There are 6 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 2,395 times. The latest Post () was by Rice.
It's not that superficial actually and why would they want to do a full on Lanata type job on them anyway? To highlight the fact that Chinese supermarkets operate very informally (in the black) most of the time?
The article says that they pay cash to the wholesalers, without receiving credit terms and the benefits of that work both ways in that they get a better price and the supplier doesn't have to suffer a drawn out cradit period of up to 120 days.
It also mentions that a vast amount of chinos have much lower overheads due to 'employing' family informally and that they see wine as simply another box to move.
Remember, cash is king and we are benefiting from that philosophy, which the Chinese exploit to the maximum.
Also, when was the last time you saw a credit card machine in a Chinese supermarket? And while we're on the subject, when did you last come across a polite Chinese cashier operator?
Maybe because they affect wine shops with this behavior 'outisde of the rule'.
The philosophy seems to be 'as long as it is cheaper....' it can be in black, it can use slavery, it can involves bribes, it can keep others out of business, it can be harmful to your health, etc. I mean, if you are okay with all that... Personally, I have some moral and health concerns and I no longer shops at chinos.
Argentinians are too peaceful about serious stuff and get angry for the stupidest ones.
Maybe a little extreme to compare cheating on your AFIP declarations to promoting slavery. As far as I know no one's claimed that wineries use forced labor. For the most part, individual Argentinians can't do much about the "serious stuff," but sure know where the wine is cheaper.
i think we should be asking why the big chains can afford to give you 2 x 1 and 4 x 2 promotions.
When this happens their prices are the same more or less as the chinos.....
Maybe a little extreme to compare cheating on your AFIP declarations to promoting slavery. As far as I know no one's claimed that wineries use forced labor. For the most part, individual Argentinians can't do much about the "serious stuff," but sure know where the wine is cheaper.
I had a friend working at the chino and she said they were the worst ever. Longest working hours, harder on employees... and in the end made stories not to pay employees (she wasn't paid at all, in the end - 3 weeks of unpaid work). No wonder they just have (an impressively extended... 
) 'family' working for them.
Nobody will claim that, nobody cares, nobody asks. Hence, my comment.
Maybe the chinos use their reputation for cheap wine to entice shoppers who then pick up their more overpriced items, e.g. La Serenissima milk for 21 pesos vs 14 pesos at Carrefour?
I've heard rumors about the shops all being ruled by the Triads, whose ruthless bagmen shake down small shop owners for $50k US/year. Or that the shops are actually owned by the Bad Guys, who force their relatives to work long hours for no pay. But without good investigative reporting on this subject, we just don't know. If we knew for a fact that all these places were corrupt and operating outside the law, and/or treating employees the way your friend was treated, @ seraphina, we wouldn't frequent our neighborhood chinos. But to suffer the fate of the lines at Coto or Jumbo, we would have to be dead sure!
We frequently stop in one or another of the 4 chinos near us, and really enjoy chatting with the people who work in them. Also enjoy picking up one or two items, paying, and leaving, all within 3-4 minutes. HATE the mega markets.
