Product Survey

Blue Water Sailing — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:53:01 +0000

The following is an expanded provisioning spreadsheet from Marci Paravia’s article “Provisioning in the Pacific” in the October 2011 issue of Blue Water Sailing.

Survey Says:

(Prices from June 3, 2010 Papeete [$1.00 U.S. = ± 89.36 Polynesian Francs (XPF) and July 26, 2010 Pago Pago – prices converted to US currency for ease of explanation)

ITEM	SIZE	PRICE IN PAPEETE	PRICE IN PAGO PAGO
STAPLES
Sugar – white	1 kilo (2.2 lbs)	1.56	3.45 5 lbs (2.26 K)
Flour – white	1 kilo	.67	2.49 5 lbs
Rice – long grain white	1 kilo	1.06	Not available
Rice – Medium jasmine	1 kilo	2.57	8.00 – 5 kilos
Rice – Calrose	5 kilo bag	8.72	8.99 10 lb bag
Oil – Olive – extra virgin	Liter	7.77	18.99 2 ltr bottle or 17.00 1.3 ltr
Oil – vegetable	Liter	2.18 to 2.46	4.45 (48 oz)
Pasta	500 gr – 1 kilo	1.08 to 4.81	1.19 – 1.35 lb
Cereal (Kelloggs Corn Flakes)	18 oz box	7.77	5.00
Granola Bars (Nature Valley	Box of 6 (2 bar ea) Box of 30 (2 bar ea)	4.81	10.49 (warehouse store only)
Tuna (canned)	160 gr	1.06 to 4.81 ea	1.05 ea or 10 each for 9.99 (warehouse)
Sardines (canned)		.63 to 4.42 ea	.90 each
Spam ® lunchmeat	340 gr	4.87	2.83 (warehouse) to 3.29 ea
Zwan ® lunchmeat	340 gr	4.59	Not available
Zwan ® hotdogs	300 gr	3.02 to 4.30	Not available
Soup – Campbells condensed	10 3.4 oz	2.18	1.25 to 1.55 or 12 ea for 11.49 (warehouse)
Fruit – canned (Del Monte Fruit Cocktail)	15 oz	1.61	1.49 to 1.55
Fruit – canned applesauce	750 gr jar	1.84	2.19 (23 oz 652 gr jar)
Vegetables – canned Corn (Del Monte) Green Beans (DM) Green Beans (DM) Potatos (DM)	15.25 oz 29 oz 14.5 oz 29 oz	1.27 2.57 1.10 2.63	.95 Size not available .99 can Size not available
Pork & Beans (Van Camps)	31 oz	1.90	2.19
Dried Beans –White	454 gr (1 lb)	1.17	1.40
Dried Beans –(pink, lentils, split peas)	454 gr	1.17	Not available
Dried Beans –Pinto	454 gr	Not available	2.25
Dried popcorn	454 gr	1.45	Not available (all popcorn is microwavable here)
Olives (green)	950 ml jar	4.42	Not available
Mix – Brownie (Betty Crocker)	19.9 oz box	5.31	Not available
Mix – Pancake (Betty Crocker)	37 oz box	5.70	2.85
Peanut Butter (Skippy Creamy)	28 oz jar	6.65	4.99
Coffee – Ground (Maxwell House)	34.5 oz	Not available	9.49 – 12.05
Coffee – Ground (unfamiliar brands)	Box of 4 each of 250 gr pkg	6.21 to 16.22	Not available
Coffee – Instant	200 gr	7.81	5.85 (226 gr)
Coffee – Espresso	250 gr	2.79 to 31.11	Not available
Juice – orange, apple, grapefruit, pineapple, mixed tropical fruits	1 liter boxes	1.23 to 2.85	Boxed juices not available
Juice – Cran-Apple®	1 gallon	Not available	4.90
Juice – apple	1 gallon	Not available in this size	3.69
Juice – pineapple	1 gallon	Not available in this size	4.50

DAIRY PRODUCTS
Eggs	Dozen	4.02	1.75
Butter (fresh)	454 gr	3.30	3.69 lb
Butter (Canned – Anchor NZ)	454 gr	3.53	Not available
Milk – boxed	1 liter	1.54	1.75
Milk – powdered	300 gr can (makes 2.4 liters)	3.63	4.95 (400 gr can)
Cheese – Camembert	145 gr	4.19	Not available
Cheese – Laughing Cow	8 portions 24 portions	2.07 6.21	Not available

SNACKS
Lays “Classic” chips	6 ½ oz bag	3.30	2.59
Pringles	Can	3.58	2.25
Ligo (generic “Pringles”)	Can	2.18	Not available
Tostitos	10 oz bag	5.87	3.99
M & M Plain	300 gr bag	10.01	No comparable size
M & M Peanut	300 gr bag	7.77	No comparable size

FRESH PRODUCE
		Available daily	Delivered only twice a month **
Tomatos	Kilo	7.49 (local)	Unavailable
Cucumbers	Kilo	3.13 (local)	Unavailable
Onions	Kilo/lb	1.23 kilo (NZ)	.75 lb
Garlic	Kilo/lb	4.70 kilo (NZ)	3.92 lb
Potatos	Kilo/lb	.90 kilo	.75 lb
Cabbage	Kilo/lb	3.30 kilo red 5.03 kilo green (US)	.80 to .95 lb
Carrots	Kilo/lb	1.36 (NZ)	Unavailable
Oranges	Kilo	3.13 (local)	Unavailable
Pineapple	Each	2.18 (local)	Unavailable
Bananas	Kilo	1.67 kilo (local)	.85 lb (local)
Apples (red delicious)	Kilo	4.58 kilo (U.S.)	Unavailable
Pears (D’Anjou)	Kilo	5.03 (U.S.)	.65 each

** Much of the imported produce is sold in bulk at the warehouse store but supplies are limited and often run out (as was the case when we were there).

ALCOHOL

Beer
	6 pack (bottles)	13.09 (Bud)	8.30 (Coors Light)
	6 pack (11.5 oz can)	13.42 (Hinano)	Not available
	6 pack (bottles)	15.10 (Heineken)	Not available
	24 can case	39.11 (Hinano)	Not available
Coors Light	24 can case (12 oz)	43.63	26.99
	24 bottle case	48.10 (Heineken)	Not available

Wine
HUGE variety of red wines (mostly Bordeaux) and imports from Australia, Chile, Italy and New Zealand)	750 ml	Prices range from 7.77 to 73.80	Very limited variety (mostly California) ranging 6.50 to 23.50
Carlo Rossi (only US wine)	3 liter jug	39.11	Not available
Box wines – can’t recommend them – the tropical heat spoils them prior to purchase	1 liter to 3 liter boxes	5.93 to 36.87	Only available at warehouse or liquor stores – 34.05 for 5 liter box

SPIRITS
Scotch
J & B	700 ml bottle	35.19	38.99 Liter
Cutty Sark	700 ml bottle	35.19	15.99
Chivas (12 yr)	700 ml bottle	67.08	32.99 (warehouse)
Glenlivet (12 yr single)	700 ml bottle	102.84	Not available
Rum
Bacardi “Superior”	700 ml bottle	58.13	25.50 Liter (Bacardi Gold)
(HUGE variety of local/imported rums available in Tahiti at prices ranging from 17.85 up)

Imported spirits available in Tahiti but generally very expensive		Limited imported spirits only available in Pago Pago at liquor store

CLEANING PRODUCTS
Laundry soap (French products)	3 liter jugs (liquid – powders are cheaper)	14.49 to 18.91	Not available
Laundry soap (Tide, Gain, All Liquid)		Not available
Dish soap (Palmolive)	500 ml bottle 750 ml bottle	4.53 6.49	2.95 (848 ml bottle)
Toilet tissue Charmin Scott	6 rolls (basic) 10 rolls (basic) 4 rolls (super) 6 rolls (super)	2.90 6.04 Not available Not available	5.40 3.99 5.69
Paper towels Bounty	2 rolls (Viva) 1 roll	5.09	1.55
Kleenex	275 each	4.86	2.79 (250 each)
Kleenex (generic)	150 each	2.18	Not available
Toothpaste (Colgate)	50 ml tube 75 ml tube	2.18	1.50
Baby Powder (Johnsons)	400 gr bottle 623 gr bottle	6.43	4.99

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Product Survey