I live in the Subic Area of Luzon and the shopping here is very good because of the high numbers of Kano’s Canadians, British, Australians and plus a few folks from Europe who live and shop here. The stores know the type of products we want and tend to cater to our needs, maybe because they just really like us, or it could be that we are willing to spend a little extra cash to get what we like. Or profit motivation?
A couple of years ago there was a large influx of Koreans here in the Subic area and some of the stores jumped on that band wagon, and tried to satisfy that group to the exclusion of all others, that have been their bread and butter since the early 90’a when the US Air Force left Clark and the Navy and Marine Corps left Subic.
But the Korean love affair stopped after six months when the store owners found their shelves full and their registers empty. They reverted back to normal once again, because it seems that some Koreans opened small markets scattered around the Freeport and that is where these folks preferred to shop. As those stores could order direct from Korea and make their customers happy. I hope you know I’m talking about South Korea and not the crazy hermit kingdom to the north. This information was passed to me by a few Koreans I have met here.
Most Items being NIS are imported products that will never end, but if it’s NIS today, it might be there the in the next week or two. Or maybe months down the road. Which is kinda good, as now we have something to look forward to? That can add a bit of excitement to our otherwise mundane lives, and gives us something to bitch about over a couple of beers at the VFW, the Fleet Reserve or the American Legion clubs. My glass is always half full as long as it’s beer we are talking about. And the other groups of people and locals I mentioned above are welcome to US Service Clubs that are scattered around the world, The Brit Club in Hong Kong (AKA China Fleet Club) is one I have been too many times and a better club would be hard to find. We have informal agreements with other countries militaries.
But my biggest disappointment in stores is the S&R Store in San Fernando, Pampanga; we just let our membership lapse, the Department Store side is fine but the grocery side had gone downhill in a hand bucket. If you notice in a small local market when the stock is low they fill the space with spam? Or a myriad of other items that come in great supply? What will happen is after a week, no one can remember what used to go in that shelf space so it is never reordered again.
My last tour of duty in the Navy was the glamour filled job of Commissary Store Officer at Naval Base Roosevelt Rhoads, Puerto Rico, and I found that my employees we doing that same thing. I printed the inventory listing and checked every item we were supposed to carry and ordered all missing stock. Within a month my customers were happy but my sale floor and warehouse crew were not smiling.
So the question I have is; why would I drive one hour each way to San Fernando to buy spam? Hell, the Sari-sari across the street sells spam and Century tuna!
I go there for English Muffins (Not Thomas Fork Split) but damn good ones just the same, they have been out of stock for three months and are made here in the Islands, is the company broke, or just pissed off at S&R? I have no idea but there is none in the store, but lots and lots of Hot Dog Buns where the muffins used to be. Thank God they didn’t fill the rack with Spam.
Someone could knock over my half full glass (Of beer), if the manager of the S&R doesn’t text me when (Or IF) they restock the English Muffins and the rest of the store. (As he promised he would) So this is what I know, my OPPO phone will sit for years on my dresser waiting for that text, I will not be holding my breath, I’ll just breathe normally and not have to drive to San Fernando’s S&R Store anytime soon. The Home Depot in San Fernando; now that is a different matter. I go there now and then just to pick up tools and grunt, but I don’t buy them anymore because I don’t need them. I hire people who have their own tools. Yes, it’s 2017 and the trades are buying their own tools! Ah the good old days when I had to lend my tools to the people I hired, I miss that. But because of an abundance of “Brother-in-laws”, my tools are now “Not in Stock” thanks to them.
Not in stock is the country motto. Lol
Jason;
I agree you could be right!
Home Depot in Philippines? Lowes there too???
It’s not the same Home Depot as in the states.
Jason Silverman;
I really have no information to refute your comment. But Jimmy Buffett’s cooperation caused a bar in Angeles City Pampanga to change its name from: Margaretville to Margarita-Station! It seems odd that Home Depot couldn’t do the same to protect their copyright?
Jason, you are correct. In the states it’s called “The Home Depot”. Not here.
ouel;
So what is it called here? Don’t leave us hanging!
Well, at the rate American companies or their derivatives are showing up in the Philippines…things, hopefully, will get better for many…more work opportunities…
Gil;
Once more you have failed to include other Countries in your comment, is it just America you are angry with and the rest of the world can do as it wants?
All these American busineses are franchises owned by Filipinos. American companies will not come to the Philippines till they change ownership laws.
Mel Hill;
A franchise is mostly owned by the people who buy them. So in the Philippines it would tend to be Filipinos who buy them. So you are right!
Don’t think i want to see Americans “owning” the Philippines…Not ours….just like the condo ownership rule…Filipinos need to retain control of their land.
Gil;
You are right, but how that relates to “Not in Stock” confused me? BTW is it just Americans or are other countries included in how you feel?
Gil Baco : Filipinos should not be able to own land in the USA either.
Gil;
My daughter, her husband and my Grandson all live in Atlantic Beach Florida and BTW love it. America treats them far better on land ownership than the Philippines ever has me. And yet, I’ll still follow the RP’s rules. It’s funny when you view something from both sides, isn’t it?
Somehow I don’t think we are in danger of losing land to them in the US unless the entire 100,000,000 + all come here..
Gil;
Not that I have seen, and no people in pickup trucks in the parking lot that you can hire to install your purchase.
Thanks Paul, “No Mam, No Sir, not in stock” ha ha.
Marcelino;
NIS (Or Not in Stork), and “please wait” are the two terms that used to grate me, but, I’m well over that now! (LOL)
Two years ago I went to an “upscale” dentist in Cebu City because I needed to have a crown placed on a cracked molar. I asked the dentist for a gold crown so it would match the existing crowns and they seem to last longer. The doctor called the lab to see how quickly they could produce the crown as I live in Cebu City. The doctor speaks for a few minutes then says to me; “The lab has no gold in stock, they ask if you have any old gold jewelry they can melt?” I told the doctor; “Only my wedding band, if I give them that, I would not need the gold crown as I would probably already be dead!” We settled on zirconium.
Michael;
Most dental work is done with 18 ct. gold not the junk 14 ct from the USA. When I turned 60 my teeth started a downhill decline causing me to end up with dentures. But the 40 years of gold in my mouth was worth a good bit of cash that my wife collected and went shopping with. And I didn’t have to die! (LOL)
Living here in Imus Cavite / Luzon for 1 year now & it still amazes me how many times I have heard that “not in stock” reply when shopping for something that is out on display….There were a few items (4) we wanted to order (Abenson’s) that were on display so they took our contact info & would call us IF the items came in….But they never actually ordered anything & never called us back. We actually went in to that particular Abenson’s 2wks ago….they all recognized us because we’ve purchased other items there & the salesman who took our contact info for the last item we wanted to order a few months ago was there & came right up to us – I had purchased an AC unit from him last March – We walked over to where the item we wanted was still on display & asked him if it was ever really ordered as my Filipina better 1/2 held it in her hand….His face flushed & it was clear that of course not – it was not ordered & STILL “not in stock” but STILL displayed. My little polite honey just told him in Tagalog “please don’t take our contact info & pretend you are going to order what we asked for then you do not – that is lying to your customer – we will spend our money elsewhere, God bless you & goodbye.”….Nothing I can say to that as we walked out. 😀
Michael;
NIS and still on display, 20 years ago that would have caused me to go to the dark side, but now I’ve learned to see the humor in the situation and I write it down and send it to Bob Martin and he publishes it on the World Wide Webby and I feel better, now I can laugh about it.
I never blame the employee, because at the crap wages their paid why would they care. I’ve found selective tipping works for me. If it is a business that I go to often, they remember me and I also am polite with them. Even car repair, there are mechanics that rush as I pull in. When I was young and needed more cash, I bartended, the good tipper always got my best service, and if I had the time I’d serve the rest.
Tipping is not the Capital of China!
A few years back i took my visiting son, daughter-in-law, and three grand kids to the Fontana swimming resort on Clark. We took a break from swimming and sat at their snack bar. The first 4 or 5 things on the menu we tried to order were “Not In Stock” and we had to order food we didn’t really want — the kids were hungry. Welcome to the Philippines.
ouel;
A resort with a pool side bar and no beer and no ice I still laugh about that one!.
Ah Paul, You always come up with quotable turns of phrase. I’ll be using that “hermit kingdom to the north” from time to time.
Out here, we don’t have the big stores, only Savemore groceries. The out of stock doesn’t hit me very hard. Could be I haven’t been here long enough to start missing things.
I’ve noticed repair folks showing up with their own tools as well. “An abundance of brother-in-laws” may well explain it.
Take care,
Pete
The stores in town are basic, on the Free port they are pretty good. except the NIS that pop up every week. Tools were funny, a plummer with only one pipe wrench? I guess they never really tighten anything so they only had to use one wrench the next time. God love it!
Not in stock has multiple meanings. Great post, as usual anything from Paul is entertaining. Maybe hes got other not in stock stories. Those could be classified as:
#1 Not in stock (It’s in the back he didn’t stock it on the shelf)
#2 Not in stock (store employee doesn’t know what your talking about so its not in stock)
#3 Not in stock (store employee can’t understand you so obviously its not in stock)
#4 Not in stock (it’s actually out of stock)
#5 Not in stock (store employee can’t be bothered to restock)
Haha just for fun
Alexander;
You have figured it out,better than I could.But the one I like best is I’ve never worked on any aisle but this one, so I’ve never been on aisle ten but once to see where Jo Jo and I were having for lunch.And my 6 month contract is up next month.
The “Sorry Sir, we’re out of stock” is as used as “We apologize for the inconvenience” in Philippines… it could even be used by the department of Tourism, to replace the “It is more fun in Philippines!”
Now I strongly suspect that there are at least two reasons for that… The first is that the companies running these stores mostly order what they get discounted. So, if they can’t get a discount on a brand you are used to, you might never see it again…
Second, I think that, given the very low salaries the employes get in these stores, the turn-over is huge, and employees generally don’t get the time to know what’s in the store, before they resign… Hence, no stock maintained, as they even don’t know what they sell, what is out of stock, and what is to be ordered…
There are very few stores that run “western way”, but some are, like Rustan in Glorietta, Makati…
Haaa S & R… I had a membership, but like you, I am more and more disappointed with them ! It is always a gamble to go all the way there, not knowing if they will have what we need… And some prices are simply… outrageous !!!
Patrick;
You summed that up quite well! (LOL)
Hi Tripack,
On your second point, the reason the employees don’t stay long is they are hired on short maybe 6 month contracts to avoid paying benefits or to have to raise the workers pay. Workers are in tremendous supply. My nephew is an exception in that he has worked for years at KFC, but this is because he is extremely good at frying chicken. I suspect few Filipinos resign even from low paying jobs, because jobs are scarce.
Peace
Jay
I did it short not to write a novel, now the result remains the same… Supermarkets’ employees rarely stay long enough to know their stocks 😉
Hi Tripack,
You are correct your central point is that they don’t get enough time/experience to be helpful.
Sorry for butting in with an unwelcome nitpick comment.
Peace
Jay
Patrick;
They are hired on six month contracts then replaced before they become permanent employees. They have no incentive to do well when they know they are soon to be let go.
Enough to drive me to imbibe.
Loren;
I know I can walk you to imbibe, we don’t need transport!
Paul,
We go to S&R in Alabang every month. Yes it does get disappointing when NIS strikes again. We went there yesterday and they finally had Hormel Bacon and JenoLee Turkey Bacon in stock after a few months. They now have fully cooked turkey breasts and whole turkeys along with there fully cooked chickens and ribs. The price isn’t too bad (2200p) for the cooked whole turkeys, compared to 1800p for the frozen ones. They are starting to get some holiday items in also, like the Hickory Farms beef sticks and cheese packs. Another good place to get English Muffins is French Baker Bakery as we go there everytime we go to Alabang as they don’t have any in Lipa City. I believe they have them in a lot of the SM Malls so maybe they have them in Olongopo or San Fernando. I do know they have one in SM Clark.
Papaduck;
I was at the Tokyo Medical Center in Alabang two weeks ago, had a nice breakfast at the Pancake House. Yes we have a SM Mall off the Freeport in Olongapo. But no English Muffins! I’d pay someone to cook my turkey for a few hundred pesos in a heartbeat. Normally I like S&R stores; I’m having problems with this poorly managed one here in San Fernando.
Went to the new mall in Dumaguete this morning. They have a Highlands Coffee place (like Starbucks). A couple weeks ago they were out of cups for cold drinks. Today, believe it or not, they were out of coffee. I just have to laugh.
Steve;
That is a new business doomed to fail. I don’t know if you know any music by an Irish Group (you-tube) that jumped into my mind as I read your comment; the name is The Irish Rovers: “The Pub Has No Beer” Seriously funny like a Coffee Shoppe with no coffee, which blasted my Cream Soda out my nose!
Went to Burger King in Harbor Pointe on SBMA, I asked for a Whopper.
BK:Sorry sir, don’t have
Me: What, No Burgers!
BK: No sir, no buns.
Mike;
I’ll assume you didn’t get it your way? *LOL)