Cuba’s ‘Informal Market’ is Transformed with La Chopi

Cuba's 'Informal Market' is Transformed with La Chopi / 14ymedio,
Zunilda Mata

14ymedio, Zunilda Mata, Havana, 21 September 2016 — On the shelves of
the markets that sell goods in Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) prices have
skyrocketed and shortages have become chronic. The problem in the state
owned stores – which Cubans call "shopping," using the English word – is
aggravated by the lack of liquidity. In this situation the informal
sales networks have found an ally in technology. An application for
cellphones created by Cuban developers, facilitates access to the
informal market. Its creators have called it, with a certain irony, La
Chopi – a Cuban spelling of the word "shopping."

Conceived for iOS and Android devices, the tool combines practical
utility with an attractive and well-maintained design from the young
computer expert Pedro Govea. The menu displays the classified ads by
category, which range from home appliances to job openings in private
businesses.

La Chopi, which is currently distributed free of charge through the
Weekly Packet and can also be downloaded from its own website, has built
on the experience of other classified sites such as Revolico, which help
Cubans in the difficult task of acquiring scarce merchandise, goods that
are banned or that aren't sold in its retail network.

La Chopi's offerings are some of the most diverse. Unlocked iPhones,
masseuses who promise to "relieve stress and recharge your batteries for
a hard day's work," and from wholesale acrylic nails, to products that
have never been marketed in state networks, such as satellite dishes,
visas to several Central American countries and Dalmatian puppies.

The application is like a show that goes from the sublime to the
ridiculous, covering incunabula two centuries old or drugs to
"strengthen muscles," one more display of the consumer appetite that
runs through Cuban society and their desire for the free market.

Most of the information contained in this unique online store comes from
the digital site BacheCubano.com, but it also supports ads that come
from users via email or text-only messages (SMS). The objective of its
lead programmer, Ernesto Redonet has been "facilitating sales and the
promotion of services in Cuba."

In version 1.9, La Chopi also offers the ability for users to pay for
placing advertising for their business or product, whether on the start
screen of the application, in one of the categories of offerings, or as
a featured ad. This is a trend followed, with fewer and fewer
limitations, by classified sites and apps developed on the island.

"We've gone from being afraid of advertising, to everyone wanting to
advertise," says Yusiel Ruiz, a self-taught apps developer for Android
who has worked on several projects in the Cuban market. "Cellphones are
the technology of the moment, so we focus more on products for phones
than for computers," he says.

In the private audiovisual content market Copy Pack, in Central Havana,
users acquire the popular collection of movies, telenovelas, shows and
documentaries known as the Weekly Packet. In the packet there is a file
that also contains the latest cellphone apps appearing in the market.
"La Chopi is really popular," one of the employees tells 14ymedio.

"Competition is strong because there are a lot of apps with classified
ads and promotions for services, but the only ones that will survive
will be those offering the most information and the most attractive
design," speculates Yasiel Ruiz, who is working on an app right now for
blind dates that will use text messaging to connect possible partners.

With the advent of new technologies, the black market has gone from
being a network where trust between buyer and seller was essential to
one that is more public and easygoing, like Craigslist. The state has
also wanted to participate in this battle for advertising, staring with
the publication of a tabloid called "Offerings," but independent digital
sites are still preferred.

La Chopi also reinforces the trend of apps developed by residents of the
island, particularly focusing on ones that work off-line, given the
difficulty in connecting to the internet. It's enough to copy the new
database every week, also distributed in the Weekly Packet, for the user
to get the latest ads.

"The future belongs entirely to the apps," says Ruiz convinced that the
advent of tools like La Chopi "make life easier for everyone."

Source: Cuba's 'Informal Market' is Transformed with La Chopi /
14ymedio, Zunilda Mata – Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/cubas-informal-market-is-transformed-with-la-chopi-14ymedio-zunilda-mata/