The most common feeling among Uruguayans who decide to leave the country for whatever reason is to miss. And not only to family or friends, but also to the products that accompanied them all their lives and that are part of the national culture such as mate, dulce de leche or caramel cookies. Some of them, to feel closer, visualized a business opportunity with these productsexporting those that are difficult to find on the shelves of supermarkets around the world.
Coffee & Business He spoke with several businessmen in this field, who agreed that, no matter which country it is sent to, yerba –the base of one of the most typical drinks in the country– is the most popular product. Uruguay is the largest consumer of weed per capita in the worldaccording to the latest data from the consultancy Id Retail, from 2019, which indicated that per year consumption is 10 kilos per person.
Depending on which store or e-commerce you buy from, and the brand you choose, a kilo of yerba mate can be found abroad, in some cases exceeding $500. In Uruguay the price of a kilo of yerba mate ranges between $185 and $225.
- Yerba Baldo: between 8.58 and 13.50 euros (between $360 and $568).
- Yerba Canarias: between 9.90 and 11.99 euros depending on the variety (between $415 and $503).
- Yerba Sara: between 10.23 and 12.99 euros (between $429 and $545).
- Yerba Ermiño: between 9.75 and 12.99 euros (between $409 and $545).
- Yerba El Moncayo: between 9.90 and 9.95 euros (between $415 and $417).
Kindness Cebala
Uruguay is the largest consumer of weed per capita in the world.
The data was collected from the Uruguayan e-commerce stores, Charrúa Shop, Pampa Drugstore and Productos Uruguayos online. All these companies were founded by Uruguayans, some are based in Montevideo and others abroad, for example in Spain. The conversion of prices to Uruguayan pesos was made with the prices of June 9.
“Undoubtedly, you can see the expansion of the mate culture throughout the world and how consumption is growing, and that makes us very happy, to be able to share a little of our origins. Dulce de leche is also another of the products that comes out the most, along with alfajores,” commented members of Productos Uruguayos Online.
The Los Nietitos dulce de leche in its 780 gr version can be obtained from 7.98 euros ($334), depending on the store and the country; while a kilo of Conaprole dulce de leche is sold from US$14 ($545). These brands are the most sought after by Uruguayans.
Dulce de leche is one of the most sought after products along with yerba.
Another outstanding product, alfajores can be obtained in Europe from 8.30 euros ($348) for 12 units and from US$25 ($973) in the United States. Prices vary depending on the brands and types of alfajores.
Uruguayan entrepreneurs
Uruguayans was born in 2001, when a group of Uruguayans emigrated to Spain, in the midst of a large migratory flow of compatriots to that country, and after their arrival in Europe “It occurred to us to bring products from our land”recalled Elías Fernando, a member of the firm. The company has a store in Madrid and another in Marbella, called La Pavada. From there shipments are made to different areas of Spain and also to the rest of Europe. The company’s e-commerce was opened in 2006.
Also around that time, in 2002, and “before the demand of the growing community of the River Plate that had settled in Spain and to bring nostalgia products closer to the compatriots who required them” Pampa Drugstore was foundedwith the society of Uruguayans and Argentines, explained from the firm.
The initial process of starting a business “was quite cumbersome and lengthy,” recalled the founders, the product of endless permits and taxes that they had to pay before starting to sell. But finally the company settled in Barcelona and currently has a website and warehouses in Uruguay and Argentina.
Uruguayan Products Online It emerged in Uruguay, with a warehouse located in Montevideo, from where the products are sent directly to the home of each client. Currently the company also has deposits in Argentina. The entrepreneurs, who are Uruguayan, had acquaintances who had emigrated and knew that there was a business opportunity in the demand for River Plate products. In the largest cities in Spain it was perhaps easy to find Canarian yerba or Punta Ballena alfajores, in some stores, but other products no.
“We started by sending family members first, as a gift, and they went crazy with happiness, they started telling their friends and that’s how it all started,” they recalled. Now its shipments reach more than 50 countries. Among its main markets are the United States, Canada, Europe, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
He ecommerce Charrúa Shop It was also founded by Uruguayans, who identified a great opportunity in the United States. In Georgia and Florida, places where many Uruguayans live, they managed to find their highest percentage of sales, said Diego Carrero, head of the company. The firm, which works with a direct delivery to the home of each client, makes its sales in dollars
All companies make their shipments through couriers, such as FedEX or Correos. And according to their operators, the product offers are adapting to the orders of their customers.
