To PriceSmart Or Not To PriceSmart

[Glenn Burke]

I love driving by a river late afternoon on a Sunday

You must love that smell of sewage.

watching all the teens going completely crazy and being young and stupid.

Don't worry, they will remain the same stupid when they grow up. That's a part of the 'culture'.

Music blasting out, lots of extremely drunk people. Makes me remember I'm alive.

I wouldn't call that music. Let's say, some loud noise. But it sounds that you found your perfect place to live!

 

[Glenn Burke]

Their first store where? Which location?

In Santo Domingo on Av. Charles Sumner

 

[Glenn Burke]

If you want to know what they have just look on their website and avoid even entering.

I have followed your advice and checked their website. I was looking mostly for the things I would buy in bulk to save some money, like large garbage bags, paper towels, etc... But everything on their site is actually more expensive than similar items in Supermercados Nacional, for example. So I don't know what's the point of that membership, really.

 

[Joseph NY2STI]

He is she by the way.

And if there's a finer one around, I haven't met her.

 

[bob saunders]

Unless you also buy big ticket items or they have food/products you cannot get elsewhere, most people likely break even at best, when you deduct the cost of membership and the time/gas to go to one of their clubs.

The hands down store membership model leader is their former parent, COSTCO.

If one ever shows up in the DR, that would be a game changer and well worth the $60 annual membership ($65.00 come September 1st)

There is no membership warehouse club that even comes remotely close to the perks/benefits/selections of COSTCO.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

My brother's Cuban in laws were visiting them in Canada, and he took them to Costco. Every time he looked for them, they were in the meat section. Said they had never seen so much good beef in one spot. My sons all shop at Costco, so does my mother. When we do our bi-weekly PriceSmart run, we are also doing downtown (Calle del Sol) for school supplies, Bellon for hardware, La Sirena...etc so it is a cost-effective shopping trip.

 

[johne]

Pricesmart cut their teeth from Costco.See history here:

Investor Overview | PriceSmart

investors.pricesmart.com

 

[playacaribe2]

My brother's Cuban in laws were visiting them in Canada, and he took them to Costco. Every time he looked for them, they were in the meat section. Said they had never seen so much good beef in one spot. My sons all shop at Costco, so does my mother. When we do our bi-weekly PriceSmart run, we are also doing downtown (Calle del Sol) for school supplies, Bellon for hardware, La Sirena...etc so it is a cost-effective shopping trip.

Then it certainly sounds cost effective in your case. As has been alluded to, many food items on sale at Bravo or Nacional are cheaper than Pricesmart as they look to retain market share with loss leaders.

The membership is a personal decision usually born out of bulk buying or being able to buy items not found elsewhere, or buying bigger ticket items all at consistently low prices.

And yes, Costco is the gold standard of membership clubs. They put the likes of Pricesmart, Sam’s Club and BJ’s to shame.

If they ever put one in the DR, that would be a game changer…….

Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[johne]

With a billion in sales, and a $82 /share stock price someone is buying at Pricemart. lol

 

[johne]

BTW the stock price of Costco is around $850.00

 

[LindseyKaufman]

My brother's Cuban in laws were visiting them in Canada, and he took them to Costco. Every time he looked for them, they were in the meat section. Said they had never seen so much good beef in one spot. My sons all shop at Costco, so does my mother. When we do our bi-weekly PriceSmart run, we are also doing downtown (Calle del Sol) for school supplies, Bellon for hardware, La Sirena...etc so it is a cost-effective shopping

I often think of that school supply shop, Bob. I just do not like the driving there and then finding a parking space. They said I should just make an order and they will deliver but I like to first see and price what I am buying and secondly they have no idea where I live. Maybe I just need to get someone to drive me….

 

[bob saunders]

I often think of that school supply shop, Bob. I just do not like the driving there and then finding a parking space. They said I should just make an order and they will deliver but I like to first see and price what I am buying and secondly they have no idea where I live. Maybe I just need to get someone to drive me….

https://www.facebook.com/lendoiro/ . In the back it is cash only but cheaper. There are plenty of other options close by as well. They have their own parking. They have three locations in Santiago.

 

[MariaRubia]

Don't worry, they will remain the same stupid when they grow up. That's a part of the 'culture'.


I wouldn't call that music. Let's say, some loud noise. But it sounds that you found your perfect place to live!

May I respectfully ask what on earth you are doing living in a country that you hate so much? You're on a forum full of people who generally live in DR here, so we vote with our feet that it suits us and making comments like you're making, you're kind of swimming against the tide.

 

[MariaRubia]

Just wondering - would a photo on your phone of your membership card (front and back if that applies) suffice? If they scan a barcode or something like that, a photo usually works

As I mentioned upthread, if you download their app, as they ask you to on pretty much every page of their website, in DR the only thing it lets you do is to show your membership card on your phone, with a barcode that presumably they can scan. I would suggest that you do this rather than take a photo of the card.

 

[LindseyKaufman]

https://www.facebook.com/lendoiro/ . In the back it is cash only but cheaper. There are plenty of other options close by as well. They have their own parking. They have three locations in Santiago.

Please send them to me.

 

[NanSanPedro]

We buy snacks for the school kids there. But truly, you must price compare. Sometimes the súper mercados have better pricing.

Just today I placed a Click and Go order. The Santiago parking lot is often frustratingly full.

I ordered laundry soap, paper towels, Goya vinegar, pee pads for my little dog and a couple other non perishables I cannot remember. There were a couple of things they did not have in stock. I cannot live without Dawn dish detergent - but the last two times they did not have it.

Lindsey, how does the Click and Go work? I don't see it on their website but I'm guessing it's because I have an empty cart. Es verdad? It really sounds like something I'd like to look into.

Thanks

 

[Glenn Burke]

May I respectfully ask what on earth you are doing living in a country that you hate so much? You're on a forum full of people who generally live in DR here, so we vote with our feet that it suits us and making comments like you're making, you're kind of swimming against the tide.

Where did I say that I hate it? I don't look at it thru pink colored glasses, but that doesn't mean that I hate it. I perfectly understand where I live and what this country is. I just don't have any urge to convince myself or others that DR is better than it really is. I understand perfectly that this forum is a kind of a group therapy for people who need to convince themselves and others that they live in paradise, not in a shIthole. I understand that. Sorry for swimming against the tide, I will not do it anymore.

 

[keepcoming]

Where did I say that I hate it? I don't look at it thru pink colored glasses, but that doesn't mean that I hate it. I perfectly understand where I live and what this country is. I just don't have any urge to convince myself or others that DR is better than it really is. I understand perfectly that this forum is a kind of a group therapy for people who need to convince themselves and others that they live in paradise, not in a shIthole. I understand that. Sorry for swimming against the tide, I will not do it anymore.

Do not post in this thread....again you have been warned.

 

[LindseyKaufman]

Lindsey, how does the Click and Go work? I don't see it on their website but I'm guessing it's because I have an empty cart. Es verdad? It really sounds like something I'd like to look into.

Thanks

Yes! Did the order yesterday. Picked up today. Got a confirmation. And then another message telling me that the order was ready for pickup. Went. Plenty of parking spaces for pick up. Went inside. There was a man with my cart waiting for me. He took it to the car and unloaded it. Far better service than going inside. Try it!

 

[LindseyKaufman]

And I think when you go to your cart to check out you tell them if you want to pick up or if you want delivery. It was very easy.

 

[XTraveller]

And it only took 5 hours mi amor porque no tengo sistema I imagine. Take your card. I have the app on my phone and in DR it only allows you to see your card, but I presume they would accept that.

Na I was along at the service counter and it only took a few minutes. Sometimes things work out fine.