Consumers look for promotions at Americanas, but even the price of Bis disappoints

“Look! Even the Bis is expensive”, says Luiza Uchoa, 55, to her work friends at Americanas on Rua Direita, in the central region of São Paulo. The three are regular customers of the retailer at lunchtime, but this Tuesday (17th), they were not satisfied with the promotions.

While Americanas investors are trying to recover from the fall in the Stock Exchange, final consumers of one of the largest retail companies in Latin America are going to stores in search of overwhelming offers. But they complain that they find prices even higher than usual for the company.

Cook Vanilde Barros, 55 years old, also redid her plan. “I came to see the shampoo, but the snacks alone are worth it”, says the consumer, who took advantage of the break to go shopping and only took a 60 g package of salted peanuts, for R$ 1.99.

The report of Sheet went to the Americanas unit in the center of São Paulo to find out how the climate is among consumers in the face of the company’s crisis. Despite the queues always with more than ten people and consumers coming and going, few left with purchases from the store. And these took, on average, two items, usually chocolates.

“I buy everything at Americanas: chocolates, cleaning products, diapers for my grandchildren and even appliances. They always have good prices, and we like chocolate. But I’m seeing the box of Bis for R$6.49, but if buy two on sale, same price [cada unidade]. They must have been wrong”, observes Luiza.

At the cashier, Luiz Carlos Dolonhane, 56, was trying to pay for a 2023 diary at the promotional price announced in the store, R$14.99, and not the R$19.99 debited from his card. “It’s one or the other worthwhile product. I haven’t seen many offers.”

For Joice Saldanha, 29, who always goes to the store at lunchtime to get a chocolate, “everything is the same”. “There is nothing cheaper. There are products that are even more expensive, in fact”, she says.

For Cristiane Dias, 47 years old, “everything is more expensive”. Accustomed to buying personal hygiene products at Americanas on Rua Direita, the consumer was in doubt whether she was carrying a deodorant.

With more than 1,800 physical stores in the country, one of the largest retail groups has been involved in a billionaire scandal since its president resigned for having found “inconsistencies” of R$ 20 billion in the company’s balance sheet.

Public servant Rosimeire Carvalho, 56, heard the news about Americanas’ accounting crisis and decided to check if the store was on sale. The expectation, however, was dashed. “These are the promotions they always did. There was nothing special. I just bought a toothbrush and a chocolate”, she says.

“They talk so much about privatizing everything, but this [Americanas] is an example that it is not the form of the business, but the people who manage it that count”, he says.

In 2021, Americanas merged the operations of the digital and physical platform, giving rise to Americanas SA The new company started to combine the assets of Lojas Americanas and B2W, owner of Americanas.com, Shoptime and Submarino. In addition, the company owns fintech Ame.

Customer Ame, Dolonhane said he is not worried about losing the balance he has in his account. I don’t have much, but I find it very difficult for the company to close, and for me to lose value. IT IS [uma marca] too big,” he says.