Cuba: Sales in foreign currency increase and discounts are applied in CUC

A week has passed since the start of sales in convertible currencies in Havana and Santiago de Cuba, with magnetic cards of accounts in freely convertible currencies, and of the parallel price reductions in CUC of some electronic products.

Sales in the new stores

Sales in convertible currencies in the new stores have shown an upward trend. Regarding this, the head of the Sales Group of the Marketing Department of the Caribe Store Chain emphasized: "Right now, some clients are already requesting other types of products that we are not currently selling, primarily aimed at the self-employed sector; we are talking about display refrigerators and vacuum cleaners. It is up to us to evaluate and expand the assortment we are currently selling. Clients are not providing a series of guidelines, because we are constantly monitoring them."

The most requested products so far are split-type refrigerators and freezers. Although it was anticipated that the motorized refrigerators would sell more quickly, this hasn't been the case. The market has the final say.

Regarding the opening of these new stores in other provinces of the country, Amilkar Odelín Ante, commercial director of the Caribe Store Chain, explained: "Once we have the inventory, we'll move on to a second phase, in some territories that meet the conditions. We'll do this gradually; we have to try to consolidate our work and credibility in the different provinces."

The Caribe chain of stores plans to add five territories in a second phase, for sales in convertible currencies:

1. Holguin
2. Camaguey
3. Casas Particulares Cienfuegos
4. Villa Clara
5. Isla de la Juventud

Discounts on CUC

Bella Aurora Milanés Molina, head of the Sales Group of the Marketing Department of the Caribe Store Chain has assured: “Our customers must have peace of mind, all these products that we sell in CUC They will remain in our stores constantly, and will receive the utmost attention from our employees.”

Cuba applied a price reduction in CUC from 10 to 15 percent. In the case of Tiendas Caribe for three products: semi-automatic washing machines, refrigerators up to 11 cubic feet, and 32-cubic-foot televisions. And sales have increased.

"It has represented approximately a 30 percent increase in sales. There are two pieces of equipment—semi-automatic washing machines and refrigerators—that were already showing positive movement, and now they are increasing. The outlook is that it will be greater to the extent that we are able to maintain effective replenishment. Sometimes they sell out quickly due to the capacity of the location, and then you have to have a differentiated distribution system for this, although you have to have it for the MLC, also for the CUC", stressed the commercial director of the Caribe Chain of Stores.

Procedures and sales

To streamline the appliance sales process, the number of ownership and warranty certificates completed was reduced by 50 percent.

Regarding the limit of products to buy, Amilkar Odelín explained: "All of this starts with a lack of availability, a vague view of market behavior. What we want is to gradually evaluate, so that it reaches more of the population, because we know that in these matters there can be market speculation by some clients."

"We decided to set a limit of two items per card, except for the motorcycle, which will be limited to one per card. We're still evaluating this; perhaps in 15 or 20 days we'll be issuing new guidelines. There are products that we already consider safe to open because they have a warranty and, furthermore, the behavior isn't explosive," the Caribe sales director concluded.

https://www.facebook.com/cubadebate/videos/420419255518050/