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An's avatar

How is it that some indepedent ethnic grocery stores can be cheaper, like Indian, Chinese, or Russian? Japanese ones naturally more expensive :).

On toilet paper, have you heard about growing it?! (During hard times in some countries newspapers were used. It has been a historic issue and it's a great priviledge to have a quality cut.)

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20241203-the-people-growing-their-own-sustainable-toilet-paper-plant

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MonopolyVictim's avatar

"How is it that some independent grocery stores can be cheaper?". Because they can't?

Can't embed screenshots here, but read remarks of Anthony Pena, pp. 9-10, to the FTC, Justice Department and public

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events/2022/03/ftc-justice-department-listening-forum-firsthand-effects-mergers-acquisitions-food-agriculture

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An's avatar
May 12Edited

He's comparing himself to Walmart. I've never shopped at Walmart, so I don't know those prices.

I was thinking of stores I've shopped at - Indian, Eastern European/Russian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, & Mexican – that are cheaper than the American chains, and have more interesting meat/bread/cheese/fruit/vegetable options. Most recently, the Indian one, where vegetables are much cheaper.

Japanese grocery stores are the only ones I found to be more expensive, and some of the Russian market ones. Korean not sure.

You could say those other ethnicities import their own products so they can control those prices, but what about the fruits and vegetables? The only thing that was crazy expensive at the Indian store recently were the mangoes coming directly from India $45/box of 10), but the ones from Central America were cheaper than those at the American store across the street ($14/box of 10).

One simple example is the current price of cilantro: 2 for $1.50 at the Indian market, $2 for 1 at the two nearby American markets (one of them is partly ethnically Greek). And I don't know what it is at the Whole Foods nearby, but I'm sure it's even more.

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