Supermarket Prices Around DR

AlterEgo

AlterEgo

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Staff member
Jan 9, 2009
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I meant to post about this last month, and never got around to it.

We do about 90% of our food shopping at La Sirena in San Cristobal for many years. Sometimes when we're in SD we go to Nacional or Plaza Lama, but not often. When you go to the same store for a long time, you get to know their prices on some items.

We had to go out to Duarte Hwy to buy roof tiles/tejas, and on the way back we passed the big La Sirena on Luperon, and stopped to buy a few things. They had a lot of things that San Cristobal didn't, so I found myself up and down every aisle 'looking'. [Bought a scrumptious Australian leg of lamb].

They actually had good US bread flour, at an outrageous price of about 450 pesos for 5 pounds, which had me looking at their flour section. The week before, I had bought 2 small packages of yuca flour in La Sirena San Cristobal for 99 pesos. It wasn't on sale, was regular shelf price. Imagine my surprise to see the same yuca flour in SD's store for 169 pesos. Substantial price difference, it puzzled me.

The next day two of Mr. AE's brothers came out to visit with their wives, and I mentioned the yuca flour prices. Apparently I was the only one who didn't know that the prices in their stores varies with the location - they charge what the market will bear. I guess we'll stick to San Cristobal store, seems there are less ricos in the area so the prices are better.
 
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rubio_higuey

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Feb 7, 2007
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Of course La Sirena must adjust their prices more or less to what competition charges, at least for the same products. Here in Higuey, Iberia is the cheapest one, and La Sirena is actually considered the most expensive one, for basic staples. Of course not an 70% price difference as in your case.

Also Iberia has slightly different prices by location, I have galnced several times over their pricing screens on computers and Bavaro is usually couple of pesos more than Higuey. E.g. a 70 pesos item in Higuey would cost 72-75 pesos in Bavaro. A part of this increase can be of course attributed to additional transportation costs and also a slightly higher overhead.
 
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donP

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Dec 14, 2008
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Catalogue Prices

This is interesting.
I always thought that La Sirena/S?per Pola has the same prices in all their markets.

They must have - at least for a selection of items - as they print this:
Ofertas - Super Pola


donP
 
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donP

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Dec 14, 2008
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The Prices Are There.

Alas said:
you gave me the same site but i can't find the prices anywhere!
Click to expand...

Click, click and click again..... :D
You can open 16 pages.
Those were the 'specials' until 30th, April.
They are always a bit late with the next catalogue.

donP
 
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Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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I am the self appointed KING of SD super markets!!!!!!!
Part of my morning ritual is to check out all the daily super market ads in "Diario Libre" to see what's "On Special".
Also, several times a week the "Big Boys" have separate circulars as add on's to the paper.
These include National,and separately Jumbo, which is part of the same Spanish company.
Jumbo is on average cheaper than National.
La Sirena, and Pola, same Dominican company, often with different prices on the same article.
La Cadena,Bravo,and Ole round out the bigger chains.
One stores "SALE" is another stores regular price.
Today, "El Gallo" cooking oil is between 250 and 300 pesos for the gallon size, depending on where you buy it, all stores calling it a "Sale Price".
I buy "On Sale" everything I can!!!
NOTE: be very watchful, the so called "sale price", all too often, doesn't ring up at the cash register!!!
I take the newspaper, and circulars, which usually lists prices valid for 15 days, with me to the market, and watch every item as it is scanned.
Strangely enough, it is often cheaper to by two 12 oz., for example, jars of something, than one 24 oz.
Dominican logic??????????????????
My monthly expenditure at super markets is about 80,000 pesos.
I KNOW, because I pay with a credit card and get a statement every month.
Add another 10,000 for the colmado, and 5 gallon water jugs.
This is not just food, but cleaning supplies,personal care items, and animal care products.
I actually love to go super market shopping!!!!!
I really miss shopping in the USA where the prices are so much cheaper than here.

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Bronxboy

Bronxboy

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2007
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Criss Colon said:
I am the self appointed KING of SD super markets!!!!!!!
Part of my morning ritual is to check out all the daily super market ads in "Diario Libre" to see what's "On Special".
Also, several times a week the "Big Boys" have separate circulars as add on's to the paper.
These include National,and separately Jumbo, which is part of the same Spanish company.
Jumbo is on average cheaper than National.
La Sirena, and Pola, same Dominican company, often with different prices on the same article.
La Cadena,Bravo,and Ole round out the bigger chains.
One stores "SALE" is another stores regular price.
Today, "El Gallo" cooking oil is between 250 and 300 pesos for the gallon size, depending on where you buy it, all stores calling it a "Sale Price".
I buy "On Sale" everything I can!!!
NOTE: be very watchful, the so called "sale price", all too often, doesn't ring up at the cash register!!!
I take the newspaper, and circulars, which usually lists prices valid for 15 days, with me to the market, and watch every item as it is scanned.
Strangely enough, it is often cheaper to by two 12 oz., for example, jars of something, than one 24 oz.
Dominican logic??????????????????
My monthly expenditure at super markets is about 80,000 pesos.
I KNOW, because I pay with a credit card and get a statement every month.
Add another 10,000 for the colmado, and 5 gallon water jugs.
This is not just food, but cleaning supplies,personal care items, and animal care products.
I actually love to go super market shopping!!!!!
I really miss shopping in the USA where the prices are so much cheaper than here.

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Click to expand...

Who would have thought "Mr. Mom"?

Do you clip coupons as well or DR doesn't have them? :)
 
malko

malko

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Jan 12, 2013
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The brand of cooking oil I use is cheaper in our campo colmados.....go figure.

Its refreshing to see this here in the dr..... back in france big supermarket chains have all but killed off local stores...

Also, I dont understand the prices on diffrent sizes of product. You would think, the bigger, the cheaper the base price, no ??
Well no.
Standing around the aisle waiting for my wife choosing something or other, I watched, no less, than 5 people pick the bigger ketchup bottle, which costs u 30% more than the smaller sizes.....
I felt like telling them...... but no, it took me 3 shopping trips to get my wife to see the logic of it.
Back home, supermarkets are obliged to have the price by unit but also the price by weight/volume.......

You also have to love the "sales" in central aisles...... 44 pesos on sale....normal price......44 pesos......duuhhhh.
 
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Criss Colon

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Never seen a coupon here.
In the USA I am a "clipper" big time!!!!
One thing I
LOVE HERE IS WHEN an item says 50% more FREE.
And it is next to the regular sized item, but the "50 % FREE" costs you 50% MORE!!!!!
They also tape two products together and say one is "FREE", yet the cost is more than if you bought them separately!!!!
Since Dominicans do do "math" they get away with it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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The Yankee Clipper.....

Yes, very often 2 smalls costs less than 1 large.
I have pointed this out - with wine at my local colmado.
The 1.5L costs more than 2 of the 750ml's....

So the owner dropped the price to equal the 2 bottles of 750..... go figure

We too find that some items are cheaper locally - a small roadside guy vs Playero/Super Pola

Live and learn and buy accordingly , I guess.
 
franco1111

franco1111

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May 29, 2013
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Does anyone know why the price of coffee (Santo Domingo) has gone up so much sometime in the last 6 months? One pound used to be 179 pesos and now it is over 200 where I shop. Coffee used to be one of the better priced items here. Now it is close to U.S. price.

I have been in and out of the country for the last six months, so don't know exactly when it happened.
 
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Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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All the supermarkets in the Punta Cana B?varo area are branches of national chains, except for Iberia which only has stores in the south east (Romana, Higuey and B?varo). Shopping is considerably more expensive than in the capital.
Now a Jumbo is being announced for the Coco Loco crossing, between Downtown Punta Cana and San Juan shopping centre. I wonder if it will help bring prices down.
 
franco1111

franco1111

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May 29, 2013
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Yes, I go to all three - Iberia, Super Polla, and now Plaza Lama. All seem to have the same price now in Bavaro/Punta Cana. I have not been to Plaza Lama that much (or Nacional), harder for me to get to. But, I think Jumbo in La Romana coffee is over 200 pesos/pound now too. That is the other place we shop because we are there sometimes too. It seemed like just one day, they all raised the price. Much.
 
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Criss Colon

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franco1111 said:
Does anyone know why the price of coffee (Santo Domingo) has gone up so much sometime in the last 6 months? One pound used to be 179 pesos and now it is over 200 where I shop. Coffee used to be one of the better priced items here. Now it is close to U.S. price.

I have been in and out of the country for the last six months, so don't know exactly when it happened.
Click to expand...

A huge part of the DR's coffee crop was wiped out by disease.
The producers are importing more expensive beans to make up the short fall,..= higher prices, for a poorer product.
Every bag seems to taste different, and have different strength.
I hate it!!!!!!!!!

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franco1111

franco1111

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I doubt that Jumbo and Super Pola will compete with each other, they will collude to keep prices high. Jumbo has it made in La Romana because they are the nearest store to Casa de Campo. Highest prices in La Romana, of the chains. Iberia is not low price either. Orense is the best prices.
 
franco1111

franco1111

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May 29, 2013
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Criss Colon said:
A huge part of the DR's coffee crop was wiped out by disease.
The producers are importing more expensive beans to make up the short fall,..= higher prices, for a poorer product.
Every bag seems to taste different, and have different strength.
I hate it!!!!!!!!!

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Click to expand...

I thought that there was probably a specific reason for the sudden surge in price. I missed reading it in the news. Thanks, that explains it.
 
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william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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Criss Colon said:
A huge part of the DR's coffee crop was wiped out by disease.
The producers are importing more expensive beans to make up the short fall,..= higher prices, for a poorer product.
Every bag seems to taste different, and have different strength.
I hate it!!!!!!!!!

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Click to expand...

perhaps almost all of the crops were affected..... severe impact

you may remember CB warning us all about this
 
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robbiee

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Dec 27, 2014
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www.dominicanfun.net
btw. what drives me nuts here is listing food nutrition on many products "per portion" or per dose or per ounze (WTF is onze or pound btw. :p )...
not by 100 grams, like normal people do ;-)
now, if "the portion" is for example 18 grams...every time I need to convert it to "my" 100 grams...
this system is completely illogical to me...
 
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