As Graf said previously, we speak with our choices and our euros. If we don’t like the result, well then we have only ourselves to blame. I’ve made my choice.

What do we learn from this? My answer is that both Greek companies and Greek consumers are not interested in obeying the law, protecting the society from defective goods, or generally behaving correctly. The companies are out for themselves, and the majority of consumers have the same (but shorter-term) mentality.

Most of Greece’s problems derive from this stupid mentality of refusing to obey logical and well-intentioned rules, with a state that can barely survive to protect itself, let alone its citizens. The problems of overpriced and poor quality consumer goods, alongside systematic breaking of the law, result in benefits for criminals and large companies while ordinary people suffer more and more. Until Greek consumers learn how to consume properly, then this situation will persist.

We spent hours of our free time rechecking our prices/products/quantities, and everything is correct to the lepta; plus, the United States has not changed these prices in the 2 months since we did our survey. If you don’t want people to get the “wrong impression” of your company, force your distributors to lower prices instead of trying to blame “the other.”

Please stop leaving repeated messages and requesting I call you to find a “solution.” My Greek friends interpret your solution to be a bribe of free products, and I won’t take them. If you don’t stop bullying me and the Kathimerini, I will go public with your names.

Thank you.

This topic probably has enough comments at this point, but I’ll add my two cents.

I was in SoCal house-sitting for 3 weeks this last Jul. Can’t comment on the transportation, communication or hotel categories, since we didn’t use those. We did for the rest however (medical was limited to Dr’s visits), and there is absolutely nothing in your list that is out of line.

The most important thing I have to say is that you most certainly did give very possible advantage to Greece in this survey (which you clearly state several times). Disregarding WalMart, Costco, etc and using the US chains you used, an absolute minimum of effort is needed to save a substantial amount on groceries. Not only the club cards you mentioned, but coupons and continuous sales (on varying items) that include loss- leaders at tremendously reduced prices can easily cut the grocery bill in half. In fact, I think it would be hard to go to one of these stores on a given day and pay the “list-price” for every grocery/household item on your list even without coupons or a club card.

Regarding Lidl: yes they sell some very cheap (in every sense of the word) items, but they also have some things that are of reasonably good quality and unavailable elsewhere in Greece at anywhere near the cost at Lidl. Additionally, although I agree that the meat at Lidl is generally to be avoided, the quality of the produce seems to be a function of the individual store management. At the Lidl in Anoixi for example, the produce is very good, and the fact that you can often see an employee sorting though and discarding items not of good quality is probably not coincidental.

The only small quibble I might have with the article is that it seems to me that HI is usually ranked as the most expensive state in the US, and depending on factors used, sometimes AK is “ahead” of CA as well.

I sometimes try to rationalize the US-Greece price differences by blaming it on the currency exchange rates. Then up pops some article in the Greek media showing that any number of Greek items produced in Greece are cheaper in other Euro countries than in Greece. There goes that delusion…

Regardless of what people think about it, you were extremely clear on your purpose and methodology. I think you did an admirable job here, and are absolutely correct in your observations for the purpose intended.

Regards,

there is no reason to compare bandit capitalism greek consumer market with the u.s., which by sheer size and large selection can sell all kinds of consumer products (food items is only one segment) at bulk and very reasonably priced.

the difference between consumer products in america in terms of quality and price and products in greece is the same difference between chicken salad and chicken sh!t. we don’t need an analysis to know that.

you ought to compare with other euromarkets, thats how yiiu are gonna ever draw any useful conclusions; you ought to be asking why a liter of fresh milk costs .86 cents in bon marche (a high-end supermarket in the heart of paris, one of europe’s more expensive cities) and in sklavenitis it’s 1.45? and milk is locally produced; half hr outside athens they’re milking cows.

as for the multis (p&g, unilever etc) there is a very simple reason why they sell in greece 50% more that what they sell in germany or netherlands or anywhere else: because THEY CAN. and its the exact same reason why they don’t sell so expensive in germany: because THEY CANT; (if they could, they would).

why? because the greeks, they pay for it.

(a propos, its not the job of the government to control the prices of maroulia and alevri; prices are market-sensitive whether its axladia produced by gyftos in pyrgos or nuclear tourbine heads produced by boeing in seattle).

filosofia du jour:

(most) greeks pay for it with no complaint because they are a baklava eating, frappe drinking, komboloi playing, karsilama dancing, uneducated, uncivilized n undisciplined, worthless lot.

and if anyone is thinking of coming up against my hard, thought-out conclusion with the good ol’ foreign conspiracy horse sh!t or traitor theory, here’s one coming at u: I AM GREEK CENTO PER CENTO

cheers

It’s naive for anyone who has been in the USA (most locations) to think Greek stores can compete with the U.S. Market overall.

Anyone wanting to get a basic price comarison can go to http://www.netgrocer.com or http://www.drugstore.com and see what price Americans pay for things. Even with these websites generally charging a bit more than your local US Grocery store, you’ll still find them cheaper than most any Greek store.

And the final insult. The European car I bought in Athens is double the price of Los Angeles for the same car. Plus in the USA, that European car is standard with a much bigger engine, and superior U.S. Safety specifications.

Greek products (Hatzimihalis Wine, Mythos Beer, Greek Feta Cheese) were also cheaper in Los Angeles than in Athens. Amazing!!!

That has to hurt some consumers here in Athens (including me).

Last, as you know nothing about me and read only four posts (about the mall, greek-american citizenship, comments and this one), you haven’t a clue about me or whether I like living here. And btw, what does presenting facts have anything to do with personal feelings? There is no opinion or analysis contained in this post or any other you read, and I doubt you would criticize me if I were a fellow Greek. Thank you for your knee-jerk, passive-aggressive comment, which illustrates clearly why Greek pride is alive and well (for no reason) and philoxenia is dead.

P.S. A kilo is 2.2 pounds.

I ‘ve found you via “Kathimerini”[*] and I ‘ve presented several comparisons in our consumer-orientated open blog: dyityrself.blogspot.com

Some years ago I had “discovered” that in order to have your vacation in a greek island, it was cheaper to go first to …London, pick one of their schemes for vacation in g.i., enjoy your vacation and come back to Athens via London. It was 37€ cheaper and you had as “extra” the trip to London free…

Now it seems that, choosing carefully and buying there a serie of products, someone can have a …free-of-charge trip to N.Y.

Love – Disarmament – Peace
Napoleon Papadopoulos

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[*] There is a serious mistake in their presentation of “Beverages”. Tell them to correct it.