Completely Incomprehensible - Buying in bulk.

[fifs2]

I just don't understand it.[/quote]

This made me laugh as I fell for this with a street seller last week...have been down with 2 consecutive flus and going through tissues like paper (!) so when the guy approached the car window and offered me a bargain offer of 2X6 packets of Elite tissues for 12pesos total I thought I had a bargain..except that Jumbo is seeling 1X6 pack for 4.50. This thread and Perry's observation of why it happens is spot on.

 

[theargie]

It makes sense when you start thinking about all the efforts the gov't is making nowadays in order to hide the real inflation numbers. The government selects a group of goods usually bought by the people with an "average" income (generally low), and uses subsidies to counteract the rise in the prices of those goods. As you can imagine, people earning the national average or the ones just slightly above the poverty threshold will not be able afford buying in bulk and benefit from "economies of scale applied at home". Therefore no subsidy for 1 kg of butter, making it more expensive than buying 5 packs of 200 g.

 

[French jurist]

It makes sense when you start thinking about all the efforts the gov't is making nowadays in order to hide the real inflation numbers. The government selects a group of goods usually bought by the people with an "average" income (generally low), and uses subsidies to counteract the rise in the prices of those goods. As you can imagine, people earning the national average or the ones just slightly above the poverty threshold will not be able afford buying in bulk and benefit from "economies of scale applied at home". Therefore no subsidy for 1 kg of butter, making it more expensive than buying 5 packs of 200 g.

I think it's a valid reason. If you noticed, at times there's a sign in supermarkets saying (for sugar, eggs, etc.) : "producto de consumo familiar - no mas de una unidad por persona" (well something like that).

 

[tez]

I've noticed this, especially with the butter... I can't help it though, I buy in bulk anyway--less packaging!!!

 

[theargie]

I've noticed this, especially with the butter... I can't help it though, I buy in bulk anyway--less packaging!!!

haha you know, I think it is also a cultural thing as well... I have never ever seen a 1kg pack of butter inside any argentine-owned refrigerator! I was thinking about the expiration date.. cos 1 kg of butter is a hecka lot of butter even to consume in 2 months!

A couple of years ago a milk company implemented the 3 liter bottled milk, in a plastic bottle (kinda like the gallon of milk sold in the US) the funny thing was that if you divided the price of it by three, it was still 20% more expensive than buying a 1 lt carton. Of course... that product was a total failure and therefore discontinued after a couple of months in the market.

 

[John.St]

... help me understand this mind boggling aspect of Argentine life.

Buying the same product in bulk costs more.

I just don't understand it.

Simple explanation: Estamos en la Argentina.

 

[John.St]

I think it's a valid reason. If you noticed, at times there's a sign in supermarkets saying (for sugar, eggs, etc.) : "producto de consumo familiar - no mas de una unidad por persona" (well something like that).

The sugar one or two per family is because of the shortage in sugar, which happens every year in April/May.

 

[joelie]

I just shop in my local chino and haven't noticed that bulk purchases cost more. Although in most cases there isn't a reduction for buying in bulk, which to me, is still a bit odd.

In some African countries they do they same thing - charge you more for buying a larger quantity.

 

[starlucia]

The sugar one or two per family is because of the shortage in sugar, which happens every year in April/May.

Is there also a shortage of chickens? The old woman in front of me at Disco this weekend tried to buy 3 whole chickens, and the cashier made her put one back (saying the limit was 2 per person.) Considering how perishable raw chicken meat is, I'd think the store's only interest would be moving as much product as possible.

 

[John.St]

Is there also a shortage of chickens? The old woman in front of me at Disco this weekend tried to buy 3 whole chickens, and the cashier made her put one back (saying the limit was 2 per person.) Considering how perishable raw chicken meat is, I'd think the store's only interest would be moving as much product as possible.

If you pay in advance, I can send you 40 ton of fresh pollo de campo tomorrow. It may be a BsAs supply problem (only guessing).

It wasn't by any change a "super special offer" pricewise?