock than before and more of everything.

I'm wondering how they stay in business. We were in there for 30 minutes, walking around and getting a few things here and there. When I went to the cashier to check out, she'd already rung up the first things I'd picked out and that one of the helpers had taken to the counter for me. That's how slow they are, that they don't even worry about another customer coming in and checking out before me.

Is it a front for money laundering? Do they have low over head? Is most of their business from developers who buy in bulk and never come in the store? Are they subsidized by the parent company? I just can't figure out how they don't go broke.

Mind you, I hope they don't go under. I like to be able to buy cleaning products, tools and bar-b-que stuff that you can't find elsewhere. It's spendy, even with my 5% discount. But I love to shop there.

[Butterfly]

Have you tried HomeMart ?

[Airportwo]

It's a Strange! shop for sure, I live close by, so tend to Pop in for small items that they invariably dont have or are so over priced it's ridiculous.
Excellent selection of quality hand tools, again - at a price.
I did buy a Barbie that was on sale there.
I wonted a soldering iron and tried there, they had no idea what one was, and tried to sell me all sorts of crap in its place - eventually found one in the supermarket at TukCom for 65 baht!

[peterpan]

My thoughts the same, good range of tools etc but how do they survive with such a small customer volume ? Similar place in Udon called Tool Pro. Great range of excellent tools and equipment, prices are as you would expect quite high but considering the import tax on this stuff, I think its reasonably priced, but the place is always empty. I went in there on Saturday to but a Battery charger, they had these monster ones so asked if there was anything smaller for home use. Guy replied thats all we have, looked around and saw some smaller ones and asked how about these? He looked shocked I mean as in WTF did they come from? They got no customers, so have all day to walk around the shop and they still don't know what they have in stock. They must loose many hundreds of thousands a week, but somehow they stay in Biz, someone has DEEP pockets.

[DrAndy]

what a wonderful thread. Does Smeg shop there or what?

[Monochaser]

Do they have a Home Pro in Patt? I know damn sure they dont have a Home Depot, LOL

[BillyZ]

They've got a big Home Pro at the Carre Four location (Central Road, near 3rd Road) and a bunch of little Home Marts around town. I've heard a rumor about Home Depot coming to Thailand, but nothing for sure, yet.

[Butterfly]

Isn't HomePro, the rebrand of Home Depot in the US ? I think so

[dirtydog]

The funniest thing I saw for sale in tru value in Pattaya was a yellow warning sign, you know the signs shops put out to warn customers if the floor was wet so they don't slip over and kill themselves, anyway these were in English and Spainish, quite usefull in Thailand.