Cassa Warns Tesco It Faces Consumer Boycott If It Continues Its 24/7 Operations!

[CASSA318]

CASSA WARNS TESCO IT FACES CONSUMER BOYCOTT IF IT CONTINUES ITS 24/7 OPERATIONS!


The Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam, Selangor (CASSA) today warned hypermarket TESCO MALAYSIA that it will organize a massive boycott of its stores nationwide if it carries out 24 hours a day operation.

"We will not compromise in this matter as we want to protect the small traders" said CASSA President and Legal Adviser Dr. Jacob George.

Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs Minister JJ (Jamaluddin Jarjis) issued the Government's second warning to Tesco Malaysia barely 24 hours after his Secretary-General did the first: Don't open 24 hours a day or you will hurt our local traders.

The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs minister said the Government will not permit any hypermarket to operate 24/7 - a lingo used in the Digital Age referring to services that run 24 hours and seven days a week.

"We had warned the approving bodies since the year 1999 to restrict the mushrooming of these hypermarkets as we could see
then, the dangers it posed to small retailers, the traditional local traders in our housing estates and villagers" Dr. George added

However, certain quarters had their own private agenda and as a result we see the mushrooming of these giants! Dr. George said.

He added "Consumerism is just not 'value for money issues' but the need to have a fine balance that out national heritage, traditions and traditional service providers are not made obselete by these giants aided by big bugs!" Dr. George emphasied.

CASSA Chief Dr. George was speaking to reporters after meeting senior journalists at the National Press Club.

The hypermarket operator - a JV 70% owned by Sime Darby Bhd and 30% by UK’s Tesco Stores - says it is only responding to customer demand.

A Tesco Stores (M) Sdn Bhd spokesman said customers want longer shopping hours but “we are also determined to work within the law and we believe that we have received all the necessary permission to extend our trading hours”.


ffp/2004

[ng]

Oh please, be reasonable. Small traders usually do not open after midnight. Even if they do, they may not provide the emergency things we need after midnight. Sometimes, we cannot sleep and we need somewhere to go or buy something after midnight. So let TESCO open 24 hours, it is heaven especially for people who travel a lot overseas and come home late at night.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Does the man on the street have a say on this? I agree with Ng.

[luke]

I agree with NG

[kwchang]

If Tesco wants to spend money keeping the lights on and the air-cond running overtime, let them contribute to our economy. And they have to pay all those staff working on the graveyard shift. Isn't that giving more employment opportunities?

I hate being rushed to finish shopping by 10pm. This would be refreshing. And I also hate to wait till 10am when I need some groceries desperately. Maybe for the morning shopping needs, this is where the Minister is afraid of cutting into the mom-and-pop shops who actually start very early in the day.

Big hypermarts aren't going to kill the small provision shops because there is some personal realtionship we develop with the neighbourhood small shop. Hypermarts are fine but unless it is next door, it won't threaten the small retailers.

[clfoo]

I'm not siding anyone here, but my simple mind simply confuse over the whole episode here .. so I would like to gather more facts before I continue to doubt my IQ level ...

1) With all due respect, CASSA -- I think is suppose to protect Consumer right, now also include small traders? From a consumer point of view I thought that Tesco open 24/7 is good bcos we got another choice. If we consumer don't like it, simply don't patronise, if Tesco cannot sustain I think they will opt to change then .

2) By opening 24/7, I think Tesco just extending their current business hour from 10pm to 10am, are those small sundry shops also open during that hour? How about 7-11, are they not a threat? From macro economy point of view, isn't this indirectly create more job opportunities, and for those who don't want to join the mad traffic in normal hour they can now come to shop at wee hour, isn't it a good thing?

3) I think the earlier story regarding USJ's Giant having their goods with different price tag is more guilty than Tesco 24/7 act, and so far their PR official does not even care to give any clarification as in the first incident. With the photo evident presented in the thread, CASSA had more reason to defense consumer right in this case. (I cannot locate the particular thread in this forum anymore, can someone show the ponter?)

In most cases, I think competition is good for consumer, included this case. I'm not here to pick a bone on anyone, but please help to enlightened ignorant me ..

cheers ..

[jsu]

I say let Tesco go 24/7. I know whom I'll boycott if they are not allowed to!

[tnn]

i think it's a good idea for Tesco to open 24 hours.

is the ministry making noise bcos it wants to 'protect' our local hypermarket i.e. Giant, who is already feeling the threat?

[jericho]

From the feedback so far, all I can say is that consumer will welcome the move by Tesco with open arms instead of boycotting it.

Yes, go for 24/7, no need to worry about the traffic jam and more employment opportunites!

[orchipalar]

Hi all,
As consumers, we welcome the 24/7 conveniences, in particular to shop for necessities, especially in close proximity to our SJ/USJ.

It is our choice afterall.

[pcyeoh]

I concur with CL Foo that CASSA which stands for Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam should protect the interest of the consumers - people like you and me. I find no wrong in an establishment that sells consumer goods decides to open its door 24 x 7 to meet customers needs. I call this "customer service that delights the customers." You and I know that the demand during the wee hours does not justify their overheads. Only those in the hypermarket business know what they are doing as they can see a big portion of the population are working on shifts and there are many like me who hate to accompany our wives spending our off days shopping for grocery. Now we can just do that at anytime time of the day and week. We get to avoid the chaotic traffic jams, parking problems and the payment queues during normal hours. In fact, I most welcome and appreciate what TESCO is doing. I know where to do my next grocery shopping.

Such action by TESCO will not kill the small traders as my Muthus, Ah Chongs and Ahmads in my neighbourhood still has a role to play during our wakening hours. We can see that their sundry shops are still crowed with housewives scrambling for the garam and ajinamoto they forget to buy in their RM 500 purchase from the hypermarket. Their threat should be the mini markets in their immediate neighbourhood.

Lastly, I wish CASSA know what role they should play when they unilaterally set up this body. Lately, they have been barking at every issue without following through. And this particular issue is "terlalu lebih" because it not only parroting what the government wanted to do but this time, CASSA is seen to be on the other side where they are protecting the traders - big or small doesn't matter. I would expect the trader associations to champion their members' predicament. What I see is all the time CASSA can only issue statements and threats and demonstrations. I don't like the threat part - easier said than done. As for the demonstration, most of the time is for cheap publicity. Sorry I have to say that.

[HTH]

i thnk it is a good idea, on the consumer point of view, opening 24/7. less traffic, less crowded, more parking space, and u can shop leisurely. I am all with it.

but i thnk it will also affect our local kedai runcit. Judging from the feedback from this thread, i guess almost everyone will be going to Tesco, after hours, to do their shopping, slowly and leisurely. So u will get all ur necessary groceries, and needs from Tesco. So whether the local traders open after midnight or not, is not important because by the time u shopped at Tesco, u will get all necessary stuff. By morning, u won't have to go to kedai runcit anymore, coz u already got the stuff u need.

I thnk they already advertising their 24/7 operation in the papers.

[topguru]

Interesting views, all but one!

My friends at CASSA may have to rethink.

And the one I refered to...one from the infamous PC Yeoh, who decides to settle his personal vendetta, against our friends at CASSA, while his real intentions are outlined in the following statement!

"Lastly, I wish CASSA know what role they should play when they unilaterally set up this body. Lately, they have been barking at every issue without following through. And this particular issue is "terlalu lebih" because it not only parroting what the government wanted to do but this time, CASSA is seen to be on the other side where they are protecting the traders - big or small doesn't matter. I would expect the trader associations to champion their members' predicament. What I see is all the time CASSA can only issue statements and threats and demonstrations. I don't like the threat part - easier said than done. As for the demonstration, most of the time is for cheap publicity. Sorry I have to say that."


Grow up PC Yeoh - a lot of water has flowed, since, your last bitter encounter with CASSA over the abandoned Rhythm & Newgate Avenue projects.

You neither have the experience, track record not profile to judge our friends at CASSA - period!

Learn to put away past prejudices, which is so glaring, in the above paragraph.

I am sure a lot of good can come out with working along with people, even, if it is one you personally dislike, for the larger good!

I personally know CASSA has!

But you have to wait for that story and it is coming out soon too!

[JoeJaffar]

When I was studying in the US, I find the 24hrs groceries and hypermarts like Kroger and Walmart very convenient. Us students can do our shopping anytime. Even when we're hungry at nite we could drop by anytime.

It's convenient for students, what else would it be for working people now. No need to pack Carrefour or Giant USJ on Sundays. We can do our shopping at our convenience. I don't see why the consumers will want to boycott Tesco's move.

Consumers will still go to the local mom-n-pop stores for small purchases or emergencies.

Maybe CASSA should help the small stores to first improve their service and appearance first before boycotting something that's the average consumers have no problem with.

[Timo]

Some of the points made here supporting Tesco's 24 hour plan are reasonable, and I agree with some of them. However, since almost everyone is going against CASSA on this issue, I thought I might as well list some points in CASSA's favour.

Firstly, to say that small shops will not suffer is naive. They of course will suffer, to what extend I am not too sure. Taking pcyeoh as an example, if everyone does the same and spends RM 500 in Tesco and 1 bottle of ajinomoto once in a while at a kedai runcit, well, the numbers speak for themself.

I am not anti competition, in fact I support competition but in this case, there is no real competition. Small shops simply cannot challenge bigger retailers with much more resources at hand. The American Walmart corporation has bigger value than many other world economies (for example, see http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/mm1296.08.html!).
So, that's not a real issue here.

As for creating jobs, well, I suppose it will but what kind of jobs? Jobs you get paid RM 2.50 per hour for? Nothing wrong with that except that the money earned by the company either goes to big local corporations, or more likely overseas. You think the money is going to syphon down to the 'ordinary' people like you and me? I don't think so. The gap between rich and poor is increasing dramatically, and these situations with big corporations, capitalism and exploitation of third world cheap labour is just going to help that gap get much larger.

Protecting local traders is not something new. It happens all the time. I know for a fact that many european nations (well, now members of the EU) either subsidise their local farmers or levy imported livestock/agricultural goods, most notable from poor african nations. This is to protect their local farmers from cheaper African imports. The Americans do it all the time as well, and do it more annoyingly by using terms such as "Free Trade", in effect where they are allowed free access to export markets (without penalty) while placing taxes on imported goods to protect their own local interests.

However, this is I suppose not the time or place to chatter about foreign trade policies, just keep in mind that there is a bigger picture to look at here.