ladelfina
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2005
- Messages
- 2,713
a 450 gram loaf of Italian bread at SuperWalmart for USD$0.60 usually (not sure how much that is in yur euro Monopoly money)
$.60 = €.50 or thereabouts right now. Your 450g loaf at $.60 transates into €1.11/kilo. Lower, but I'm not sure the difference between your price and the Franch/Spanish price would cover your import costs. Also, not sure what the market is for days-old bread..!
Since most of the bread sold in the US is probably of the rectangular, sliced, packaged loaf variety, it's probably a little easier to compare: the prices are going to stick within a certain range. In Europe, it's a little different: sliced rectangular loaves are available, but most people choose a less "industrial" product and there are more small bakeries. I think the €3.50 price above is a Milano price (read $$$) for what would be called in the US an 'artisan' loaf by a local baker. The bread I buy in the supermarket costs about €2.79/kilo (about $1.50/lb.).
This thing with bread is fascinating to me because:
-the ingredients are few, basic, inexpensive, and have been readily available for centuries
-it's simple to make, and follows certain laws of nature, so "technology" has a limited impact on its production
-it's consumed in much of the world, and by rich and poor alike
-it's a basic food, not a luxury in most places (in some places, I know.. any food is a luxury, but I think you get my gist)
-it's usually made relatively locally, so transportation/importation costs are less of an issue w/r/t price
No, but we do have IKEA.Has walmart not come to Italy yet?
As for the average Italian, Justin, they are screaming bloody murder.. Things have been VASTly complicated by the entrance into the euro, as the switchover gave businesses the opportunity for a big one-off price hike, so it's hard to analyse what prices "should" be.. The pizza that cost 8,000 lire (€4.00) in 2000 now costs €9.
They are all complaining about the same things (well, almost) that you guys are complaining about.. A sampling from a newpaper forum of about a year ago (when this topic was more in the news):
"From 2002 to 2003 the annual fee for cemetary lighting and maintenance in Rome, under the ACEA monopoly, has gone up 73.83% according to the bills in my possession."
"With the new year the Express Mail stamp has gone down a few cents. Too bad that they reduced considerably the amount of weight permitted. Result: doubled mailing costs."
"My father uses an LPG tank for the kitchen. In 2000 a tank cost 45,000 lire [€23.24], now [2004] €50."
"I'm a university student and to partially maintain myself (I still live with my family) I naturally work off the books as a waiter. 8 hours of work for €25 twice a week. I assure you that when I was working back in the days of the lira, with 10,000 lire in my pocket I was a king; now instead with 5 euros I don't even know if I'll be able to make it home.."
"With €2600 net per month I felt pretty privileged until the arrival of the euro which has taken me back to my lifestyle 15 years ago when I made about 2,000,000 lire[€1000]. I've cut my car costs, sold my BMW 520 for a Ford Fiesta, I've cut out trips, I've given up the croissant with my coffee; I only permit myself social communication expenses like mobile phone, Internet and computer. My savings account has collapsed." [this writer is a doctor.]
They are all also up in arms over the ISTAT figures (like our CPI) that reported inflation in 2004 at about 2.2%.. Same situation: cell phones cost less, but who cares!!? Report the rises in basic necessities!
Somebody has the solution:
1) prendere Luigi Biggeri (presidente Istat)
2) dargli due bei cazzotti
3) prendersi denuncia per lesioni
4) difendersi dicendo che le percosse sono solo percepite ma non reali
"1) take Luigi Biggeri (president of ISTAT)
2) punch his lights out
3) get accused of assault
4) defend yourself saying the punches were only perceived, not real"