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I just read the article about Wal-Mart adding 1,500 jobs in San Jose – Is this GOOD news for Costa Rica or is this the beginning of the end? Quick! Make me feel better!
The good news is that it’s 1,500 additional jobs and I think Costa Rica Labor Laws are such that the employees will get a better overall deal with significantly more benefits here than they would back in the USA.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comI had a lengthy discussion re Wal-mart with my Tica friend, and she would be ecstatic to shop in one of their stores!
For the last few years, I have been transporting various items from Wal-Mart in the States to Costa Rica. Several friends in CR have requested items they found on the Wal-Mart website.
With the price of many items in Costa Rica at a high, I would hope that Wal-Mart could get the pricing down.
Many of the new Mega stores that are popping up in Costa Rica have pricing that just floors me. When last in the Jaco Beach area, there is a new Mega store where I wanted to purchase a cooler. The price was 3 to 4 times higher than in the states.
I don’t know how the Ticos afford these pricey stores, for all the products they carry.
Cheerful Shopping
Bill MaesHow true! I’ve noticed the same thing here in Costa Rica. I would say the places that price their items even higher than the state prices are going after the Gringo trade. Sad to think that, and unfortunate for the local residents.
I recently noticed the same at Price-Smart and at Office Depot.
Has anyone been to the Denny’s near the Fiesta Casino? They charge state side prices too – BUT they don’t pay their employees state side wages…….
Let’s all hope tha Wal-Mart will be a better place to shop for ALL!
MaxiBodega is owned by wal-mart, with the same slogan and all. I had mixed feelings about shopping there, but for the miscellenous gadgets I needed to outfit my new house, they had everything I needed.
Well I think this is a misconception that everything is cheap in CR.
In the Tres Rios mall where are home is next too the prices are just as high or higher than in the U.S. This mall is very busy and has all of the big name stores.How ever I love the VIP seating in the movie theator that is the same price as in the states. How ever you get to sit in the reclining chairs.
They pay their employees ± $ 15,– for one day hard working, 6 days a week.
So you pay more in their stores and they pay the employees less, just to keep the shareholders satisfied……Let’s go to other stores……
I think it is more complex than that, prices are high on imported items because of the tax that is imposed by the government on imports. By a locally made product and prices are “cheap”, imported equals expensive. I found this out the hard way when I bought a small wheel of Brie. After getting home I realized I payed about $13 dollars for something that would have cost me $4.99 here in NYC. $15 dollars a day sounds horrible to us, but this is $300 per month and that is about an average wage for a working class Tico, is it not? So I don’t think Walmart is gouging it’s just the nature of the beast, if anything the complaint against these big box stores is they under cut everyone else because of there buying power and want of market domination. I’m 43 years old and think i’ve been in one of these box stores 3 times, with the exception of Target which I go to about once a year. But I could easily do with out that. I’m sure these places come in handy though down in C.R.
lotus, I belive you are right! This is why a big screen TV costs a lot more in CR than in the U.S.
Many people don’t realize that if they pay the ticos more money than the price of the goods have to go up for the consumers. This means that the average tico would have to make more money to pay for those items.
Again when you come to Costa Rica you can’t think it is the same as U.S. I would ask most ex pats that if they have a gardner or a house keeper do they pay the Ticos U.S. competitive wages? That means if you have a house keeper they should be making more than a hundred dollars a week in CR right?
As for wal-mart I belive they already have bought Hipo Mas right?
How good Walmart is for Ticos is proportional to the existence and application of laws that regulate things like labor practices, tariffs, anti-trust rules, etc. With regard to labor practices, Ticos are generally treated in a borderline criminal manner by employers and have very little recourse to do anything about it. I would guess that Walmart will use their wealth and know-how to differentiate themselves and treat their employees marginally better than most other companies, but Ticos will continue to get screwed until there is 1) better legislation and 2) corrupt people start going to jail.
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