New La Sirena

[william webster]

Skunk cabbage is the old 'standby', thank you very much.

The esposa had mistakenly purchased you favorite - the fragrant version and needed to change

 

[dv8]

1. IF grupo ramos builds la sirena in sosua/cabarete it will be much smaller that POP and it will be up in no time. when there is money workers can work 24/7, if needed. i have no doubt that la sirena will be opened exactly at the date presented by the company.

2. ochoa in POP... well, i am not sure. there is much opposition towards this investment from all existing ferreterias in POP. some of them buy their stuff from ochoa after all. bringing in a major player like ochoa will kill other ferreterias.

 

[belgiank]

I totally agree with you "belgiank" and with the way people drive here the less I have to the better. I did hear that Ochoa are looking at Puerto Plata has a place to open a store. Now that will be the cream on top of the coffee if that happens.

I have heard the rumor Ochoa will built between Sabaneta and Rio San Juan. For those of you who know the place where a helocopter was parked regularly, that would be the place. As I said, only a rumor.

Personally I like to shop for my staple at Janet's, as they are considerably cheaper than Playero on most of their products.

As we are talking toiletpaper here, I buy the Domino Super Rollo for 78 rds for 4 rolls at Janets, for 81 rds at Playero, and for 77 rds at La Sirena in POP. Let us be honest, not worth the drive...

If I buy my staple (Coke, rum, american cheese, toiletpaper, Rica orange juice, bread, bacon, potatoes, cleaning products,etc... and certain meat in Janets (babyback ribs, filete de cerdo, and chicken breast), I will save considerably in comparison with Playero, making it worth the drive. But not the drive to POP.

I go to Playero because they have a nicer selection of meats, and cuts for sandwiches, and they have a nice selection of imported goods. But they are becoming ridiculously expensive, with prices going up every week. A bag of pedigree dogfood (23 kg) will cost me 2,350 rds at playero, compared to 2,000 at Janets.

Since a couple of weeks I buy my veggies at los charamicos, and this is well worth the trip...

None of the supermarkets around here, know how to finely slice a cured ham like Serrano, or Parma. For this you need to go to Nacional in STI. Finely sliced in La Sirena means they are pointing you to the counter where they have it vacuum pre-packaged, which I detest, as it kills the taste. Finely sliced in Playero means you can glue it to your flipflops and they will last you another 3 months. In Janets it will mean your flipflops will last you another 6 months.

BelgianK

 

[windeguy]

BelgianK, thank you for the detailed comparison between Playero and Janet's. It confirms what I had found as the generally higher prices found at Playero.

Having any size of La Sirena within a convenient distance of the Sosua/Cabarete area will only help the people there.

 

[zoomzx11]

Women go all the way to PP because shopping at La Sirena is a "shopping experience" and they carry a lot more than just food. Women enjoy shopping. Going to Playero is just an expensive pain in the ass.

 

[windeguy]

Women go all the way to PP because shopping at La Sirena is a "shopping experience" and they carry a lot more than just food. Women enjoy shopping. Going to Playero is just an expensive pain in the ass.

Yes you have indeed hit upon the "ugly truths" of La Sirena and Playero.

 

[belgiank]

Women go all the way to PP because shopping at La Sirena is a "shopping experience" and they carry a lot more than just food. Women enjoy shopping. Going to Playero is just an expensive pain in the ass.

Another good reason not to travel to POP... lol

BelgianK

 

[NALs]

1. IF grupo ramos builds la sirena in sosua/cabarete it will be much smaller that POP and it will be up in no time. when there is money workers can work 24/7, if needed. i have no doubt that la sirena will be opened exactly at the date presented by the company.

Just keep an eye for any new construction. GR usually creates and let the rumors flow, then they discreetly start construction, and a few months before its ready for opening, they will put up the La Sirena sign and a big press release is done to mention how many new jobs will be created and where those interested can go to apply. Then they inaugurate.

For example, right now a La Sirena is being built in Moca. The rumor mill has taken over the town, everybody knows where its going to be and who it is, but there are no signs anywhere that a La Sirena is being built there. At some time between August and October the public announcement will be done for those interested in a job and then comes November, Moca will have its functioning La Sirena.

The same thing is happening down in Ban?.

2. ochoa in POP... well, i am not sure. there is much opposition towards this investment from all existing ferreterias in POP. some of them buy their stuff from ochoa after all. bringing in a major player like ochoa will kill other ferreterias.

The same thing happened when the La Sirena rumor took over Puerto Plata and look how it ended.

 

[windeguy]

Once construction starts here, it will be obvious since there is only one road where it would be built. Unless GR has developed a Klingon/Romulan cloaking shield the word will be out in minutes, not hours. Until I see it, I don't believe it.

 

[dom]

no one has been smart enough to figure that it is right next to la union, where they just cleaned and graded a huge piece of land, just betwen the airport and la union, would make all the sense in the world, and the size of the lot makes a perfect fit to me.

 

[tee]

Somebody several weeks ago mentioned that GR were going to purchase the land in Sosua where the silver horse trailer is for sale, (on the highway and the road going to Moser bakery). This is obviously a mistake as this land is not even 2 acres in size, not even big enough for the parking lot! Why can't people just wait for the facts and stop the rumors???

 

[CoreyH]

I heard that was for a hospital....just sayin'

 

[dv8]

no one has been smart enough to figure that it is right next to la union, where they just cleaned and graded a huge piece of land, just betwen the airport and la union, would make all the sense in the world, and the size of the lot makes a perfect fit to me.

there is a vivero on that lot, they have buildings and so on. and that would be a bad location for la sirena. way too close to POP. it would make more sense to build between sosua and cabarete to attract clients from more locations. just saying.

NALs, grupo ramos has always been the one to work on european standards: they work fast, well and they keep the deadlines, we are in agreement on that.
with ferreterias, however, the case may be a little different. prior to arrival of la sirena there were two supermarkets in POP - jose luis and tropical. they took a hit but survived. i personally prefer to do my shopping in jose luis, la sirena is just too much for me. but there are many ferreterias here and some hardly break even. we buy 90% of our stuff from ochoa when it comes to materials, many people do the same: more choice, offers, better prices and so on. only for small items and when we run out of cement/sand do we use local shops. with ochoa here things will really shift.
i'm not gonna lie, i would like to see ochoa and many other businesses in POP. yes, it will cause many shops to close but it will also create new workplaces with more job security and more opportunities for really smart people.
but... time will tell...

 

[SKY]

This story was a crock of **** from the first post.

 

[william webster]

there is a vivero on that lot, they have buildings and so on. and that would be a bad location for la sirena. way too close to POP. it would make more sense to build between sosua and cabarete to attract clients from more locations. just saying.

l...

Didn't that vivero move from down the road, closer to Sosua?
It was on the other side and the blue lounge chair repair fellows were beside them.
They still are in the new place.

Women own and operate it , I think.

They have really good plants at very fair prices.


The Ochoa and small ferreteria argument is old in the US and Canada.
The big box stores get the large purchases and customers use the old style hardware stores more for smaller and hard to find items
There is room for everybody, but the little guy needs to adapt.

dv8 is a good example.. she just laid out her shopping habits.

 

[windeguy]

This story was a crock of **** from the first post.

I suspect you are correct. But I hope not.

 

[SKY]

I suspect you are correct. But I hope not.

I hope I am wrong also, but I know I am right.

 

[mikol]

I hope I am wrong also, but I know I am right.

What do you need - specific date of opening for you to believe it?

 

[Linda Stapleton]

Somebody several weeks ago mentioned that GR were going to purchase the land in Sosua where the silver horse trailer is for sale, (on the highway and the road going to Moser bakery). This is obviously a mistake as this land is not even 2 acres in size, not even big enough for the parking lot! Why can't people just wait for the facts and stop the rumors???

That's what I heard, too, but it does seem too small, unless they plan on underground parking below the store....

 

[SKY]

What do you need - specific date of opening for you to believe it?

No, just some construction where they say it will be built, and a reason economically for La Sirena to do this.

In the DR I believe nothing of what I hear and half of what I see. This has served me well.