Exotic Shops.

[Jussi]

Just thight it woukd be a nice thing to have a thread about exotic shops, eg: places which we can get things we miss from back home, asian shops, american shops etc. I think it will make a nice point of reference for all the newbies and even the people who have been here a while might find out a new shop or 2.

Anyway I'll start:

In oulu:

Torikatu 25 - Asian Shop - Sells all sorts of asian food stuffs both fresh and preserved and sweetened condensed milk. for all the non asian people the girl gives asian cooking classes.

Cheers



Jussi

[karen]

Good idea!

Lots of American stuff is sold at Behnford's in Helsinki. It's located in the WTC building.

I had planned to try to find some of the Asian/Eastern shops in Hakaniemi today, but laziness won out and I'm spending the day at home. Big thanks to whomever it was that posted that Hämeentie 3 address. I've had a few people draw me maps, but none knew the addresses. I'm more of an exact location with reference points kind of person.

[superiorinferior]

Good idea!

Lots of American stuff is sold at Behnford's in Helsinki. It's located in the WTC building.

Has anyone at Behnford's been able to explain why things there are so expensive? I mean 13 euros for a jar of peanut butter, 10 euros for a bottle of cheap mustard? I know the import costs and taxes must add to it, but they can't possibly jack prices up to 10 times the cost of what these items would cost retail in the States -- god knows how much more of a markup from the wholesale cost of these things!

Not that I'm particularly in need of anything they have there... I think they would do much more business if they brought down their prices somewhat.

I don't want to sound like I'm whining, it's just an honest question.

I mean, if Stockmann got the idea to start catering to all the Yank Nokialaiset and opened an "Americun" section to their expanding Herkku section, I think Behnford's would be hard pressed to compete. Stockmann, while pricey in it's own charming way, would definitely be able to have lower prices.

Forgive me if this is a hijack.

[karen]

I noticed that the Skippy peanut butter is from France. I've purchased exactly two things from Behnford's. I tend to really stock up when I'm at home. But it's nice that it's there for people who don't have any other options.

[ajdias]

has anyone at Behnford's been able to explain why things there are so expensive? I mean 13 euros for a jar of peanut butter, 10 euros for a bottle of cheap mustard? I know the import costs and taxes must add to it, but they can't possibly jack prices up to 10 times the cost of what these items would cost retail in the States -- god knows how much more of a markup from the wholesale cost of these things!

I haven't been to the shop nor do I have an idea of how much expensive products are in general then in the US, but I do have an idea of how things can get really expensive since I am trying to arrange a system with my fellow expats to get here some of the treats they miss from home at very reasonable prices (yes Hank, there'll be the smelly dried fish).
Take weight, its a big factor on transportation specially with those products whose value per kilo is low - say, something that costs below 1 euro a kilo will get really pricey once it gets here.
There's VAT - 17% here, how much in the states?
There are the middlemen that take their commission.
Add up the cost of runnig a small place in central Helsinki.

And you comparing different things - can't compare behnford's with big stores like wal martm (?), youn should look at covenience stores to start with, they play a similar role.
And I don't get the beef ppl have with this (or other) small shop having high prices but when they get similar prices from stockmanns and other big retailers. Hell, shouldn't they be the ones offering the good deals? they are the ones making millions, not BNf's, they're the ones you could compare to the local fancy supermarkets

[Lilianne]

Tampere

http://www.qualityfoods.fi/

Has a wide variety of organic foods, flours, snacks, Walkers crisps, different British sodas, yoghurt snacks, sweets, organic chocolate...

Punnitse ja Säästä
Tullintorin kauppakeskus (behind the railway station)
Phone: (03) 2149955
Open: Mon - Fri 10.00 – 18.00

Sat 10.00 – 16.00


Punnitse ja Säästä Kuninkaankatu 17 (across from the Anttila department store)
Phone: (03) 2121479
Open: Mon - Fri 10.00 – 18.00

Sat 10.00 – 16.00

[ajdias]

back on topic the asian shop in kolmas linja - near haamentie 3, has great prices for most things I buy there. Can't say for the other goods but I have been a client for a few months (it's a relatively new shop) and everytime I go there there's more and more people buying.

Don't know the name (I've seen it somewhere else in the board )but you can't miss it in red
__
EDIT, for the direction impaired:

Aseanic Trading Oy
Kolmas linja 3

[superiorinferior]

The only thing that should cost more than 10 euros a bottle is some fine wine. Period. Not yellow mustard, no matter its fine heritage of travel, taxes and gigantic markup.

[karen]

The only thing that should cost more than 10 euros a bottle is some fine wine. Period. Not yellow mustard, no matter its fine heritage of travel, taxes and gigantic markup.

Your opinion

I paid 6 euros for a small jar of pickles there. Worth every penny.

[ajdias]

The only thing that should cost more than 10 euros a bottle is some fine wine. Period. Not yellow mustard, no matter its fine heritage of travel, taxes and gigantic markup.

Ask the market
Probably they understood that such products would be so expensive anyway that ppl willing to pay 9,99 euros for it would also pay 13...

[Hank W.]

Hakaniemi.
ViiVoan on Hämeentie. Around the corner behind the Market Hall "Bombay Market" that also rents out Bollywood movies. Up Hämeentie on the ViiVoan side theres an ethnic store with your run-of-the-mill Mid-Eastern stuff, then an African Hairdresser and an African store. The selection of foodstuffs isn't that big, but the price ratio is decent, they have stuff like Nestle condenced milk and spices and stuff + very jovial shopkeeper. There is also a larger run-of-the-mill mid-eastern halal&harissa store downstairs on Hakaniemi Metro station market side.

[superiorinferior]

Probably they understood that such products would be so expensive anyway that ppl willing to pay 9,99 euros for it would also pay 13...

Ahh... I think you're on to something!

Anyway, if the Asian markets can sell stuff reasonably cheap (and they do, boy they do!), then Behnford's could too.

[ajdias]

I buy from asian shops too, they sell different stuff - they sell daily products that you useon a daily basis and call easily find substitutes, many of them in regular supermarkets.

On the other hand BNF's seen to be on the business of delicacies and their specialties are those products that have no direct substitute (i've only seen it from the outside) - be it real or imaginary ( americans'/ foreigners' taste). And if you go to some of those asian shops you'll find out that some products are overpriced too. And, the shops in haameentie keep an eye on each other's prices - remember being to a few of them at a time and noticing that the 10 or 20 cents discount from shop to shop going from the center towards sörnäinen.

Ahh... I think you're on to something!

It's (in)elasticy.

Elasticity is a measure of responsiveness. It tells how much one thing changes when you change something else that affects it.

For example, the elasticity of demand tells us how much the quantity demanded changes when the price changes. The elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of quantity demanded to changes in the price charged.

Elasticity = Responsiveness

I am not trying to justify or defend BNF's pricing decisions, just pointing out some possible explanations.

And, even though you didn't implied otherwise, you can get a good bottle of wine for less than 10 euros

[Hank W.]

Behnfords is for the rich & retarded who cannot eat Dominos but require Oreos, that cannot eat Amona but demand Skippys and nothing beats a Hershey Bar, not even Fazer (let alone Estonian Kalev).

So if you are fixated to smelly dried fish ( ajdias ) you have to get your smelly dried fish and if the locals think that the smelly fish should be diluted in lye first to make it edible - either you eat lutefisk or try procuring your dried fish. Easy as that.

I know - been sending Salmiakki and Finnish pulla spices care packages

BTW Behnfords is located in about the most expensive location in town.

[superiorinferior]

BTW Behnfords is located in about the most expensive location in town.

Right next door to one of the cheapest haircuts in downtown, though...