$15 bread

[sergio]

Yes, that's what I paid at Disco supermarket yesterday for a loaf of OROWEAT semillas bread, 600 g. That's a commercial bread, wrapped up in plastic. Seems to be the best commercial bread available. That's nearly $4 dollars - I think the equivalent is cheaper in the US. What will the price be at year's end - $50 pesos? -- Oh, I know people are going to tell me to go to Constitucion or somewhere where I can get bread for $2. Well, I don't have all day free to go food shopping. Disco has a monopoly in my area and that's what they charge.

 

[Alzinho]

Scary indeed!

The collapse may be sooner than expected....

 

[Liam3494]

More like Disco exploiting people..... I know you aren't looking for comparisons, but I bought my bread today, Fargo, 580g Lacteado Original, for 7.40 in my local Chinese Superercado.... We may be a little away from collapse...

 

[starlucia]

Disco's prices are absurd - always a peso or three above the competitors - but they can charge what they do because people will stand in 20-minute lines to pay it. Also, I believe that Oroweat is owned by the Mexican company Grupo Bimbo, so you pay a premium for a non-domestic brand. In the US, Oroweat is called Arnold bread, and costs $3.69 at Publix.

I buy my bread from Hausbrot, where a large loaf of organic, whole-grain bread baked that morning costs $9. Avoid paying the grocery store mark-up entirely by shopping at bakeries and verdulerias; both the quality and the prices are much better.

 

[gatoverde]

Hausbrot rocks!!

There are decent loafs of wholewheat bread with seeds and the like available at most Chinese supermarkets for reasonable prices-say $7.50 approx-they're good quality and last for a while as the slices are thinner too. Naturally enough, as they're not manufactured by Fargo, Bimbo and so on they're not available at big chains like COTO, Carrefour or Disco.

 

[sergio]

I knew that I'd be told how I could find great bread elsewhere for a fraction of the price! Well, sorry folks but the bread Liam mentions is the equivalent of Wonder Bread. Bimbo manufactures the bread that I bought and the fact that they may have a 'foreign' owner (what nowadays is not in some way multi-national?) does not affect the price. The bread is produced here in Argentina - just like a lot of other products produced by multi-nationals. I've tried all the other bread types offered in Disco and there is nothing else that can compare. Yes, the price is close to that of Arnold (producer of high quality bread in the US) but here in BA it is MORE expensive and let's not forget that supermarkets in the US constantly offer major discounts in terms of coupons and store promotions. No coupons here and few promotions.

Anyway, my intention was not to compare prices with the US. I know that Disco charges more than other supermarkets however they have a monopoly in some neighborhoods. As I see it, the $15 price is a metaphor for what is happening here. If you choose to ignore that or to defend it, fine. If you have enough money to ignore the inflation, I congratulate you. Most people I know, Argentines, have lowered their standards. Waitress last night told me that business is way down, even in the wealthiest part of town.

 

[gouchobob]

I heard yesterday that Cristina was going to make a speech telling the people to eat cake instead, but someone pointed out to her that's already been done, so the speech is being re-thought.

 

[sergio]

I heard yesterday that Cristina was going to make a speech telling the people to eat cake instead, but someone pointed out to her that's already been done, so the speech is being re-thought.

Is there anything left cheap to eat? Pulenta? Let them eat pulenta?

 

[mini]

Is there anything left cheap to eat? Pulenta? Let them eat pulenta?

Beans & rice. Always yummy & always cheap. Bon appetit!

 

[jantango]

Yes, that's what I paid at Disco supermarket yesterday for a loaf of OROWEAT semillas bread, 600 g. That's a commercial bread, wrapped up in plastic. Seems to be the best commercial bread available. That's nearly $4 dollars - I think the equivalent is cheaper in the US. What will the price be at year's end - $50 pesos? -- Oh, I know people are going to tell me to go to Constitucion or somewhere where I can get bread for $2. Well, I don't have all day free to go food shopping. Disco has a monopoly in my area and that's what they charge.

I bought a loaf of that bread recently at COTO in Balvanera (near Congreso) for the same price, just to try it. It is delicious. My usual bread (one loaf a week) is Fargo (double integral Casero) for about 8 pesos. I also buy a chunk of Trega Holanda cheese for almost 20 pesos per week.

I remember the limited selection and poor quality of breads available in 1999 when I arrived in Buenos Aires. There wasn't much to choose from, and I accepted the way it was. In those days, I was spending dollars for everything when it was 1 to 1, including lousy bread.

At least today there are more products on grocery store shelves than there were in those days. I don't understand why so many on this forum expect Argentina to supply them with everything they had in their home countries. If one chooses to live in another country, you have to learn to adapt.

At least foreigners can afford to buy a loaf of bread for 15 pesos. Most average Argentines cannot. The equivalent is probably cheaper in the USA, but production and consumption is higher there.