Saturday, July 22, 2006

Mayoreo y Menudeo

I saw these two words everywhere in the Spanish speaking parts of Laredo (both sides). There is another Mexican cutie in the photo, but all you see is her back.



Mayoreo and Menudeo. At first, I thought Mayoreo was a nice play on words to describe Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans, but the fact that these words were painted on nearly every storefront made me believe that perhaps it means Wholesale and Retail or some other phrase that is significant to cross-border shoppers.

Anyone care to translate this for me?

I love this photo, taken in front of a Mexican pharmacy. Lots of medicines that require a prescription in the US are sold OTC in Mexico. Here, Milady poses with a placard outside a main-street pharmacy.



You'll notice that the first three listed are Levitra, Viagra, Cialis. Numerous other brand-name medications are on the card too. Prescription medications are easy to find in old Mexico as OTC medications. Narcotics are controlled and require a physician, but other meds are sold across the counter.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Mayoreo" means more, bigger, or better.
"Menudeo" means smaller, or less.
"Y" is "and/or".

I asked a Hispanic painter(Mexican, has a work permit to be in the USA)who is working on my platform. Apparently it is a colloquialism, a phrase used by retailers that is a "play on words". It roughly means "Better for you"(the shopper), or "More for less".

The Termite

Anonymous said...

UPDATE:

While it does mean "more" and "less", it also denotes a store that sells to both large companies and to the general public. Kind of like a a "factory outlet" here in the USA. Jane Public, come shop where the big companies shop; buy at the same price they buy at!

That sort of thing.

The Termite

Anonymous said...

Aren't there restrictions on what drugs can be brought back across the border? Especially if they are considered "Prescription drugs" in the U.S.?

Pawpaw said...

Travelers should understand that possession of a prescription drug in the United States without a prescription may subject you to prosecution. The Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substance Law is fairly common across the United States. What is legal in Mexico may not be legal in the US, and vice versa.

Of course, a valid prescription is always honored by law enforcement personnel.

Jacobo Tafoya said...

Ironically, I ended up in your blog while I was looking for the translation in english for Mayoreo. Mayoreo is a commercial word for a big purchaise, usually made by people who intend to sell that product later. For example, is you go to a Perfum store and buy 3 lotions, it is Menudeo, and you usually buy them at a regular price; but when you buy, let's say, 30 pieces, that's mayoreo, and it is logical that you may get a negotiable discount (because logically you are planning to sell those, unless it is christmass, you have a very numerous family and what to be called the Perfum Uncle)

So, two years later, here is your answer.

Unknown said...

Im Mexican and I agree with Jacobo Tafoya, Mayoreo doesnt mean better or more (in a quality way) means, the more QUANTITY you get of a product, you get better price. (and also MAYOREO or MENUDEO doesnt have anything to do with a factory outlet) its about quantity. Another thing, do NOT expect to come to Mexico and try to negociate prices of everything, mostly of the times to bargain depends of the products, mainly in Chinesse products is where you can negociate the prices.

Larry said...

It means "better for you", "more or less", or "retail and wholesale".