14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 12 December 2023 — “Retail Company No. 037.” The austere, colorless sign above an old public telephone and the pale, peeling two-colored wall are clear indications that this is one of Havana’s state-run stores. Specifically, the one alongside a market on 19th and B streets in Vedado.
Inside, however, the establishment has been “diversified.” On one side, an office area with Tuesday’s delivery — eggs, rice and coffee — to be sold to customers with ration books. On the other side, a privately owned business known as Zona K’liente that offers its customers home delivery.
The stark contrast between this new enterprise and its neighbor, the Soviet-style store whose shelves have been virtually bare for years, are no doubt a shock to customers walking in with their