With Lucky supermarket advertising for more construction workers to build more stores, is this the start of the battle of the supermarkets? is Tesco Lotus coming to Cambodia?
Lucky supermarket is advertising for contractors to carry out construction work on new stores being built in the Kingdom. According to its Facebook page, it has 15 stores throughout Cambodia with that number sure to grow, given the advertisement.
This comes after Thai-owned 7-Eleven has being introduced to the Cambodian market opening its first store in the Chroy Changvaa District of Phnom Penh, the Thai retail conglomerate CP All Plc opened the first store on Aug 30 as part of the company’s plans to grow across ASEAN.
Big C was the first Thai-owned retail superpower to be introduced to Cambodia with the Big C Supercentre in Poipet in 2019 and the first store in Phnom Penh opened on Sept 6 . This was part of Big C’s expansion drive and it plans to spend close to $250 million on expanding the business.
The other competitors are Thai Hout Trading and Supermarket, Makro Cambodia, Super Duper Mart, Kiwi Mart, Smile Mart, Angkor Mart, Royal Mart, Chip Mong Supermarket and Prince Supermarket.
The latest news is that Thailand’s Tesco Lotus has shown its interest in opening its first store in Cambodia, following its fellow Thai-owned companies abroad. It is currently looking for a suitable plot of land to build a “Tesco Lotus” shopping centre, according to the Cambodian Business Council in Thailand.
Tesco Lotus is owned by CP Group and has more than 2,000 branches in Thailand.
James Hodge, managing director of property group CBRE Cambodia, told Khmer Times yesterday: “As disposable income grows we expect consumer habits to shift towards formal retail centres, which offer a controlled and comfortable shopping environment. What is more, Cambodia is one of the last remaining markets in South East Asia without a broadly developed grocery segment and, as such, the regional players such as Big C, Tesco Lotus, AEON and others, as well as ambitious local grocery chains are jostling to position themselves in order to capture the biggest slice of market share possible.”
He continued “The grocery market globally is one of significant competition and, as this trend heats it up in Cambodia, it should bring benefits for consumers – offering them access to a broader array of goods at cheaper prices.”
This would mean there would be four serious Thai players in the supermarket world, 7-eleven, Big C, Tesco Lotus and Makro, which was opened in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in 2017.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
