Supermarket inflation

[sergio]

With most local supermarket prices now as high or higher than US prices, it's occurred to me that someone might start up a profitable "parallel" import business. Flight attendants, long known to bring electronics into the country for resale, could switch to fruit and vegetables, toilet paper, paper towels and other items cheaper in the US. And maybe some air spray to get rid of that nasty smoke in the air.

 

[G]

sergio, I am hoping that the government and the farmers are coming to an agreement, I see that they are not. Should the hoarding commence? Are we to stock up our refs "just in case" we have some empty grocery shelves once again in another week or two?
Between the smoke and yet again another farmer's strike - people who "voted" for the ones in power now must be really loving their vote choices huh? Just cough and cough until we all choke I guess. The smoke was so bad, the elderly in our building are suffering even inside AC'd houses. Gotta love BsAs for the suffering, right? It is the gift that keeps on giving (even if we do not want it!) .

 

[Mike1]

Sergio, Where have you been shopping at? There is a place called Makro in my city, which is similar to Costco in the US. You can find the location that is nearest to you here: http://www.makro.com.ar/sucursales.htm# There are goods that are sold in bulk and can save you a lot more than the local supermarkets (wine & liqours anyone?). I normally go to Carrefour, the local butcher (because it's better & fresher) for meat, the green grocer shop & the local almacen around the corner (a bit more expensive but good for quick pickups) in Avellaneda. We have suffered from shortages here as well, but probably not as much as you in Capital. There is a Walmart in Alto Avellaneda shopping mall, which is less than a mile from where I am, and a new one that have opened at Parque Avellaneda to buy anything else, like familiar brands back home, I got my water filtration device (the kind that you install on your sink) there, but beware, the prices of imported goods from the US can be as much, if not, a bit more the US. Ex. A1 sauce is like 11 ARS for a small bottle. My suggestion is to ask the locals which brand here are good, that's what I did. There is a Walmart in Capital at: WAL-MART CONSTITUYENTES Av. de los Constituyentes 6020

(1419) Villa Pueyrredon, Cap. Fed. Apertura 16 mayo 1996You can take colectivos # 21. 28. 110. 111. 112. 117. 127. 140. 142. 169. 175. 176
to get there. I hope this helps as far as shopping at the right places to save. If you're constantly eating out in Capital, yes, it will be as expensive as living in the US. By living in Avellaneda, I've learned to live on $10 ARS per day when I'm out and about as opposed to about 3-4x that if I'm out and about in Capital.
Mike

 

[sergio]

Where have I been shopping? Norte, Disco, Jumbo. I don't doubt that there are places outside the capital where you can buy cheaper in bulk. The same sort of places exist in the US. When I compared prices here to the US I was comparing normal BA supermarket prices to those of normal supermarkets in the US. Had I compared prices here to the mega stores in the US it would make Argentina look even MORE expensive! Mike, few expats live in your neck of the woods. Most live in a few neighborhoods of the capital, along with hundreds of thousands of Argentines. I and many others do not have cars and do not have time to ride lots of crowded, slow and uncomfortable buses to buy groceries (and then how are we supposed to carry these bulk items back?). My point was simply that prices are out of control, many have exceeded those of the US and there is no end in sight to the inflation.

 

[cbphoto]

I wonder where you are shopping... I am so tired of people saying the prices here are the same if not more than the USA. When was the last time you were there??? Myself, 1 month ago... from my experience nearly all groceries cost 2-3 times more in the States, about the same in Europe (was also there a month ago)... As far as wine, alcohol and cigarettes about 4-8 times as much.... electronics here are about 40% more expensive...they are imports... buy localIf you really need to vent (bieetch), tryamn that smoke sucked last night...That taxi driver gave me a bad 50, damn... Ah man, I stepped in dog shit with my flip-flops, nasty...

 

[G]

cbphoto, I am not sure where you shop in the US but prices of grocery items have not gone up as much as they have in Buenos Aires. The only thing that had gone up steadily (average of $0.03 cents per day) is the price of gasoline, besides that makeup, pickles, meat, veggies, fruits, 3-ply toilet paper, air freshener, dish detergent, bottled water, ipods, delivery pizza (and others) are still the same.
Know why I know, I am still here. And hubby is sweating bullets trying to make do with the budget I left him.
BTW, wine/alcohol, and ciggies are 4x more in the US because sin tax is added to them and others states impose much higher taxes than others to discourage drinking and teenage smoking, thus called sin tax. If you really want to get that liver disease -it will cost you 4x more in the US than it will in Argentina. And if you really want to have that next ciggy hit or nicotine fix, it will cost you 4x than it will in Argentina - so pony up. Helps generate taxes to fund schools and others.
let it be known, I like BsAs - smoke, dog droppings, uncourteous cabbies and all, it takes charm to a new level.

 

[sergio]

I buy wine on a regular basis. There is little drinkable for less than $25-30 pesos (I have to pay a good deal more to get anything really good). I came back from the US recently where I was buying quality California, Australian, New Zealand, South African and French wine in the $10-15 dollar range, what I generally pay in BA for similar quality wines. In the US there are always very good offers and one can always buy the specials of the week which reduce the price considerably. By the way, I found some premium Argentine wine in the US that sold for less than in Argentina. The simple reason is that there is a lot of competition in the US and American buyers would never pay the high prices that are charged in Argentina. As for the supermarket, the person who posted that prices are cheaper there needs to take a closer look. The other day I paid $12 pesos for 4 rolls of toliet paper - more than in the US. I could cite a lot of other examples.

 

[nikad]

I am spending exactly the double I was spending on groceries 4 years ago. I try to stick to a budget but in order to do so I buy smaller packages and other brands. Inflation is very real. We are two adults and a teenager in my household, I spend around 1000 pesos in groceries a month. Sergio, I believe you can get very decent wines in the 13-17 peso range. I know we would be spending about the same money on groceries in the US.

 

[cbphoto]

I just came from the grocery store... my groceries were 100pesos... that included 3 bottles of Omnium Malbek at 11 pesos each, 6 rolls of toilet paper at 7pesos, 5 green apples and 5 mandarines at 5.50pesos, a box of Homey Graham cerial 7pesos, a liter of local Vodka (for my liver)10.50pesos, 200g Salami 6.5pesos, 200g Jamon 6pesos, 1liter apple juice 2.75pesos...and I live in Las Canitas... thinking probably cheaper in less affluent neighborhoods..... you are telling me these items cost the same if not more in the USA, please!!! If you change wherever I wrote Pesos to U$S... that sounds about what I would pay for items of the same quality at a Safeway...I don't shop at Wallmart...I tend to not shop at Jumbo... I find 1/2 the items cost 20-30% more than in small stores... Probably they count on people assuming that since they are so large, everything must be cheaper there...I was gone for 2 months in Europe and the States (1 month ago got back), and I did notice that many items had gone up in price, in such a short time. Obviously inflation is a problem here.... but even with the U$S being so weak at the time (luckily my cash all in Euros) .... the fact is, things are cheaper here. Almost every foreigner that I have met won't shut up about how cheap everything is here compared to back home... are they all wrong? Of course that does not include electronics....

 

[Mike1]

I just got back from Carrefour and they are having a 12 for 9 wine sale. For those of you that want to load up on the wines, and BTW Avellaneda is ONLY 5 Km from Recoleta. There is a train from Contitucion that stops 1 block from the market, it's HUGE, you can't miss it, and it is not full during the non-rushour hours.
Mike