Consequently, they have had an upscale, high-price image. The success of the recent expansion is the result of extending the customer base to lower income households. The customer and the proprietor often know each other, so there is a social element to the exchange. Although most urban households have refrigeration, produce tends be consumed within a day of purchase. Consequently, these shops stock ripe produce and their customers shop several times a week.
Supermarkets present a radically different shopping experience.
In Mexico, supermarkets are called tiendas de autoservicio, literally, self-service stores. Although there are produce personnel on the shop floor, a supermarket transaction is anonymous compared with a traditional market. Some Mexican consumers find this intimidating, particularly those who have recently moved to the city from the countryside. There is strong competition between supermarkets and traditional markets. As in the U.S., supermarkets place newspaper advertisements to draw customers into the store during the midweek lull in volume.