Juanb,

When are you getting your watch? Seriously, this is news?

Drug money laundering. The average Domincan cannot spent $5,000. US for a watch.
Keep thinking that Dominicans are stupid Leonel.

Jim,

There are plenty of Dominicans who CAN AFFORD a Cartier. High-end watches are big business in the D.R.. I have shipped many there myself.

LMFAO_ Chaumet Russo in Petionville is an authorized Rolex and Cartier dealer in Haiti. Along with a few other brands in the LVMH group what's the big deal about Cartier in SD.

"....Cartier’s arrival in Santo Domingo is a sign of ............the purchasing power of the Dominican middle-class."

LOL!!!!! Come on now which middle class is he talking about? Which sector of Dominican society do you think has the most expendable source of income ? Either LF is out of touch with reality or is the biggest bull shit artist. I am middle class, live in the states and yeah I can buy, but can't really affford a Cartier. I would need to access a line of credit and get into debt to purchase a non-essential consumer item.

The average middle class Dominican does not have disposible, expendable and
discretionary income = Gross income - taxes - necessities. So I wonder who is he really talking about, because Cartier watches are a luxury, accessible only to those who have purchasing power, the upper middle class and/or a more elite type of a consumer and not the average middle-class person you see on the street. So who is he trying to kid.

AnthonyC,
It sounds like you are a paid writer for Leonel or you have no idea of what is going on in the real DR.

Jim,

Nope. Not a fan of Lionel. I view him as the lesser of 2 evils.

The fact is that in spite of tough economic times there are still those who are doing well and can afford to make purchases like a Cartier watch.
The profit margin on a watch like Cartier is immense. they don't have to sell many to make money.

now the drug dealers have a place to spend their money....
wonder that watch they gave to the peace-maker and his wife?

been to this mall 3 times love it.... great place walk across the street to burger king. about time something good has come here.
hate plaza central.. what a sh--t house... ok they clean up the 1st floor but if u go upstairs it stinks... no a/c u need to climb to go up...the esclators are always out the bathroom stinks, no soap or paper in them well not in the mens room. sad because they have some good stores in this mall.

Yes, many people in DR can afford Cartier's and more....

"PriceSmart adds 3rd store in Dominican Republic"... just another sign that business can be good in DR!!!

"NO" a la Barrick Gold!!!
www.plazacoral.net
www.dimalba.com

Pat,

forgive them. They get excited for any little thing, they should follow Haiti's example.

Winston Churchill avenue, in the capital’s financial district.......<-------LOL-----The center of "TAPONES" to be more exact....Only 10 - 15% of dominican inhabitants can afford this cartier..
Is leo going to break bread with all vendors, he might for a KICK-BACK......Leo is a SLUT!!!!

this Leonel guy is really delusional.......says he “To be able to acquire highly sophisticated products such as those of Cartier requires a society which has social sectors with a consumption capacity.”.......yes, those social sectors are the government guys, the military guys, and tyhe customs and immigration guys. 42 of the citizens live like animals, on less than a few dollars each day. this is certainly an exercise in cynicism.

pat,

are you seriously comparing the two you idiot. Let's be real guys have you'll seen the cars dealerships in SD specially on winston churchill av. Ferrari, bmw, benzs you name them they got it, so yeah i think dominicans can afford cartier.

Who cares !!! Most wealthy folks are not stupid and do not spend money foolishly. If they want to buy a fine watch, they would get on a plane and fly to SXM or the USVI and buy at a duty free shop to save money. I would never buy fine jewlery in the DR for that very reason, that is, if I were ever inclined to wear jewlery. If anyone buys luxury items with the current DR sales tax, the money they are spending, must have come to them very easily !!!

The DR seems to have a lot of that !!!! lol

"“To be able to acquire highly sophisticated products such as those of Cartier requires a society which has social sectors with a consumption capacity.”"

He's got them, don't worry.

Somebody ought to set up a pawn shop next door.

dread,

this store as well as Louis V is not intended for the average dominican it is just a better way to market our city. high end stores SD is not bad at all.

Juango, trust me on this one. they are going to sell a bunch of these things. in the DR, it is all about the show. a guy might be living under a bridge, but he will save his money for a gold chain, to look wealthy. every nitwit hands you a business card, even if he squeegees windshields. so, i see Cartier doing well here.

Cartier is not a middle class purchase it is strictly for the wealthy. In the DR this means corrupt officials and drug dealers looking to show off how much money they have.

as i said, Veronica, only someone as deluded as Leonel could make such a looney statement. not even the middle class in a first world country buys Cartier watches. people who have middle class incomes live day to day, economising as best they can. they do not go on spending binges and buy 6000 dollar watches.

My friend works at Harrods in London - he says most customers for high end items are Arabs, rich Americans, Russians etc.
If Cartier can market to these peopl all well and good. For Luxury items it is difficult to compare prices - limited editions, uniuque creations etc,
US people go for conspicuous wealth - big SUV's etc. Maybe a Cartier watch etc. is better because the country does not have to import fuel, spare parts etc. Also a big luxury tax can be charged.
S.

ABC, what is your point? or, better yet...do you have a point?

Seriously, you can find luxury watches in the Monte de Piedad compra venta in SD or Plaza Las Americas in POP.

Customers buy them new, then find there's no money for food, so they pawn them.

Also: the chica receives one from her "husband" and pawns it the moment he´s on the plane to los paises.

Consumer advice..

WaterPolo, truer words have never been said.

It is amazing to see the president of a country participating in a trivial event such as ribbon cutting for a new business.

many yammering fools..... and the emphasis tends to focus on status.
i would have to guess that all the proffessionals, engineers, scientists doctors, ect! as their are millions of them in the dr. will run to the blue mall to buy the watches by the dozen.

this is a great mall i like and i can afford to shop their. because the drug dealers, the boys in the governement who else is going to shop there?.
and how many watches will they buy one every week?..
lets see in their still in business one year from now...as many other shops will clost their doors in this mall. the best thing for this mall is that tourists come.and spend. the duty free comment was the most intelligent said on this page.

harrods in london

the blue mall is not harrods in london far cry from that.
u take a nasy fall and land on your head? wow! some thoughts u have abc..

Can't wait until a year or two from now another of Leonel's photo op buddies is arrested for narco trafficking.

Can't wait until a year or two from now another of Leonel's photo op buddies is arrested for narco trafficking.

the food court is the best in the whole country.....
and u do not have to be a drug dealer to eat there.

Veronica,

Cartier IS a product designed for the Middle Class. They run usually in the $4-6K price range. Most are bought as Graduation, Valentine's or Anniversary gifts. Those in the Higher economic class buy a Cartier for their young daughters(pre-teen) as a starter watch before moving up to a better product.

Juango,

Duty Free shops are notoriously overpriced. Most watches sold there cost as much or higher than most retail outlets.
And Cartier is consolidating their distribution. Dropping other retail chains in favor of only selling them in their own boutiques.

Miss Dready,

Stop spewing the moveon.org lies about middle class. Most of my clientele for my watches are very firmly in the Middle class group and they have no problem spending on a quality product.

Rainman wonders
It is amazing to see the president of a country participating in a trivial event such as ribbon cutting for a new business.

yes, Rainman, you would never see George Bush or Ronald Reagan cutting a ribbon at the opening of a store. however , it is par for the course in the Dominican Republic. the reason has to do with the constructs of the society. it is one in which the people are seen as dependents of the political directorate. all blessings flow from the benevolent fathers. that is why so many people seek political office, and why guys spend 24 hours per day yammering on incomprehensibly about politics, and political personalities. so, everything significant that happens has to be accompanied by a reminder that this eventuality was made possible courtesy of the grand poobah, without whom there is no life, and no progress. if you follow him with love, devotion and surrender, you too could get a goat and some Brugal come next election.

I guess it does contains a subliminal message for everyone

subliminal message is the term i was searching for. thank you Rainman.

Why do we care who buys this stuff? Corrupt, not corrupt, drug money...who cares? I think folks are just jealous they can't afford it.

What I would pay to see is one positive post about DR from the likes of Dread . Coming from one of the violent crime hubs of the world yet crapping on DR day after day with help from traitorous Dominicans who don't see that all this "person" cares about is his afrocentrism and DR is one of the favourite targets of these animals.
You will see him presume of great education and criticise those who oppose him as "uneducated" yet if you agree with his "ideas" then you can destroy the English language and he will actually applaud you.
Now I don't know how a monolingual person who can only communicate in English supposedly lives in DR and spends all his time in DR ...now this person calls others who are at least multilingual as ignorant because they don't follow his obviously anti-Dominican line .
So while DR has many REAL issues only people who hate DR find fault with everything in the country and if it is truly as bad as his writings indicate ,why is he SUPPOSEDLY in DR?

I am clueless about the profit margins and the prices of Cartier items in this specific store, but I can tell you something, the small, tiny, minimal amount of people that can afford a Cartier, I am most likely almost sure, can travel and purchase it at better prices in U.S. or Europe, maybe I am wrong, and the prices are just like all around the world.
Now, one thing is real, L. F. has no clue what he is talking about.
Stable economy??? ESTA LOCO? I live here, and we are passing through a mayor storm Tomas, and we don't have resources te even help the population for shelters and medicines and miscelaneous supplies...I mean, please...I am perplexed...
Concentrate on the real issues...L.F. needs a reality check...I can't believe he spent his time saying this...

Dreadlocks,

I totally agree on this...You could not have said it better. Most of the population here are living in inhumane conditions...No schools, no homes, no meds, no hospitals, no NOTHING!!!!! And hey, don't get me wrong, I like Cartier very much, but once again, I repeat...L.F. NEEDS A REALITY CHECK!
Lord!!!

Guys common don't be silly offcourse there are many Dominicans who can't afford a 5,000 pesos watch , but there are plenty of middle class and hight class folks who can!. If Cartier decided to open it is because they know they're " in the money" , a phrase I learned in my economics class this year.

I love it ! $4-6K USD trinket gifts are items of the Middle Class! What country are you living in, tonyc? I dont know, but does this brand, Cartier have anything (genuine) in timepieces for <$6,000 USD?

By Duty Free (Free Port), I mean Islands without tax. Not the crappy shops in an airport. The prices of designer and high-end brands is very controlled by the manufacturer, therefore the difference is the exchange rate and/or the taxes.

Another "new" user comes in ...GERRY and surprise surprise he likes Dread!

When patdiamond mentions that in the depths of hades (Haiti) they sell Cartier ,these individuals don't blink yet when it is DR all of a sudden there is a "concern" because surprise surprise whe have POOR people !

I am not known as a fan of Leonel but there is normal criticism of the government and there is the wholesale dumping on DR done by several posters yet these same posters are offended when even the slightest truths are stated about Haiti or even about some disadvantaged areas in the US (Ghettos) .

Juango,

Yes a $4-6K watch is marketed for the middle class and Cartier's top sellers run in the $4-6K range.

Written by: cbelk99,
"DRED, WHY do you Care? MIND Your OWN Country."

He doesn't even care about his own country. By his own admission he refuses to participate in the electoral process then complains about the very same government.

Dread is a delusional f@khead.....

Pepe,
I don't know or care or have no clue who DREAD is...and what he has written before, because, I am a "new" user, yes, but I totally agree on his point that the people in this country, that is if you are Dominican, live in this country, know this country, pay your taxes, work in this country, you have raised your kids in this country and have seen the corruption in this country for decades, that HEY!!!! A 5-6K US$ item is definitley a luxury item in this 3rd world country, and that not many people, given the situation right now, will be buying these watches in this country, except very wealthy people or the persons mentioned by Dread, among their girlfriends,etc. This is my opinion...Everyone is entitled to one.

And, actually, being a Dominican, my point is not even WHO or WHY they buy it, I could care less, it is the SAD FACT, that our president is attending this event on the Eve of a major storm,Tomas, it is a matter of PRINCIPLE, don't know if u guys read the papers,

But let me tell you, I deal with poor people on a daily basis, and they are petrified, is it really fair that L.F. is dealing with Cartier , and journalist posting this on the news, while so many are being threatend by all this, have you guys roamed the streets lately, have you guys spoken with the poor?
...Well, as I say, a simple opinion...Everybody can think as they wish....and is free to write what they want...Hence freedom of speech...,
I just think we have bigger priorities right now. Oh, and not to mention the threat of colera, among other diseases, like leptospirosis in the D.R... with the border in chaos, and this country is not ready for this outbreak, God forbid us....
It's fine, L.F. can keep on saying what he says, but most of us who feel for our country, I am sure, DO NOT AGREE. And mind you, I repeat, I looove Cartier, Rolex, LV, Hermes, Loboutin, Blahniks, Gucci, you name it...But hey let's be real...Good morning!

Gerry,

Do you really think that a company like Cartier would open a boutique without doing a marketing study? They will do just fine.

Hi anthony,

I am not concerned if they will or will not do fine, I am concerned about L.F.'s priorities, as I explained in the first part of my comment above the second one, I could care less who buys there, and I love cartier...I have one myself.

I hope they do fine, would be a shame if they didn't...
I have businesses myself, and by no means I am critcizing Cartier, I am talking about L.F.'s attending to such an event, saying what he said, amidst of a horrendous emergnecy situation. Just a matter of principle...And a humble opinion...

The fact that Cartier opened a boutique in the D.R. is a positive.

I agree that Cartier opening a store in the Dominican Republic is a positive accomplishment for the country, I also agree that many well to do Dominicans can afford an expensive item such as a Cartier piece. What I find useless and self serving is the president in a ribbon cutting ceremony for a private entity.

What is going to happen when the government has to take action if cartier happens to violate any of the Dominican Laws it will at least give the impression of favoritism even if is not the case . Keeping separate the government and private business is always a good policy.

Rainman,

I agree that the Government SHOULD stay out of all issues regarding private business but the fact is they don't.

Rainman ,I think most poster in this forum don't think much of Leonel although the sad part is that given the alternatives he is one of the "better" ones.

I think it is ridiculous that Leonel goes to an opening of a store but the fact that Cartier has decided to open a store in DR is a good sign and we have very few good signs these days .

I like to go window shopping in blue mall. This way I can try the products before ordering them online at 25-50% off the price.

Nice,now the corrupt politicians don't have to come to Miami to buy their mistresses jewelries.

The fact that Cartier opened a boutique in the D.R. is a positive.

But as 95% of the population could not afford to shop there surely there are more pressing concerns than this?

DomLon, they did not bother to specify for whom it is a positive. in a country wherein 42% of the population live below the poverty line, and has one of the most unequal distributions in income in the known world,i find it cynical for the President to be at the opening of a store which is there to serve only the wealthiest of people in the society. many posters tell us that Dominicans can BUY Cartier watches. they fail to make the distinction betweem buying something, and being able to afford it.

AS a tourist attraction, DR should and must cater to the largely middle and upper-middle classes that it seeks to attract to its shores. The growing Cruise business could be part of Cartier's business plan. Remember that Chavez's Bolivarian Revolution is shedding rich people by the boat load, and some will come to the DR. So this is a good move. Now, I agree with Gerry that LF should have waited on this or done so in a more discrete manner. Perhaps a letter commemorating the event. Then again, perhaps they promised him a watch if he attended. LOL

"i find it cynical for the President to be at the opening of a store which is there to serve only the wealthiest of people in the society."

Dread, no reason to stop everything UNTIL poverty has ended in a nation. And BTW who works providing the things wealthier people want and demand in a society, if not the poorer members of that society? 1968 and the New Man is Old news even Fidel said it: It doesn't work for us.

carbelk..it does not speak well for the control you have over your household when you allow your dog to play with your computer , and post nonsense on the internet. so, when you are off to squeegee windshields at the corner of 138 and the Deegan, you should tie him up. and, by the way, his writing style is deplorable.