Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Who's holding Mexico's social ladder?
More Comfy Poverty with Coppel
When our living room (outdoor patio) furniture finally went to hell from use, time and the weather, my wife set out to replace it. Our instincts told
us that real rattan would serve and be comfortable but for us, way down here near Cabo San Lucas, it would be priced above our means. Rustico means
leather and unfinished wood but that’s not comfortable so on a whim, she popped into Coppel, Mexico’s Sears, Roebuck.
She spent $600 bucks for a three piece combo of chair, loveseat and couch – very comfy and in style and color, perfect for our jungle like outdoor
living space. We had saved up for a couple of months and paid cash like we do for almost everything we buy.
Now we are getting raves from our neighbors about the set and the price. I never cared much for Coppel but this is changing my mind a little. I have
the leisure of the mind change because I could afford (with some savings) to pay cash at the big credit store. They do a couple billion dollars of
sales a year, have 30,000 employees and 90% of all sales are on credit.
Over the years I’ve had mixed emotions about what that means to the Mexican buyers. I ask myself strange questions. It’s my trademark. Like “Did
Coppel and a couple other retail credit giants create the Mexican Middle Class?” and “If they did, is that good or bad?”.
I think I can ask even better questions. “Did the agrarian reform act do it, Pemex oil? How about the banks or the Government, the Congress, the
President, Carlos Slim Helu? I could argue that Slim gave them nothing more than a Zocalo Nacional – if I’m right about that the Government should pay
him another fortune. You need several hands to talk on the cell, tweet and text, hold the torch, cover your nose from the tear gas and throw rocks.
Ain’t gonna happen.
But I digress. I can only see this thing from my Southern Baja California perspective where the poorest of the poor in Mexico are often living in
cardboard boxes right on the ugly verges of the mall and sprawl of famous and exclusive resort destinations. It takes an ocean of sweat to crawl out
of that kind of poverty and those who do usually go from Cartonlandia to living with friends and or family to finally getting a place to call home.
The brilliant emblem of their work and success and perseverance is a Coppel Credit Card.
What a thrill it must be to tear the big cardboard box away from their new Coppel fridge and be able to throw it in the trash rather than have to
fashion it into a flimsy barrier against the wind. The thing that makes it all possible is the small down payment and relief of small payments every
two weeks up to eighteen months to pay it off.
For many, as they are able to get more and better employment, perhaps each move up the opportunity ladder signals more and bigger purchases at Coppel.
The moves no doubt come with an appropriate feeling of pride and accomplishment – they are moving up to a new and better place politicians call middle
class.
When the big white box truck with the bright Coppel sign arrives in the barrio, the locals only know that someone in the neighborhood is moving up or
their lucky string ran out, they couldn’t make their payments and the big shiny fridge is on its way back to the store to be sold as second hand
goods. Some may sneak into their beater pickups and drive away before the collectors reach their own little house.
Somehow it all works; Coppel is making millions, people are moving up the socio-economic ladder, defaulters go unpunished, the goods are recycled and
life goes on.
Decades ago they paved the way for Telmex that now makes the same long term connection of dependency with customers who cannot live without
television, computers, internet services and telephones.
In our little village I believe more than the majority of adults have Coppel credit cards so we often see the big trucks roll into town. We can sit on
our new Coppel furniture and witness the comings and goings of life in the village – I can see our doctor rushing a pregnant lady to the clinic in his
own car, watch some other slow and somber funeral procession pass by on their way to the pantheon; life played out here from birth to death. In
between, the lumbering Coppel trucks seen so often on our dirt streets make a powerful statement of work and success for people and commerce in
Mexico.
I’m sure many of my Mexican neighbors don’t see Coppel in that glowing light – they see a stern and greedy mother with the awful power to enable and
enslave. One who can give them not just what they need but what they crave, holding those things as rehenes, hostages to their pride and comfort with
the single swipe of a little blue piece of plastic and the promise of a better life if they play along.
[Edited on 3-17-2013 by Osprey]
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Martyman
Super Nomad
Posts: 1904
Registered: 9-10-2004
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Thanks-interesting.
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Cisco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4196
Registered: 12-30-2010
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
More Comfy Poverty with Coppel
When our living room (outdoor patio) furniture finally went to hell from use, time and the weather, my wife set out to replace it. Our instincts told
us that real rattan would serve and be comfortable but for us, way down here near Cabo San Lucas, it would be priced above our means. Rustico means
leather and unfinished wood but that’s not comfortable so on a whim, she popped into Coppel, Mexico’s Sears, Roebuck.
She spent $600 bucks for a three piece combo of chair, loveseat and couch – very comfy and in style and color, perfect for our jungle like outdoor
living space. We had saved up for a couple of months and paid cash like we do for almost everything we buy.
Now we are getting raves from our neighbors about the set and the price. I never cared much for Coppel but this is changing my mind a little. I have
the leisure of the mind change because I could afford (with some savings) to pay cash at the big credit store. They do a couple billion dollars of
sales a year, have 30,000 employees and 90% of all sales are on credit.
Over the years I’ve had mixed emotions about what that means to the Mexican buyers. I ask myself strange questions. It’s my trademark. Like “Did
Coppel and a couple other retail credit giants create the Mexican Middle Class?” and “If they did, is that good or bad?”.
I think I can ask even better questions. “Did the agrarian reform act do it, Pemex oil? How about the banks or the Government, the Congress, the
President, Carlos Slim Helu? I could argue that Slim gave them nothing more than a Zocalo Nacional – if I’m right about that the Government should pay
him another fortune. You need several hands to talk on the cell, tweet and text, hold the torch, cover your nose from the tear gas and throw rocks.
Ain’t gonna happen.
But I digress. I can only see this thing from my Southern Baja California perspective where the poorest of the poor in Mexico are often living in
cardboard boxes right on the ugly verges of the mall and sprawl of famous and exclusive resort destinations. It takes an ocean of sweat to crawl out
of that kind of poverty and those who do usually go from Cartonlandia to living with friends and or family to finally getting a place to call home.
The brilliant emblem of their work and success and perseverance is a Coppel Credit Card.
What a thrill it must be to tear the big cardboard box away from their new Coppel fridge and be able to throw it in the trash rather than have to
fashion it into a flimsy barrier against the wind. The thing that makes it all possible is the small down payment and relief of small payments every
two weeks up to eighteen months to pay it off.
For many, as they are able to get more and better employment, perhaps each move up the opportunity ladder signals more and bigger purchases at Coppel.
The moves no doubt come with an appropriate feeling of pride and accomplishment – they are moving up to a new and better place politicians call middle
class.
When the big white box truck with the bright Coppel sign arrives in the barrio, the locals only know that someone in the neighborhood is moving up or
their lucky string ran out, they couldn’t make their payments and the big shiny fridge is on its way back to the store to be sold as second hand
goods. Some may sneak into their beater pickups and drive away before the collectors reach their own little house.
Somehow it all works; Coppel is making millions, people are moving up the socio-economic ladder, defaulters go unpunished, the goods are recycled and
life goes on.
Decades ago they paved the way for Telmex that now makes the same long term connection of dependency with customers who cannot live without
television, computers, internet services and telephones.
In our little village I believe more than the majority of adults have Coppel credit cards so we often see the big trucks roll into town. We can sit on
our new Coppel furniture and witness the comings and goings of life in the village – I can see our doctor rushing a pregnant lady to the clinic in his
own car, watch some other slow and somber funeral procession pass by on their way to the pantheon; life played out here from birth to death. In
between, the lumbering Coppel trucks seen so often on our dirt streets make a powerful statement of work and success for people and commerce in
Mexico.
I’m sure many of my Mexican neighbors don’t see Coppel in that glowing light – they see a stern and greedy mother with the awful power to enable and
enslave. One who can give them not just what they need but what they crave, holding those things as rehenes, hostages to their pride and comfort with
the single swipe of a little blue piece of plastic and the promise of a better life if they play along.
[Edited on 3-17-2013 by Osprey] |
Thank You Jorge.
Very insightful and, as always, well written.
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bacquito
Super Nomad
Posts: 1615
Registered: 3-6-2007
Member Is Offline
Mood: jubilado
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| Quote: | Originally posted by soulpatch
Hmmmm, sounds like everywhere, huh? |
I've been traveling Mexico for years as a tourist and I have seen a growing middle class and it is interesting to tie it in to stores like Coppel,
Home Depot, Walmart, etc. and their willingness to sell on credit.
Thanks for the article.
[Edited on 3-22-2013 by bacquito]
bacquito
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
Member Is Offline
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The debt slavery thing is working so well in the US, they decided to export it.
http://www.infowars.com/debt-slavery-30-facts-about-debt-in-...
[Edited on 3-22-2013 by monoloco]
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