Most foreigners would be surprised to see how little merchandise Cuban government stores selling in moneda nacional [Cuba’s island-only, national currency] have available, despite leaders’ false claims to prioritize the needs of citizens. This is as much the case today as in decades past when the sparsity of goods in display windows and shelves of the 1960s-1980s sometimes competed with thick layers of dust for customers’ attention. Stores like La Época or the old Woolworths on Galeano Street—what used to be the commercial center of Havana—still sell mostly odds and ends, such as a random assortment of tools, bolts or screws. As seen here, large spools of cloth also remain common items since going to see a Cuban seamstress was often a cheaper and more common option than buying a finished dress. Centro Havana, July 2016.
