Shopping in Trujillo

While in Santiago, I was reminded that one of the great pleasures/distractions of life in the developed world is shopping. There was so much eye candy everywhere: big shiny department stores, cute cafes, cozy bookstores, Dunkin' Donuts AND Starbucks... I'm ashamed to admit how much I miss these places to idly spend money on useless items, now that I'm back in Trujillo.

So what is shopping like in a less-developed, mid-sized city in Peru? Well, everyday shopping is more of a chore than a pleasure. Peru has the curse of great natural resources, which in the developing world often correlates with the encroachment of predatory multinational companies, who quickly take control of all the moneymaking industries. (Or so I've heard.) So first of all, despite being a producer of first-class products, all of Peru's best coffee, poultry, vegetables, factory-made clothing etc. get exported to richer markets, leaving the the poorer local population to consume mediocre products sold to them by foreign companies. It is a bit tragic when you live in South America, but can't get a decent cup of coffee because all the local market can bear is cheap instant coffee by Nestle, a Swiss company!

Second, in much of the developing world, nobody can afford $15 for a CD or DVD, so literally the entire market for these products is bootleg. As in, go to the local shopping center and you'll get the same $1 pirated copy of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that you'd get on the street. (This leads to the odd phenomenon of people in the slums and shantytowns sometimes owning DVD players - as in the States, it's just cheaper than going to the theater!) I feel bad buying bootleg - I know the money's probably going to a mafia of some sort - but there's no other choice!

Finally, venues for shopping are limited, and very frustrating. Most are chaotic "shopping centers" consisting of a maze-like row of small vendors, or informal bodegas and storefronts with very limited selection, low quality (as mentioned above), and no ability to order something they don't happen to have in stock. Customer service is pretty abysmal here - if you need a refund, or help with something, you're often greeted with cold stares and lots of "no's".

However, the breaking news here is the opening of a brand new, enormous, Walmart/Target-style "hipermercado" called Plaza Vea. With better groceries. Its slogan is "Toda Cuesta Menos" - "everything costs less" - and it's true! Economies of scale, moderately good customer service, and even real official DVD's have arrived in Trujillo! This threatens to revolutionize the shopping experience in Trujillo - although appropriately it's still sitting in the middle of a dirt road and corn fields.

Granted, this is a harbinger of Western-style instant-gratification consumerism in the city. Pretty soon they'll be idly spending money on useless things just like in Chile or the States, and maybe money they don't have to spend. And of course, the smaller bodegas and grocery stores with bad service will probably be suffering for some time to come. But most people agree that Plaza Vea will pay taxes, employ many locals, raise the bar for commerce and ultimately amount to progress. And as a consumer, for the first time I can find a good selection at a good price and get my shopping done in an hour -- and I can buy seafood and know it won't kill me.

This was such a symbolic step for the city and the region that Peru's President Alan Garcia showed up for the inauguration. He was quoted as saying, "This commercial center will raise the level of urbanism (?) and consumption, the quality of life of the population, will have 80,000 square meters of land, and will be a powerful impulse for the modernity of this beloved city." Another huge shopping center is already being constructed on the other side of town. Pretty soon it'll be just like home.

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A typical Peruvian convenience store










Peru has the creepiest mannequins - and the clothing is pretty low-quality










One of the more upscale shopping centers in Lima. If you look at the bottom left you'll see stacks of bootleg DVD's - not one of them is real




And finally, video of opening day at Plaza Vea in Trujillo...