Big Bucks

atrocious

N.P. BM btw the "Post a new comment" box underlines any spelling it thinks is wrong based on some built in dictionary.

regards,
T. Tempest. DCA

____________________

"I'd love a thousand words in a foreign language." Tang Yuchuan

Tsc Tempest Photography at http://www.kong-xi.com/doc.html

@blue moon:

I agree with you. A look through Jusco’s weekly ledger might be an interesting read, especially since their prices seem to have risen quite sharply over the past few months. I was more than a bit surprised recently when I saw a 25rmb price on a small head of napa cabbage. I bought it anyway.

I guess what surprises me more than anything about Jusco is the demographic mix of the customers. There seems (to me, at least) to be an unusually large number of local pensioners shopping there. One would think that, because of Jusco’s higher prices, many of these older folks would be patronizing the local wet market instead of the meat and produce section of Jusco.

About the parking: In the spring of 2001, 3 blocks of buildings were razed to make room for Jusco. The Jusco building was built, and then stood empty for the better part of a year. As I understand it, the reason for the delay in opening was that Jusco and the city of Zhuhai took longer than usual to negotiate the required business licenses to open the store. After the requisite number of “red envelopes” changed hands, Jusco finally opened.

The now vacant adjoining lot immediately to the south of the Jusco building was a large car park, at least through the fall of 2003. Now, all of that once useful parking area is fenced off, leaving only the area immediately in front of the building for parking. I agree; both the entrance to, and the exit from the existing very small parking area are completely inadequate, and very dangerous to negotiate, both in a vehicle and on foot as well.

Because Jusco is only 1 block away from my apartment, my wife and I shop there regularly. Believe me, trying to negotiate their parking area on a busy day is something akin to being the star attraction in a Spanish bull ring! Have you ever seen one of the “toy soldier” security guards at any shopping center in the city actually do anything to help a customer? I never have.

------------------------------------------------------
"I can't get no respect.............. no respect at all!"

Take a cab.

It's hard enough to negotiate their carpark on foot, god knows how you can park a car there. On the up side, it's definately one of the better places to shop.

Speaking of bucks, everywhere seems to have raised their prices post new year. Almost every restaurant or foot massage or hair wash or supermarket has jumped in price. To the old hands here, is that normal after the new year, or is it worse this year. I don't remember noticing it last year.

@Roy:

Annual price hikes following the CNY are not the norm. I think it is just something to do with inflation that it plagueing the whole economy. The timing of the price rises, I think< are just coincidental. Beijing is trying very hard to keep it in check, but it seems to be driven by a lot of global financial instability over which they have no control. It's a tough beast to manage.

------------------------------------------------------
"I can't get no respect.............. no respect at all!"

Nice to know it's not an annual thing.

Actually I had a win on prices today, I found somewhere that was selling Kalhua, Vodka, Johnny Walker, Baileys and more at half the price I would pay back home, and significantly less than I have seen elsewhere (not that I have been looking hard - but when I do, it always seems comparable).

I would tell you all where, infact I was going to start a thread on where to buy what - at the best prices, but it would only encourage them to put the prices up once word got round.

PM me.

------------------------------------------------------
"I can't get no respect.............. no respect at all!"

Half the price? And you are not suspicious....

Good point, I am too trusting, however the booze I bought seemed OK to me.

Roy, is it near the Portugese restaurant ,round the next corner?... opp Markets.
They also have wholesale blocks of cheese (cheap) and few foreign U.S. lines.Cheap bulk cashews, pistachios and herbs.Worth a visit.I like the canned peas (real ) Also good wines starting from 23rmb.

Where is the Portugese restaurant ?? Canned peas ... now there is something I haven't had in years.

i got some Absolut from a local store recently...yeah sure it looked fine and even tasted okay. Until I chucked the bottle into the freezer and the sucker froze up into an ice block. That's a first for me...

I am not surprised.

Frozen Absolut! That gives one pause....