worrying times in pp

[med777]

Having just sold a 35y/o family business last year... Im not sure I am reading this rite...u guys are saying that BUSINESS OWNERS are buying from retail outlets ?
(ok... the TEX MEX scenario... why wouldn't they do that... they have a boot in both camps.. sound business... no ?) But if are u saying that, that is HOW the other businesses do thier buying in PP ?
Seriously, I cannot think that there is so much difference from the UK & PP. It is the reason u have trade only suppliers, wholesalers & cash'n' carrys.
Alternatively... are u saying that business is so bad, that there is no credit left for these local businessmen and they are having to resort to buying , CASH, at the local supermarkets ????

And if this is this case... then hell mend 'em... cos they aint sourcing, researching and generally doing the homework... which is all part and parcel
of running your own business, whatever is going down around ya !

Miriam

 

[BonysLad]

Miriam,

It wasn't a comment re sourcing ( not business nepotism cos Tex Mex and Bonys are totally separate business entities) or any comment on credit worthiness.

Comment was solely around price in that if we, the final consumers, are paying margins towards two retail outlets in the final price of a drink or meal, then when the market gets tough, like now, surely there has to be some margin for price flexibility ????

........................................ And if we think things can only get worse, have just been reading the Budget Proposals for 2010 shortly to go before the Spanish Govt. VAT ( IVA) headline rate being increased by a full two percentage points to 18 %. Now, most of us are really only affected by the special 7 % rate ( restaurant prices/travel etc) but can't see , as yet, any proposals on this ( will need the "small print" ). And if, we've had enough and want to sell up, Capital Gains Tax being increased to 21% on annual gains of
E6,000 or more !!!!!!

Mind you , think UK VAT will be 20% next year !!!!!

BonysLad

 

[BonysLad]

Now, most of us are really only affected by the special 7 % rate ( restaurant prices/travel etc) but can't see , as yet, any proposals on this ( will need the "small print" ).

BonysLad

Hi Guys,

Seen it now and it's going to 8 % from 7 %. So a 1 percentage point increase before other inflationary pressures for us , next year.

BonysLad

 

[pollensa]

Just to say that I've moved the comments on cleaning costs etc. to http://www.forum.puertopollensa.com/living-working-pollensa-area/5264-property-care-costs.html as we were moving away from the original topic on the escalating costs of holidaying in PP.

 

[Rosie34]

OK BJ Spill. What company will rent a 3 bed villa with pool for £165. Return flights for £75? (including taxes?). Tell us your secret!!!

Adios

Dave

That was my next question as well!!

 

[B J]

OK BJ Spill. What company will rent a 3 bed villa with pool for £165. Return flights for £75? (including taxes?). Tell us your secret!!!

Adios

Dave

HI Dave & Rosi
No secrets all flights are with Bmi Baby & Easyjet & include taxes, all villas are booked with English villa companies on the computer .Flights from E/MIDLANDS
eg 2007 may flight £131 villa £98 oct fl £147 v £154
08 may fl £159 v £220 oct fl £160 v £190
09 may fl £162 v £169 oct fl £148 v £165
Different villa company most times,the october 09 one is with Thompsons and was booked in June 2009.
BJ

 

[its cd]

Maybe these companies ( like Thompsons ) have paid the owners a rate for the full season for the Villa and are just getting back what they can for quiet weeks ( but then again if you booked as early as June , I'm not so sure )

Anyway BJ good for you ........... maybe I need to rethink the old adage " if it seems too good to be true it probably is ....."

 

[shotokan]

Well, the buzz of this thread obviously reflects the collective strength of opinion (and views) on this topic. Clearly something is amiss with Port Pricing and VFM!

Personally, I have witnessed the ridiculous attempts of rip-off retail stores (e.g. Spar nearest Llenaire where I swear I preferred to travel far past, rather than be mugged) and restos throughout August of this year. I have felt sorry for newbies in the Port who were not in a position to make alternative comparative choices and have ended up paying well over the odds. It's heartbreaking to see them be charged the equivalent of a full weeks shop for a couple of plastic bags of essentials!

We hire a car and first stop is the big Alcampo and this year the price differetials with the Port were even more marked than usual. What I found interesting is how the prices vary from one Eroski to another (wildly with some things!).

I think that numbers will have to drop for such practices to get the message - or go out of business (in the way a very cold winter is sometimes needed to kill vermin) Hopefully the authentic, high quality establishments with a long standing reputation and clientelle will weather any economic climate.

But what is clear is that if you have to, and with some good research on here, you can find fantastic value for money for meals and live very happily in a beautiful location within a relatively strict budget if necessary. As we had most of our cash being used up for paying the apartment owner cash (;-) we had to be careful the first 10 days of our month long holiday. We shopped carefully, ate MDDs in Tango's, Brisa etc, and during the day had baguettes with tuna or spanish omlette that cost us buttons. We travelled to some lovely hidden coves with a couple of little beach chairs we bought rather than spend 11 Euro a day for 4 weeks...and loved it.

Later in the hol we went to Stay etc, but found a balance that matched funds...and to be honest we enjoyed every moment...

Now we spent much of our time in our apartment overlooking the bay, with a bottle or two of wine... friends out there get 5 litres of gorgeous silky red for 9E, so that helped on one or two nights. Much less time drinking in the Port 'cos we were generally so chilled. Simple starters, then maybe mussels or a Pasta Marinara & garlic baguettes would cost us cents... I do my bit, but it does help to have a wife who knocks these things up in no time with a smile...

So, we ended up fine for cash but had just as good a holiday as we've had splurging over a shorter time period.

I absolutely agree that it makes sense to take out plenty of suncreams etc (which I pack in my golf bag with heavy toiletries as there is no weigh-in there). we were asked to bring extra for resident friends.

We love the wider area, but do not spend all our time in the busy Port, instead looking for peace, sun and beauty. This part of the world has all in spades and that will never essentially change for PP and its surrounding areas.

... Hope to see some of you there some day!
x
S

 

[Belladonna]

Good points made there SK. I think basically the point to survival is to treat the place as a home from home, rather than a holiday. i.e. no longer go there with the idea it's a holiday; so damn the expense for a couple of weeks, rather, do as you do at home and shop sensibly, spending a little more time and effort cutting down on as much as you can, when you can, and saving for the well earned splurge!

This is possibly a different track for a lot of people and can be fine for those of us who know the area and go can go straight to these places which are sometimes not always on the main tourist stretch. But it is still going to be a shock for those who do not read this site (yes, I know its hard to believe, but there are some!) and so go to the establishments most easily seen.
This of course does make it easy for the higher priced merchants to keep their prices high during the tourist season, I'm not sure if that can be changed by us! But out of season is certainly a different matter - as long as the lower priced ones havent gone out of business beforehand!

Oh, and SK, hope you do the washing up afterwards!

 

[louellamousie]

And the prices go up and up

I have just returned to my apartment after spending summer in england and I'm saddened that the retaurants and supermarkets seem to be ignoring the international credit crunch situation. I understand that most stuff has to be imported but its the same in England and yes, i do relise there is less bulk buying here but supermarkets like eroski certainly have the clout to buy big and pass on savings to customers. Also, the cost of wine-both in supermarkets and restaurants, seems to have really shot up. Yes, there are bargains to be had but rarely whwen eating out. House wines seem to have shot up in price. I still love it here but agree that the restaurant owners and supermarket bosses alike need to radically re-think their pricing policies if they are to keep their share of the shrinking tourist market.

 

[shotokan]

I completely agree with what's been said in the last two posts....(and yup Bella...I am PPs best dishwasher when in town!) LOL!

 

[Grandad]

Wow, what good interesting reading this has made. I was out in PP for the whole of August and find most of what has been written very true and I hope enlightening to any newcomers to the site. On my own,cost is not a major factor when eating drinking out, but when my family joined me WOW. meal
for 4 with drinks 80/100 £'s/euros. This in an average bar/restaurant.In no way can you do this for 7/14 days. In UK which we tend to compare prices the same meal can be obtained for less that £40 for 4 people. One of my major complaints against the restaurants is the price of Water!!! small bottle
and they charge 1.80 euro. I know some of you were complaining about the wine but the bottled water rip off is even worse. Snack at lunchtime 12 euro plus 4 bottles of their water brings it to 18 euro. Too much!!

2010. Flight prices from UK have gone up by 25% and for me to come out beginning of June an increase of 80%. £75 this year (£130/150 for 2010)
Car hire from Palma has doubled, even out of season .
Taxi prices compared with other countries 20% too high.
Cost of a pint in PP this year most drinking establishments 3.euro and talking to them they admit they have had to bring their prices down and told me they will be bringing them down even more (Hopefully).

So, despite the negatives, the dog dirt, beeches that didn't get raked, the terrible road markings, etc. I STILL LOVE YOU P.POLLENSA

 

[Pollpott]

Grandad,
To quote you..."So, despite the negatives, the dog dirt, beeches that didn't get raked, the terrible road markings, etc. I STILL LOVE YOU P.POLLENSA"
That's the problem with most of us, no matter what, we still love Pollensa.
Let's be fair - we may have to pay over the odds for a meal, a couple of pints and a bottle of wine. The prices in the supermarkets, the flights and the car hire have all increased. But for most of us it's just for 2 weeks of the year and wel worth the cost. I know others spend a lot more time there, and some actually live there, but as far as I am concerned I am quite willing to pay that bit extra for a fortnight in paradise.
To reduce the extra cost you can always forget the hire car, eat out a couple of nights less than you normally do, buy cheaper wine, buy less food etc... Personally, I didn't spend any more this year than I did last year. And I would rather spend 2 weeks in PP than a month anywhere else.
I know a couple of my posts, after I came back from PP this year, were a bit critical of the place but I know I'll be going again next year.
I haven't yet booked for next year but I know for sure that I certainly will within the next couple of months. Where else is there that can match PP?
Don't answer that... the answer is Nowhere!
Tony

 

[Rangers1]

Just to say yes prices are higher however we ate out each day for 14 days in the evening for about 100 euros with main course 2 sweets and drinks and after the 1st few days didnt give a thought about the actual cost just enjoyed it and got on with it.

Thats not to say i dont think the prices are to high as they are with regard to the price of a pint 3 euros you will pay that in some grotty bars in the UK so i suppose some of you will say im glad you can afford it yes i can through hard saving and nothing will get in the way of our 2 weeks in PP.

the one thing that is going to change is the cost of car hire for next year i may not hire a car at all as for 5 of us we are talking £650 plus .

Cheers

Gordon

 

[shotokan]

...well it cost me £370 for a month's car hire in August, so can'y complain.

Am back out next week and 5 days hire for a Focus is costing around £65...happy with that!

Plan ahead, Do The Research, Shop Around!

 

[Rangers1]

I have been shopping around for car hire and we had cheap gar hire this year but i will have a bet with you ,you wont get a months car hire next august for that price so as you say, you amy well need to do your research etc any good tips with websites for car hire?

 

[Rab]

I think the amount of people missing the op's point is staggering. The regular posters on here are probably in the main middle-class, middle-England type of people who have found a wee bit of paradise that is different fron other parts of majorca. They are working, have a few bob and are happy to pay a wee bit over the odds for their wee shot of paradise. THIS IS NOT A CRITICISM.

It is the newcomers to this wonderul town that I feel arent seeing the best it has to offer. They have scrimped and saved despite hard times to come to a place reccomended to them and they are dissulusioned. All they do is compare the prices of food/drink/taxis to other resorts, they compare the prices of essentials in the Caprabo/Spar to the prices in their local Asda and none of it stacks up. They leave the resort skint despite trying to budget, fed-up and vowing "never again".

Like any business PP cant really on its old/trusted customers. It has to reach out to new customers and embrace them when they come. If it doesnt there are loads of other similar resorts be it in Portugal, Turkey etc. who will.

 

[smg]

I "am working, have a few bob, & am happy to pay a wee bit over the odds for my wee shot of paradise" BUT after many years of going to PP 2009 was a real shocker - £4k for a week in May, with no real ambience due to lack of people, little entertainment in restaurants, no life to speak of on Pine Walk or in the Square, an intrusive road that no-one used, no public loos open, and faced with for 2010 : 25% increase in villa rental, similar on flights with reduced frequency, God knows what with car hire, euro @ parity, ( OK, that's Brown's fault, not PP's ) I'm afraid it's somewhere else for us next year.

Not an enticing prospect, but an economic & ambient necessity.

What say the PP businesses? - an oft-heard cry, but with seemingly little response.

 

[CathB]

have just returned from a week in PP and yes, things are changing there and not always for the better.Talking to friends who are in buisiness there and they were saying that there are many front line bars and shops closing due to very high rentals and overheads and lack of tourists this year.I agree about the supermarkets..We do not have a car therefore shop in the port so the first big shopping trip is usualy Eroski (the old Caprabo)..but beware of being overcharged.My friend and I double checked prices of a number of items where it was not clear which product was on special offer (i even checked the barcodes on the products against the displayed price )to ensure that I was selecting the right thing ..at the checkout the goods are quickly scanned and you are in a hurry to pack them up so I did not notice but when I got back to the apartment and checked my receipt I found I had been overcharged on several things - by about 6 euros in total !!! - and yes Rab I am working but I do not like being ripped off and I am not willing to pay over the odds for goods or poor service anywhere
However the good far outweighs the bad and PP still the place for me...Roll on April next year (and July too )

 

[pescador2009]

Most surprised at 'smg' comments - see above.
I was also in PP end of May / then into June (10 nights in all).
Also working.... etc., etc., and willing to pay a bit over the odds for a bit of 'Paradise' (just walk down to the I'lla D'or, have a beer and look across the bay... that's Paradise).
I did find ambience, I did find people around (or enough for my liking anyway), didn't look for entertainment but certainly enjoyed the restaurants (yes... everyone I went in, but I/we did choose carefully), plenty of life on the Pine Walk (just sit with a coffee at the Miramar and people-watch, plenty walking by), lots of of life in the Square on Market Day (Wednesday) and of an evening (people-watching again... people eating, people drinking at Boney's, etc., etc., children playing). Very quiet in the Square on my
8a.m. walk... wonderful, just a few locals around going about their domestic duties, quite Mallorcian in fact.
The 'intrusive road' makes a wonderful short cut on the way to Alcudia and all points south-east and keeps lots of traffic off the coast road (town centre, past the Marina towards Llenaire, etc.) it really does work and will be used more and more as time goes by, believe me.
I don't know how big his/her party was for £4K so early in the season, seems a lot for a week. We (two of us/three of us for five days) had an excellent two bedroomed apartment with large sunny balcony just a couple of mins. back from the Pine Walk and the sea, hired a car (Hertz... always a quality vehicle with very low mileage), ate out seven nights out of our ten, at O'Lume, Stay, Tango, La Llonja, Trio, Brisa Marina, Miramar. Ate in three times, fresh whole Sea Bass from Eroski twice, Medallions of Pork etc. the other... complete with starters, sweet, bottle (or two) of wine, etc., etc.
Overall cost including flights from "up north" just under £2.5K
Already priced up a similar holiday for next year (but not yet booked), it looks like about £3K an overall increase of some 20%. Is it worth it or should we go somewhere else??
Well... there are many places in PP and Pollensa town I haven't eaten at yet, even though I have been to PP on many occasions. It is still civilised (unless you look for the worst all the time). La Victoria, Formentor, Lluc, Campanet, Palma, a trip on the train, tram to Soller, walking in the mountains, a bit of birdwatching at Albufiera (think I've spelt that wrong!!), just chilling out on the beach. Oh yes.... and that walk to the I'lla D'or mid afternoon for a nice cooooool beer! Yes, it is worth booking again for my little bit of PARADISE. Roll on 2010.