While a La Sirena is similar to a small WalMart, the products sold in La Sirena are not at the same quality level of Chinese imports as they are in a WalMart with La Sirena getting B and C grade proucts. There has been an abundance of rumors that WalMart will purchase La Sirena, but so far those rumors have not come to fruition. The original post only serves to add to that confusion and feed the rumor mill by having La Sirena and WalMart in it. It would be better to say that La Sirena is similar to a WalMart.
I was not referring only to plastic products that are inferior in La Sirena versus WalMart, but just about any product made in China. If a partnership agreement is signed some day, then I hope it will open up the management of La Sirena to bring in the higher quality Chinese products.
As for an exclusive line of televisions, let us hope that will get the price down to being only 20% or 30% higher than in the US instead of being between twice and three times the price for a comparable model. TVs of the 32 inch size can be had for $199 US and I have seen larger sets on special for less than $300 US like this
Proscan PLCD3903A 39 Class LCD HDTV - 1080p, 1920 x 1080, 60Hz, 16:9, 3000:1, 8.5 ms, HDMI, PC Input at TigerDirect.com
A 39 inch set for $250.
Oh! They are buying in, just not as many here calculated. It will be a partnership, but for that partnership to work La Sirena has got to expand to the point of being the largest chain retailer/supermarket offering in the country.
About plastic products? Walmart owns the patent or majority of the goods they sell at their stores on this section. They make money at the manufacturing level, supply, distribution and retail end. They even tried to manufacture themselves in China at one point, only to back off when the Chinese manufacturing sector balked as they wanted to expand it buying the entire industrial park they were located at. The sold the last two pilot plants in 2009 there.
Now, use that knowledge and couple it with the DR's own manufacturing capacity, next door pool of low paid workers...
It's only a matter of time of when La Sirena starts their own manufacturing sourcing in the DR for a lot of their goods.
First they need market coverage and to become the largest kahuna in the country.
Just last month they signed a compromise to have certain home electronics' manufacturers create an exclusive line for their DR stores. That's to say that a TV model that's only sold at their stores, can't matched for value with anything offered by other retailers. You kill the competition and create a single supply network for the goods.
It's not as much their fault as it's the draconian import fees they must pay at the ports to the gov.
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So much of what you say has no basis:
1- La Sirena is already the largest chain/retailer in the country.
2- La Sirena has carried for years exclusive lines of home electronics that are not carried by other retailers and have exceptional value.
You can say that again. But realize that even with a free trade agreement, the DR will cook up some fees to maintain the ridiculously high prices just like they did with DR-CAFTA and US made cars. Did DR-CAFTA really make a difference in what you can purchase a US made car for in the DR "out the door"?
La Sirena is not the market's larger retailer, it's bigger than other chains and stores in the country, but not the single most largest retailer by means of $$$ and volume. Which is why they are growing so aggressively now!
Been quite long enough........OK, who's bigger than La Sirena NATIONWIDE with SIMILAR PRODUCTS FOR SALE ........
B in Santiago
Market's larger retailer in value and volume is not equal to being the one with the most stores in the country, if you didn't know that.
You can have a chain of only 10 stores and be a larger retailer in value and volume than a 20+ stores retailer.
I know it's hard for you to grasp, but it's ok! It's you after all!
Market's larger retailer in value and volume is not equal to being the one with the most stores in the country, if you didn't know that.
You can have a chain of only 10 stores and be a larger retailer in value and volume than a 20+ stores retailer.
I know it's hard for you to grasp, but it's ok! It's you after all!