In dialogue with 0221.com.arthe manager Micaela Viaggi Vandenrock He said that “coming thinking about closing was never an option, Monkey has been coming for 5 years and we planned to continue like this; apart from the vibe we have with the neighbors, with the clients, we love our community.”
Monkey Beer.jpg
Monkey Beer brewery closed its doors at the end of April.
However, the “excessive increase in services is an unsustainable thing,” he said, adding that it is something that is repeated in other locations in the city. “Everything increases except people’s salaries; and this is really sad because on top of that, no one realizes that we are leaving, neither us as employees nor the clients,” she added then.
Merchants’ concern about high rates and drops in sales
Merchants of The Silver They stated that they were very concerned after the increase of more than 300% between the last two electricity and gas bills. They indicated that although they could transfer the increases to their sales assets, “people no longer have money.”
This was indicated by the head of the Platense Bakers Association, Hugo Natale. “Product values are sometimes not increased so as not to lose revenue, but there have been adjustments in some prices,” he said, while mentioning that several colleagues told him about massive increases in prices. rates Of gas.
“Everyone charges as they can according to their clientele. But if there are more increases in services, over time, business closures will be massive,” lamented the leader.
The situation is critical since consumers do not have the money necessary to buy basic products. “There is a logical equation. Who can spend 5,000 pesos per day on a bakery If you buy bread, breadcrumbs and some cookies? “They don’t give the numbers to the average wage earner,” he concluded in dialogue with The day.
In the same field, the baker from La Plata Carlos Proia He said that “he paid 33,000 pesos for electricity and now 68,000; for gas it came to 160,000 pesos, 300% more.” Rates not only rose in the region, but throughout the country. From the sector they estimate that about 160 bakeries closed in Argentina because they could not maintain themselves.
“Rents are another important factor, a bakery near Meridiano is going to close because it cannot renew the contract,” Proia added.
The drop in consumption and the high cost of tariffs is reflected in the operation of the oven. While before they used it to cook between 10 and 15 bags of flour per day, they are currently using one, but with the same energy cost.
If the present is complicated for bread, it is even more so for sellers of more elaborate products, such as crumb sandwiches. “The breadcrumb manufacturers say they have no sales, it costs 7,000 pesos to make four dozen sandwiches. To that we must add the cold cuts, the mayonnaise and the cost of the employee, one unit ends up costing 1,000 pesos,” said the baker. .
Other areas of La Plata affected
The textile and gastronomic entrepreneur Martin Bizet He maintained that the cost of electricity tripled and the rent update was around 50%. “Salaries are also becoming difficult for us, we have sky-high fixed costs and totally depressed consumption. We have very low profits. We are beginning to see businesses closing in City Bell, four or five in Plaza Belgrano, two or three in Cantilo and in the transversal roads too, something that was not seen,” he pointed out.
He indicated that there is a marked concern in the sector: “Commerce is the most thriving activity at the GDP level, it represents 17% and there may be serious job losses,” analyzed the businessman.
Meanwhile, since the Association of Friends of Calle 12the trader Martin Ranea He maintained that this is a time for rent renewal and said that the increase in electricity was huge and has not yet been fully reflected in the prices.
“It is known that gas is going to increase in 30 or 60 days, so we have to start predicting what will increase, but in a scenario that if one goes too far, sales drop even more. We have to be very attentive,” Ranea concluded. .
