Regular readers of this Blog may recall a couple of earlier
postings about a small Convenience/Grocery store in Loreto Bay a few years ago http://livingloreto.blogspot.mx/2009/11/convenience-comes-to-loreto-bay.html, ),
and more recently a produce store that operated in the community one Season (http://livingloreto.blogspot.mx/2012/01/jovina-and-ulises-entrepreneurs-in.html). However, following the closing of both stores
by last Season, it has been almost a year since we have had access to a food store
within Loreto Bay. That changed about a
month ago with the opening of The Loreto Bay General Store.
Jeff and Claudia have lived in the Community for about
eighteen months with their 3 school aged children, and without a local store
for about half of that time (meaning a round trip to Loreto 15 km each way for
a loaf of bread or a jug of milk) they were acutely aware of the need for local
shopping. Because Claudia comes from Toluca on the mainland, which is the
center of the cut flower industry in Mexico, she was originally thinking of
opening a flower shop. But with the
economics of staffing and overhead they soon started to think on a larger scale
and the concept for The General Store began to develop.
After several months of planning late last year, the store
opened just after New Years with small selection of basics, from which their
inventory continues to have grown as they establish more suppliers and
determine what their Loreto Bay clientele want.
To begin with Jeff started with the basics that were everyday staples
that his family regularly used, but in response to the early feedback (no pun
intended) from customers he is developing a niche market for organic, gluten
free, vegetarian and even vegan foods.
This is perhaps not surprising, given that these types of
products are hard to impossible to find in the regular food stores in Loreto,
and often have to be imported from the US.
Jeff has also observed that the customers who want these specialty
products are not as price conscious about them because they are used to paying
a premium for them "back home" and so expect to pay more for them
here.
In my own experience, living here over the past 6 or 7
years, I do not pay a lot of attention to the prices for my regular groceries
for a combination of reasons, depending on where you shop often the prices are
not posted, and if they are, then you have to convert from pesos to dollars to
make a comparison. Also, in most cases basic foods here are relatively cheap by
North American standards and the more exotic imported specialties which are
more expensive are an indulgence that I am prepared to pay for. One example that comes to mind is a roasting
chicken, when I return to Canada it takes me a while to get used paying up to the
$10.00 or $12.00 price for one in a Supermarket there - after only spending
about $5.00 for one here in the Baja.
Another good source of business that Jeff has found since
opening the store is the large numbers of workers here in Loreto Bay who are
usually his first customers in the morning buying coffee and breakfast snacks
and cold drinks during the day, including of course the ubiquitous Coca
Cola. Mexico has the highest per capita
consumption of Coke in the world, and a two or three liter bottle is not an
unusual daily ration for a typical worker here! 
Jeff's wife Claudia receives regular shipments of cut
flowers on Thursdays by air from the mainland and assembles arrangements to
order for delivery in Loreto Bay, and then she usually prepares the rest of the
week's shipment into other displays that are for sale in the store. It is important for me to point out how
unique it is to have access to fresh cut flowers here in a relatively remote
place like Loreto. Although I have often
said that living in Loreto Bay is like living in the middle of a garden, as we
are surrounded by acres of beautifully manicured plantings along the pathways
and courtyards that separate our homes - having a beautiful display of
cultivated flowers in your home here is a luxury that was previously hard to
find.
Currently, in addition to a growing selection of packaged
foods, several types of wine and a variety of liquor, with of course beer and
other cold drinks and dairy products, a small stock of regular and organic
fruits and vegetables, a rack of packaged breads, and a freezer of ice cream
novelties, The General Store also has a small "transportation department"
with a brand new 4 passenger electric golf cart and a pair of electric scooters
available for rent. Aside from being a
lot of fun to drive around, these vehicles can provide an important option,
particularly to renters or Homeowners with visitors who have mobility issues. With all of our gas powered vehicle parking
limited to the Paseo (or main street that bisects the Development) with battery
power the cart and scooters can be used anywhere on the miles of pathways in
Loreto Bay.
In the near future,
Jeff promises that he will soon be adding a freezer with fish filets and other
seafood, steaks, and packaged meats, an expanded selection of dairy products
including cheeses and more shelving for fresh produce. In addition to a display counter for floral
arrangements there will be refrigerated storage for cut flowers and an expanded
gift and souvenir selection with some more Loreto Bay wearables and other
products.
In addition to the cash and carry business, The General
Store is set up for online shopping as well.
There is a website for the store: www.loretostore.com where, in addition
to the products they have in stock, they can provide a shopping service for any
foods available in the town of Loreto for a flat fee of $12 including delivery
to your Loreto Bay home. This should be
a popular service particularly for those short term residents who do not have
access to a vehicle and have to pay double that amount for a taxi one way into
town for shopping.
Flowers can be ordered online at www.loretoflowers.com with
delivery to a Loreto Bay home included, making it now possible for friends and
family of people spending the winter in Loreto Bay to order a sure to be
appreciated gift from anywhere in the world and have that special floral
arrangement delivered to a loved one at their home here - World Wide Web
indeed!
For Jeff and Claudia The General Store is a family
affair. Jeff usually starts his day
opening the store in the morning with their employee Leilani, and then he puts
in his regular work day as Director of the Homex operations here. Claudia takes daughters Paula, Megan and
Madeline into town for school in the mornings and then often spends most of the
middle of the day at the store or running errands. Jeff closes the store after
his "day job" and so the week goes until Sundays, which is
"family day" at the store when they and the kids all spend the day
there together.
So it is with thanks to this hard working family, who are
making a sizable investment of time and treasure, to bring all of us who live
here the convenience of a neighborhood store with a combination of staple
foods, hard to find imports and the luxury of fresh flowers to beautify our
homes. I trust that they will receive
the custom and support of the community they are making this important
contribution to "Living Loreto"!
