Phuket Business: Makro opens new branch in Patong

PHUKET: Membership-base, wholesale food retailer, Siam Makro PCL has expanded its Phuket operations with the opening of its Makro Food Service branch in Patong.

Located in the area of the Mae Ubon Derm fresh market on Nanai Road in Patong, the new branch is the second Makro store on the island.

Its retail area spans a total 1,000 square meters, with parking space on the premises available for 50 cars.

Like the original Phuket Makro located on Wichit Songkhram Road in Phuket Town, the Patong Makro will stock fresh food, frozen foods, condiments and other food related appliances and necessities for both Thai and international customers.

Ms Alisa Wongsawat, GM of Makro Food Service, Patong branch, talked about the new branch’s opening.

She explained that the opening of the new branch offers increased convenience to food operators in Patong, helping them cut back on commute costs and times, and thus enabling them to better handle growing demand in the tourism industry.

Patong Beach is an important tourism destination of Phuket, popular among both Thai and foreign tourists, she added.

She anticipated that the expansion of the Phuket airport as well as Phuket’s plans and continued support for tourism growth, will yield an increased number of tourists to the island.

“There has been an increase in restaurants and related services catering to tourists. And so, Makro opened the Makro Food Service, Patong branch, in order to offer more convenience to food operators in the Patong area, who can now purchase their food related necessities with increased ease and speed.”

Ms Alisa added that with the opening of the new branch, Makro is moving forward to reinforce its image and motto as a “Partner for Your Business”.

The GM revealed that the new store is a model branch with an exclusive design, the interior’s layout designed specifically with restaurant and eatery operators in mind.

The store is stocked with over 3,000 types of food items including frozen foods, dried foods, condiments, meats, eggs, vegetables, salads, cheese, bakery items and even food containers.

Makro is a subsidiary of the privately owned Dutch trading company, SHV (Steenkolen Handels-Vereeniging) Holdings.

Thailand’s first Makro opened in 1989 in Bangkok. Today, the chain’s Thai subsidiary, Siam Makro PCL, operates more than 50 Makro branches across the Kingdom.

In addition to Thai Makro stores, SHV Holdings still owns stores in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.

Makro is often affiliated with Metro, a German-owned wholesale retail chain that acquired Makro’s European stores in 1998.

Makro Food Service, Patong, is open daily, from 7am to 9pm. For more information, call 076-512-388.