somaro » faqs

Why does SOMARO sell the products?

jakob — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:00:17 +0000

You might ask yourself: why does SOMARO not give its products away for free as its clients are people with low financial resources? There are several reasons why the sale of products leads to several major advantages for our clients!

First of all, we as an association could not exist without some financial return. Without such income we could not cover our running costs such as work force, energy, etc. Alternative financial models (e.g. funding by state authorities or private philanthropy) would make us dependent on these players and would implicate the risk that they would stop funding our activities.

Moreover, there are some practical and psychological reasons to sell the products instead of donating them to our clients: We treat our clients as a valued customers which gives them back some dignity – dignity needed to find the strength for the way back to a normal life: Shopping just like anyone else! And by purchasing the products, our clients only buy what they really need and consume! It is part of our mission to reduce the waste of consumable goods and that includes ensuring that our clients consume the purchased products and do not waste them themselves!

Nevertheless, it is very important to mention that SOMARO is not aiming at generating profits! Any profits that arise are reinvested 100% into the SOMARO project (e.g. to open another store) and not a single euro is used for dividends or any other remuneration to investors or third parties!

What can I buy from SOMARO?

jakob — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 12:00:38 +0000

In our shops you can buy everyday household essentials, food and non-comestible products. As we depend on donations, we do not always have the same goods in stock and we cannot guarantee that you will always find everything you need at SOMARO. Find out more by clicking here.

Who can shop?

schneidmich — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 12:00:34 +0000

To prevent hoarding or selling-on of goods, we have set up certain shopping restrictions. Thus, our clients can shop a maximum of three times a week in our stores and must keep the value of their purchases below a certain level/and are only permitted to spend up to a certain amount each visit. Because of the dramatically low prices in our stores, clients can usually fill up an entire shopping basket during each visit.

The monthly income per person should not exceed 500 lei. Special hardships such as unemployment, disease, and other disabilities are also taken into consideration. Bucharest Sector 1 Office for Social Care and Child Protection and Caritas Satu Mare select the families eligible to shop at SOMARO. The families are obliged to provide proof of their situation and only then are they able to receive a customer’s entry pass; their status is then closely monitored.

How to become a client?

schneidmich — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 11:00:56 +0000

If you want to become a customer and you think you meet our criteria, you can contact our local partners:

Bucharest
DGASPC (General Direction for Social Care and Child Protection) of the 1st sector in Bucharest
Bd. Mareşal Averescu nr. 17, corp I, sector 1, Bucharest
Phone: +40 (0)212 234 286

Sibiu
Serviciul Public de Asistenta Sociala, Consiliul Local al Municipiului Sibiu
Bd. Victoriei nr. 1-3, Sibiu
Phone: +40 (0)269 208 800 929

What are the criteria to become a client?

jakob — Fri, 30 Aug 2013 12:00:27 +0000

In order to support people who can really benefit from SOMARO’s activities, we select individuals and families at each of our locations who are allowed to shop in our stores, whereby we adhere to certain objective selection criteria, which you can review here (in Romanian only).

Where do the goods come from?

jakob — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 12:00:09 +0000

Our products are donated by trade, industry, gastronomy, agriculture and private individuals. They are not designated to be sold in conventional shops, because the packaging might be soiled or slightly damaged, or even close to their best-before date, yet still suitable for consumption or use.

We are very thankful for the support of our sponsors – without them this amazing project would not be possible! If you would also like to become a sponsor of SOMARO, please click here to learn more about your benefits!

How can I support the project?

jakob — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 12:00:43 +0000

Thank you very much for you interest in SOMARO! There are basically three ways of supporting SOMARO: You can donate goods, money or time! To get more details please click here!

Is your sponsoring to SOMARO tax deductible?

jakob — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:00:55 +0000

Yes, it is! Every profit-oriented company in Romania can deduct 20% of its taxes on earnings (up to max. 2% of total sales volume). The only thing needed is a sponsorship contract between the donating company and SOMARO. If you have more questions regarding this point please contact our store manager in Bucharest, Mr. Simon Suitner.

Who is responsible for the products’ quality?

jakob — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 12:00:48 +0000

From the point when we have collected the products from our suppliers (e.g. at their shop or storage facility) and both parties have signed the delivery note(s) SOMARO is responsible for the products’ quality as well as its correct transporting and warehousing. Thus our suppliers are not liable in the event of any problems with the products!

What are SOMARO’s hygiene standards?

jakob — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 12:00:10 +0000

Although many of our products have minor packaging damage or are near to their expiry dates, we only sell top-quality products that are completely harmless to consume. Please note that SOMARO must meet the same hygiene standards as every “normal” supermarket – that is controlled by the independent local authorities on a regular basis!