Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown • Hacker News Board

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#41

Post by whack » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:01 PM UTC

"Chinatown is way cheaper... I figured the prices were cheap because the selection is all C-grade bok choy and yesterday’s bananas.

Wrong again! Chinatown’s 80-plus produce markets are cheap because they are connected to a web of small farms and wholesalers that operate independently of the network supplying most mainstream supermarkets."

So what's stopping the mainstream supermarkets from doing the same thing, undercutting their competition while simultaneously increasing their profit margins? Somehow, this sounds too good to be true.

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#42

Post by rakpol » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:10 PM UTC

kelukelugames wrote: post #38

rakpol wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps there's more to it than snobbery? Take, as an anecdote, this list of food safety incidents in China [1]. Whether or not that's comparable to the issues in the North American food supply chain, someone felt that there was enough concern surrounding the quality Chinese food to write an article about it. Food for thought. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_safety_incidents_in_China

Exactly. This is why I use the word prejudice. We can extrapolate this to Muslims. Though the conversation won't be as lighthearted. I think snob effect is the main factor, as I listed it first. Assuming I jumped to xenophobia as the deciding factor is biased. Of course how we view Muslim immigrants and Chinese produce are orders of magnitude apart in impact.

Your original post mentioned that you thought the author was inappropriately associating low prices with low quality ... that's not prejudice, though, right? That's a bog-standard standard heuristic people in my culture use to establish value (see: putting weights in electronics to make them feel more 'premium'). IMHO, it is genuinely terrifying that melamine made it into so many chinese dairy products. Perhaps the media sensationalized it too much, making the event stand out in my memory over similar local events? Who knows.

I guess what I'm getting at is rushing to the conclusion that xenophobia is the only deciding factor here seems a bit premature, and that the problem itself is likely multifaceted.

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#43

Post by vinceguidry » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:12 PM UTC

whack wrote: post #41

"Chinatown is way cheaper... I figured the prices were cheap because the selection is all C-grade bok choy and yesterday’s bananas. Wrong again! Chinatown’s 80-plus produce markets are cheap because they are connected to a web of small farms and wholesalers that operate independently of the network supplying most mainstream supermarkets." So what's stopping the mainstream supermarkets from doing the same thing, under…

Demand. Chinatown can do it because it's ethnic residents don't just want a great selection of produce, they demand it. They want it bad enough to fuel an entire alternative supply chain. If the people buying Chinatown's produce were replaced by less-discerning customers, the produce markets would disappear overnight and the farmers would have to unload their current crops at cut-rate prices.

Normal customers don't want it that badly. So supermarkets can't rely on being able to continually turn a profit on such a risky endeavor.

A service doesn't just have to be ten times better than the alternatives to drive mainstream adoption. It also has to be something people want bad enough to pay to create an entire industry around delivering it.

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#44

Post by sotojuan » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:15 PM UTC

Alex3917 wrote: post #18

The veggies in NYC's hispanic green markets are also really cheap. Same with the produce in the Korean markets, the Cambodian markets, etc. While there might be something unique about the Chinese markets, I think in general stuff marketed to white people is just overpriced. Just look at how the cost of food at Smorgasburg compares with the cost of prepared food in Flushing, or at the price of housing between those tw…

Definitely true. My roommate was a Chinese international and he thought everyone in my college was crazy to pay so much for X Chinese dish or Y food at a restaurant or market. I started to agree with him once I began to go to places that aren't Whole Foods.

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#45

Post by jzwinck » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:16 PM UTC

jimmywanger wrote: post #17

I think that one factor is that in the Chinese culture, you don't expect everything to be good and available during all seasons. At a Whole Foods, you can reasonably be assured of asparagus in the winter time. In Chinatown, things are only available when they're in season, like a farmers' market. Also, if you've ever ordered at a Chinese restaurant with a Chinese family, you'll see this phenomenon. Instead of orderin…

Is this an American Chinese thing? I live in Asia and when I ask what's good they usually say something generic like "The rice dishes are good."

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#46

Post by sotojuan » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:18 PM UTC

AznHisoka wrote: post #20

Not trying to be stereotypical but perhaps it's just because Chinese people simply value price more than other people? one only needs to walk through Chinatown to see how much things are cheaper there. It's not just fruit and veggies but things like a haircut, repairing watches, bakeries and even pharmacies.

As much as it's stereotyped as dirty and loud, I'd love to move to Chinatown (maybe a quieter part of it!) just for the super low prices in everyday goods and foods.

I can get a filling, healthy lunch for $4-5 there!

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#47

Post by grok2 » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:19 PM UTC

vinceguidry wrote: post #43

whack wrote: post #41

"Chinatown is way cheaper... I figured the prices were cheap because the selection is all C-grade bok choy and yesterday’s bananas. Wrong again! Chinatown’s 80-plus produce markets are cheap because they are connected to a web of small farms and wholesalers that operate independently of the network supplying most mainstream supermarkets." So what's stopping the mainstream supermarkets from doing the same thing, under…

Demand. Chinatown can do it because it's ethnic residents don't just want a great selection of produce, they demand it. They want it bad enough to fuel an entire alternative supply chain. If the people buying Chinatown's produce were replaced by less-discerning customers, the produce markets would disappear overnight and the farmers would have to unload their current crops at cut-rate prices. Normal customers don't w…

This still doesn't explain why it is cheap -- it's cheap likely because there are not too many steps between the consumer and the producer? And not too much money spent on infrastructure...

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#48

Post by PakG1 » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:22 PM UTC

whack wrote: post #41

"Chinatown is way cheaper... I figured the prices were cheap because the selection is all C-grade bok choy and yesterday’s bananas. Wrong again! Chinatown’s 80-plus produce markets are cheap because they are connected to a web of small farms and wholesalers that operate independently of the network supplying most mainstream supermarkets." So what's stopping the mainstream supermarkets from doing the same thing, under…

Supermarkets have to operate at scale, and their inventory has to be a relative mirror image across all locations, as well as match prices they plan and advertise in advance. To enable that standardization, there's a lot of central planning, and I imagine also a lot of centralized logistics.

These farmer market-style operations are much more fluid and flexible.

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#49

Post by thomasfoster96 » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:25 PM UTC

jsprogrammer wrote: post #9

jedberg wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of just click the "web" link below the title.

Would be nice if the Google link were on the front page instead of having to waste many seconds dealing with this bullshite (go to page, full text loads, split second later screen flashes and locks down, make it out to HN, look for Google link, almost flag post, wait for discussions to load, find Google/web link, wait,find correct link, reload same content, discover fluff).

If loading a small text page is a hassle... I'm not sure what millennium your connection is in.

Re: Why Fruits and Veggies Are So Cheap in Chinatown

#50

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Jun 26, 2016, 6:26 PM UTC

hackuser wrote: post #40

I don't understand how this works out: > Because the wholesalers are in Chinatown, they can deliver fresh produce several times a day, eliminating the need for retailers to maintain storage space or refrigeration Somebody has to store the inventory someplace, incurring those storage costs, whether it's the retailer, wholesaler, or someone further upstream. And regardless of who stores it, I'd expect those costs to ha…

[deleted]