January 20, 2010

Smart shoppers: Economic impact

The new SuperXpress opened in La Gloria today, possibly changing forever the way islanders do business. It is from the same corporation that has operated the supermarket in Centro for a decade. But it means that people can save the 20 peso round trip by cab to get their groceries.
There are a lot of other options in the neighborhood that will have to rise to the occasion to stay in business. The little tiendas which people are accustomed to going to when they need an egg or a CocaCola. The veggie ladies on the corners, the green grocer in his shop and the stalls in the market. The fruit truck that drives by.
After shopping at opening this morning, spending 35 pesos for a kilo of chicken thighs, romaine lettuce, a cucumber, 8 limes and a diet Squirt, I bet they will.
Folks were like me, shopping the advertised baratisimo specials. The will shop for the loss leaders. They will go to the Mercado in Canotal for the variety the Maya growers bring.
The little tiendas will stay open, selling things from Sam's and Costco. Who will suffer? The cabbies who'll lose the fares to Centro and back. The tourist will pay higher fares to keep their families fed. That's how I see it.

2 comments:

Life's a Beach! said...

And that's one of the reasons we stayed in town in October. We got tired of waiting for buses and/or being bled by taxi drivers on that trip in May 2008.

Islaholic Trixie said...

Glad me and Biggy B bought our bicycles!!