Costa Rica’s Newest Walmart Built in 184 days.

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  • #169077
    Andrew
    Keymaster

    Walmart’s newest store just opened in Tibas, San José. Costa Rica.

    According to El Financiero newspaper, the company invested $19.2 million in the store which measures 23,017M2 on three levels.

    It’s not clear whether that “investment” includes the cost of the land but even if it’s construction alone, US$834M2 is a phenomenal price…

    The store was completed in just 184 days.

    Does anyone know the typical cost of construction for this kind of building in the US?

    #169078
    VictoriaLST
    Member

    Doesn’t it take twice that long for the environmental impact study? And then the groundwater survey. Analysis of traffic patterns? Etc, etc, etc?

    #169079
    davidd
    Member

    [quote=”VictoriaLST”]Doesn’t it take twice that long for the environmental impact study? And then the groundwater survey. Analysis of traffic patterns? Etc, etc, etc?[/quote]

    money talks :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

    #169080
    johnnyh
    Member

    Is the average Costa Rican flocking to Walmart stores? Are the prices Gringo prices?

    #169081
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    By a wide margin, the people we see in the Walmart stores where we shop, in Alajuela and Escazu, are Costa Ricans.

    Walmart’s prices are competitive with those of other local stores. You don’t think the world’s largest retailer would price itself out of the market, do you? Hate ’em if you wish, but you have to acknowledge their business acumen.

    #169082
    johnnyh
    Member

    That’s good to know David. I don’t have anything against Walmart. How about the produce, vegetables? Are they comparable in price to the ferias?

    #169083
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    We shop for produce in the farmers’ market in Grecia and not at Walmart, so I can’t say about prices.

    #169084

    [quote=”johnnyh”]Is the average Costa Rican flocking to Walmart stores? Are the prices Gringo prices?[/quote]

    I haven´t seen a store with Tico-Prices for years 👿

    #169085
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    [quote=”elindermuller”]
    I haven´t seen a store with Tico-Prices for years :evil:[/quote]

    Hmmm . . . That seems like a contradiction in terms. Isn’t any store that sells to Costa Ricans selling at “Tico prices”? If Costa Ricans are setting the prices, and if Costa Ricans are paying the prices, are they not paying “Tico prices”?

    #169086

    [quote=”DavidCMurray”][quote=”elindermuller”]
    I haven´t seen a store with Tico-Prices for years :evil:[/quote]

    Hmmm . . . That seems like a contradiction in terms. Isn’t any store that sells to Costa Ricans selling at “Tico prices”? If Costa Ricans are setting the prices, and if Costa Ricans are paying the prices, are they not paying “Tico prices”?[/quote]

    I made this comment because the poster before was asking if Walmart has gringo prices. I have not seen what I would consider a Tico price for many years. When I came to Costa Rica in 1992 live was quite inexpensive and stores had what I would consider Tico prices (much lower than in Germany or the U.S.). Some restaurants had a Tico-Menu and a Gringo-Menu (same menu but different prices). Ticos very soon started to figure out how much things cost in other countries and put the same price tag on their products “made in C.R.” (Queso Monteverde – same price as good cheese in Germany). When I went back to Germany in 2003/4 I brought a suitcase full of hairspray and other cosmetic stuff back to C.R. because it was so much cheaper there. So, what are really Gringo- or Tico- Prices ? The rule Tico = cheap, Gringo = expensive, does not exist any more. Now nothing is cheap any more, I don´t know how they survive. But when I go to San Jose and see how many malls / Walmart stores etc. they build every year, and see the parking lots stuffed with Prados and other luxury cars, I ask myself, what in the hell am I doing wrong ? Do Central-Valley Ticos have secret gold mines in their back yards ? Are they all drug dealers and money launderers ? Are they politics working for the government ?

    #169087
    Andrew
    Keymaster

    BAD news out of Wal-Mart

    [url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-15/wal-mart-executives-sweat-slow-february-start-in-e-mails.html]Wal-Mart Executives Sweat Slow February Start in E-Mails[/url]

    “In case you haven’t seen a sales report these days, February MTD sales are a total disaster,” Jerry Murray, Wal- Mart’s vice president of finance and logistics, said in a Feb. 12 e-mail to other executives, referring to month-to-date sales. “The worst start to a month I have seen in my ~7 years with the company.”

    Is Walmart beginning to suffer from offshoring? You can only ship so many jobs offshore before consumer spending is affected …

    Some people have said that: “[url=http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/is-wal-mart-destroying-america-20-facts-about-wal-mart-that-will-absolutely-shock-you]Wal-Mart is destroying America in a lot of ways[/url].” And “When we buy stuff made by people working for slave labor wages in China, we destroy good paying American jobs and we make America poorer…”

    Would you agree?

    #169088
    VictoriaLST
    Member

    And isn’t there a Price Smart coming to Liberia soon? Or did that fall through.

    #169089
    davidd
    Member

    elindermuller

    you have been seeing the same movie as I 🙂

    I just went to the new Lincoln mall and I am amazed at the stores that are there and wonder how the hell do they stay in business??? is there enough business to support places like Starbucks????

    Mrs fields cookies.. cookies that cost $3 bucks for 1???

    I may have to reboot my own reality and star again because I am finding myself not being able to explain all of this.

    if you go through the supermarkets.. and you saw imported items that costa more

    this made sense.. its imported so you have to add taxes, shipping etc

    but when imported items start to cost less than products that are actually made here

    then I say hmmmmm..

    ok

    so now the tico companies are charging more money for products made here.. and there is no rebellion yet??:D:D:D:D

    I think there is a large emerging middle class here and the income levels have changed..

    this is the marketplace and it has changed right in front of our noses.

    I was speaking with a few people and asking how much did they make.. I had salaries ranging from

    $1500 to $2500 per month:shock::shock::shock:

    and I said holy toledo.. where did that come from.

    a friends boyfriend is a manager of a cable company here and his salary is $8000 per month!!!!!

    used to be middle class here was $800 to $1200 per month.. or at least I thought it was.

    so.. it looks like we have to now look in the future based on what has happened and what is already happening and make some decisions.

    or maybe.. these price differences are more towards the urban areas

    how are the prices where you guys are???

    [quote=”elindermuller”][quote=”DavidCMurray”][quote=”elindermuller”]
    I haven´t seen a store with Tico-Prices for years :evil:[/quote]

    Hmmm . . . That seems like a contradiction in terms. Isn’t any store that sells to Costa Ricans selling at “Tico prices”? If Costa Ricans are setting the prices, and if Costa Ricans are paying the prices, are they not paying “Tico prices”?[/quote]

    I made this comment because the poster before was asking if Walmart has gringo prices. I have not seen what I would consider a Tico price for many years. When I came to Costa Rica in 1992 live was quite inexpensive and stores had what I would consider Tico prices (much lower than in Germany or the U.S.). Some restaurants had a Tico-Menu and a Gringo-Menu (same menu but different prices). Ticos very soon started to figure out how much things cost in other countries and put the same price tag on their products “made in C.R.” (Queso Monteverde – same price as good cheese in Germany). When I went back to Germany in 2003/4 I brought a suitcase full of hairspray and other cosmetic stuff back to C.R. because it was so much cheaper there. So, what are really Gringo- or Tico- Prices ? The rule Tico = cheap, Gringo = expensive, does not exist any more. Now nothing is cheap any more, I don´t know how they survive. But when I go to San Jose and see how many malls / Walmart stores etc. they build every year, and see the parking lots stuffed with Prados and other luxury cars, I ask myself, what in the hell am I doing wrong ? Do Central-Valley Ticos have secret gold mines in their back yards ? Are they all drug dealers and money launderers ? Are they politics working for the government ?[/quote]

    #169090
    VictoriaLST
    Member

    I hate $16 chickens, so we are raising our own. Farmer’s markets for fruits and veggies until I get my own started, a slow process since i have back trouble but coming along. I really want a couple of pigs and i have room for a vaca or two.

    I love CR.

    #169091
    davidd
    Member

    [quote=”VictoriaLST”]I hate $16 chickens, so we are raising our own. Farmer’s markets for fruits and veggies until I get my own started, a slow process since i have back trouble but coming along. I really want a couple of pigs and i have room for a vaca or two.

    I love CR.[/quote]

    $16 chickens???? I buy roasted chickens fully cooked for $$8 pricemart???

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