Price smart

francoisatl

New member
Feb 13, 2007
214
16
0
so i see in the DR they have 2 Price Smart locations
how are the stores and they seem to be like a sams store or costco store
that we have in the states
do a lot of people on the DR1 Forums shop at the stores and how do you like them
and do they have good prices like on bedrooms and washers and dryers
and tires and all that good stuff like dishes and stuff i would need to set up a house when we move to the DR
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
Sam's with a Dominican twist. Good place to buy in bulk. I bought two beds from there, better quality for equal $$$ as other stores.
 

Bob Boyd

Active member
Feb 3, 2004
272
27
28
House hold goods like sofas and stoves are limited and the Santo Domingo store is larger and better stocked tham Santiago.
 

jaguarbob

Bronze
Mar 2, 2004
1,427
60
48
so i see in the DR they have 2 Price Smart locations
how are the stores and they seem to be like a sams store or costco store
that we have in the states
do a lot of people on the DR1 Forums shop at the stores and how do you like them
and do they have good prices like on bedrooms and washers and dryers
and tires and all that good stuff like dishes and stuff i would need to set up a house when we move to the DR

they have all the good stuff,but twice as much in price as in US..Most shoppers here in SD at Price Smart,are upperclass Dominicans,who are well heeled...parking lot filled all the time with expensive cars,and shopping carts full...
you can find same type of items in other stores here in SD for less money,and larger selection.Membership is about 700 pesos a year.
bob.
 

jrhartley

Gold
Sep 10, 2008
8,190
580
0
64
price smart doesnt have much in the way of home furnishings - more like practical stuff and tvs and food

I would go to rio san juan for furniture items unless im going to be corrected which i usually am
 

TheHun

New member
May 4, 2008
448
58
0
jaguarbob; you can find same type of items in other stores here in SD for less money said:
I second that. PS not always cheaper. Least not on electronics. I bought the same Sharp microwave that PS was selling for DR$ 4500,00 in Ochoa for 3700. Do your home work before you spend $.
Also, they are getting the goods dumped by Sam's (Member's Mark is the Sam's brand) and who knows from where else because of their consumable dates are already expired or it will in the very near future. So check the dates also!
Well, you should do that in any DR store anyway...

The Hun
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
341
83
dr1.com
If you know what your buying, then you can save money. Often I see stuff in the Santo Domingo Price Smart I do not see in other supermarkets.
 

Bob K

Silver
Aug 16, 2004
2,520
121
63
Selection has improved over the last couple of years. Between Price Smart, Ochoa, La Sirena, and some other stores you will be able to find what you need. Electronics are still more here then the US, however some things are cheaper. I just bought a Poulan riding mower at PriceSmart for $1700 US including all tax. In the US the same model in Home Depot was $1900 + tax.
If you shop wisely and spend some time checking prices you should do ok.

Bob K
 

jrhartley

Gold
Sep 10, 2008
8,190
580
0
64
basically dont panic yourself into buying the first thing you see-usually you cant find anything if you are looking for it - but it magically appears when you have bought something else instead
 

jerseygirl22

New member
Jan 6, 2009
50
20
0
Is there monthly or yearly fees? HOw much is it?

as it was mentioned before its only like 700 pesos a year.

i think price smart is great when it comes to food because it has more US choices. but if your going for electronics you should go to el canal on luperon or plaza llama. there electronics are way cheaper than anywhere else.
 

anng3

Bronze
Jan 12, 2007
1,013
29
48
The adage about buying when you see it at Price Smart is true. Found that out when I bought dishes. Should have gotten 2 sets at the same time. My favorite things to buy there are paper goods, Charmin Toilet Paper, Bounty etc.
 
Last edited:

krwilson

Member
Apr 18, 2008
136
18
18
Popped my head into Pricesmart yesterday to take a look, first time............yes, the rest of my body followed. Some decent deals, and certainly much like a Costco in Canada. But forces you to buy too much..fodstuffs anyway.

The Enfamil LIPIL, large tin 729g, is the best price I've seen in the DR at $490RD. Same tin is $662RD Playero, $630RD La Sirena (on sale for $550RD this week) and $575RD Tropical. Looked back on this thread and thought some one had asked about baby stuff.......wrong thread I think, will leave info.

The memberships are $1200RD for new and $825RD for a renewal. I didn't buy a membership, like in Canada I used to have Costco but just didn't go there enough to justify the cost. But if anyone from the Sosua area has a membership and I drive, maybe we can make an arrangement for some shopping.
 
Last edited:

Mason3000

Active member
Aug 2, 2008
363
46
28
Just echoing what many here have already said.

I go mainly for the food items. Part of the fun is finding suprises "Look they have "xxxxxxxxxx" I haven't had that since the 1990's".

I also appreciate the warehouse design, which means Wiiiiiide aisles that you can maneuver around in (Anyone else notice that supermarkets here have narrow aisles and Dominicans are not shy about blocking the aisle w/ their cart as they shop? Then when they see they've blocked you they're in no hurry to move unless you ask them to?).

PriceSmart imports some good fruits that you don't always find in other Supermarkets.

Big family so we buy in bulk and it works out great. I know poorer familys that go in on a membership, will buy things like rice, beans, diapers, in bulk, then split them up at home. I find the membership price here expensive. Other PriceSmart franchises in other Latin countries charge less than half of this membership price (Equivalent of RD $350.) I suspect they charge so much here to keep the riff-raff out?

Hit and miss on prices. I don't bother checking on electrodomestics much. I found a 32" Plasma TV/DVD player once for US $700 equivalant, other than that I can almost always find electronics and eletrodomestics cheaper. El Canal btw, is a great find! They don't do a lot of advertising but they're definitely a place everyone should be familiar with. Again PriceSmart....one item is 25% cheaper than anywhere else in the country and the item next to it is 10% more expensive than La Sirena or El Canal. Pick 'n' choose.

As another poster mentioned baby formula and diapers (Been a few years now since I had to purchase them) were MUCH cheaper than anywhere else.

I also like their fast food. Their 10 piece bucket of fried chicken (Best in the country IMO)is $380 (?), their 18" New York style pizzas are a very good and a great bargain at RD $380 and their hot dogs with the steamed buns, onions/relish wheel are awesome if you eat that stuff.
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
17,850
982
113
El Canal is on Avenida Luperon, currently enjoying a revival with the huge new Jumbo and La Sirena megastores.