Amid inflation and the drop in consumer purchases, purchases in wholesale supermarkets grew by 30% in the first 6 months of the year. According to the sector, the main reason for this increase in sales is that their prices are lower than those of the big chains. The difference in food prices, which have been the most affected by the inflation in recent years, is more than 15%.
The list price of cheaper products includes coffee, noodles, seasonings, canned goods, cleaning products, dairy products, cheese and cold cuts.
According to the calculations of these large stores, a purchase that in a supermarket amounts to 300 pesos costs 220 pesos at a wholesale supermarket. The savings amount to 80 pesos, i.e. more than 30%.
A family's monthly purchases at a supermarket amounts to 2,500 pesos, while it only costs 1,700 pesos at a wholesalers, still more than 30% in savings.
"The year started and the final consumer (buyers who aren't grocers) increased by 30% because wholesalers' prices are lower than those of the supermarkets," says the sales manager of Yaguar, adding that traders can even compete with chains.
The wholesalers have studied the family segment and seek to further improve their sales with promotions, brochures and magazines that they deliver free of charge to the customers' houses or online.
The wholesaler, Oscar David, located in Godoy Cruz, stressed that much of their clientèle was made up by families that bought more than the minimum 1,000 pesos purchase required by the firm, as they were shopping for the entire month.
According to this company, the main reason people bought preferred buying at the wholesalers was that they could save between 20% and 25%.
According to a worker at the wholesaler Diarco, located in Guaymallén, people could save between 1 peso and 5 pesos per product, depending on the product. He also said that there was much movement in the sales in recent months and that the wholesale stores had a very big variety of products.
Markets and Payments
The flow of customers in some wholesalers' stores has a 60-40 ratio, i.e. families make 60% of the total purchases while Stores and others make 40% of them.
However, in other cases, the relationship is reversed: 60% of the buyers are customers who have restaurants, catering or delivery.
In recent times, wholesalers have relaxed and began receiving cards. Before, they only accepted cash payments, but they soon began accepting debit cards and, in fewer cases, credit cards. They also have quotas and current accounts.
Wholesalers, however, charge a 3 or 4% premium (according to the company) of the total amount billed to private customers. These businesses argue that, "the prices are still more competitive than in the hypermarkets."