• Sellers of illegal goods, not-licensed street hawkers and homeless
• Food and beverages
• Electronics
• Cheap-goods, costume jewellery and accessories
• Clothing and shoes

Introduction

In former socioeconomic studies it was assumed that street commerce sells mainly niche products, not-industrialized ware like arts and handcraft. These types of “non-capitalized” products were more and more displaced by “capitalized” products. That is why the ware offered by the informal sector stands nowadays in direct competition to the ones of the formal sector, what causes resistance by formal businessman (see >>> politics and administration). Today, in Rio de Janeiro there is probably no product that could not be bought by the hands of a street hawker, too, whether these are legal or illegal media (CDs or DVDs), electronic items, jewellery, food and pleasing products, clothing and even used cars.

Sellers of illegal goods, not-licensed street hawkers and homeless

The street hawkers of Rio de Janeiro can be roughly classified in two times two groups: Sellers with fixed stands/points of sales and mobile or partially mobile street hawkers. Partially mobile means in this case street hawkers which are prepared to take refuge when the police appears, but which are always returning to the same location so that they stay findable for their regular clients (camelô na correria = street hawker on the run). This two groups divide once more into street hawkers tolerated by the authorities and illegal ones (for the definition see >>> illegality). In case of obvious ware piracy as e.g. music, movies or software, an acquisition of an official sales licence is superfluous. The sellers of these products present the ware by sticking the copied product covers on wire grates or by displaying them on “parachutes” (paraquedas). The paraqueda is an awning with two diagonally tauten cords (“release cord”). In case of emergency the awning transforms itself into a sack, into which all ware falls inside and with which the street hawker can take refuge rescuing his goods.

Non-licensed food sellers work in the evening and at night, in mobile takeaway vans or in fixed stands at places with notable nightlife as at the Lapa neighbourhood. Big importance is given here to the sales of alcoholic beverages. The number of sellers, the allowance of the products (sometimes even the purchase) and the prices are regulated and controlled by cartels. Price-crushers are punished and are banished from the points of sales. In selling areas organized by cartels many street hawkers are often only employees on superior informal businessman. The commerce here has also system of depots.

At the beaches the fixed stands (barracas) are licensed by the authorities, most of the flying sellers are organized in cartels. For a short time, the municipality is trying to regulate and by that way control the last mentioned, too, by a identification card system (see >>> politics and administration > people's markets and licensing).

Street hawkers entering public transit busses mainly sell sweets or little salty snacks, which they purchase at the central market in Madureira or in the stores behind the central station.

On further events as football matches, shows, carnival events or other festivities, there are also innumerable unlicensed ice-cream, snack and principally beverage-sellers. Many of them have even a regular employment and earn on these events an extra-money.

If not regulated by cartels in another way, the street hawkers buy the fresh products as bread, sausages or meat in shops or supermarkets close to their domicile. Packed ware as ketchup or disposable plates and servicing are purchased at the central market in Madureira (see >>> interactive map). There, also beverage is bought, which is sold in industrialized cups or in cans. Stands with high turnover or sellers at events also purchase from large scale beverage sellers (depósitos) near the points of sales, because of the heavy weight and difficult transportation, although the depósitos are more expensive.

The protagonists of the documentary, Luciana (sandwiches and coffee), Carlos Augusto as bus seller (sweets) and Flávio (except on special occasions as Mother’s Day or Christmas; in the summer fruits / in the winter sweets) are sellers of these types of products.

Electronics

As well in the formal as in the informal economy applies following rule: As higher the worth of the commercialized wares as higher the investment capital, the total revenue and the profits. As higher the total revenue and the profits are as higher is the organization level.

Among electronics are genuine or falsified (see >>> Illegality) entertainment electronics as music or movie media, software (mainly videogames), the necessary playback equipment, accessories, in part spares and miscellaneous consumer electronics going from kettles to electric tin openers. As these products are relatively expensive and damageable they can not be sold “on the run” (see >>> first chapter) by travelling hawkers, except CDs/DVDs. Fixed stands are needed. That is why sellers of electronics can by found almost exclusively at the legalized public street hawker market “Camelôdromo” or in smaller similar markets behind the central station, in Madureira or Campo Grande. As the stands are registered even payments with credit cards can be made.

Protagonist Alexandre can be counted to the sellers of entertainment electronics as he sells vinyl records. However he takes a market niche, since he is commercializing a cheap and outmoded product, which only receives an enhancement in value because of his choice, care and selling strategy. This way he is able to resell his ware relative expensive to a more prosperous culturally interested target group.

Cheap-goods, costume jewellery and accessories

The sellers of convenience goods as costume jewellery, accessories and smaller domestic needs products (scissors, tin openers, laundry baskets etc.) represent exactly the opposite of the electronics sellers. Their ware is cheap, the turnover little and they are therefore without any protection. That is why mainly poorer social stratums with only little investment capital sell this kind of ware. Usually they have to work “on the run” and suffer seriously under administrative repression. Their products are mostly purchased at the central market in Madureira.

Clothing and shoes

The carioca “traditional costume” (carioca = Rio’s inhabitants) shirt, jams and chapels can be found as well at licensed stands (barracas) as offered by travelling hawkers. Most of the stands are located at the official street hawker market “Camelôdromo” downtown, at the clothes markets of Madureira and Campo Grande or at the expensive tourist markets at Copacabana beach and on the General Osório square in Ipanema.