The Madrid metro is far from being a simple means of transport. On the way to the goal – without idealizing the fatigue of waiting – we can be content with the news posted in the corner, let ourselves be distracted by the semi-improvised verse of the rapper on duty, or attend the offer of the eternal street . supplier. Some itinerants along the route take advantage of the season and offer fans or bottles of cold water. But there is one product that has not found a rival for more than a year: Bon Bon Bum lollipops from the Colombian company Colombina.
“All the ‘chupacheros’ are Peruvians,” explains Raúl, a street vendor from Lima, contacted by this newspaper. With their compatriot Carlos, they give details of this suffering activity. These are 50 people who organize themselves via WhatsApp to divide the lines and not compete on the same platform.
They claim to work up to 15 hours a day, without leaving the stations so as not to spend on additional travel. However, this is not exploitation by abusive structures, as seems to be happening with sports jersey manufacturers. It is simple adversity that imposes such schedules. “People think it’s easy, but sometimes they ignore you or throw you off the train,” Carlos says.
After handling the panels, they must remain secret each time they change platforms, in case they run into security. Their activity, from a legal point of view, is not authorized, but it does not constitute grounds for conviction either. “If Metro detects street vendors, they will simply be kicked out of the facilities,” state transit officials.
To provoke an arrest, they would have to categorically refuse to leave the police station. Police sources affirm that this sale only involves an administrative process, since it is not an action that violates intellectual property. In any case, they distrust the police. “You’re not ‘secret’, are you?” jokes the trader consulted, with a certain suspicion well wrapped in the joke. Often, the product is withdrawn from them because they do not have authorizations for the sale of food on public roads. Raúl, unaware of the need to carry this license, although certain of the legitimate origin of his merchandise, wonders: “I don’t understand why they take away our lollipops when they come from a completely legal store “.
euros
The “chupacheros” buy their product in a store near the Porto metro station. Its price is 2.70 for 24 sachets.
This is a store selling Latin American products located near the Porto stop. The place has a health register and the Bon Bon Bum bags are in front of the counter, with an expiration date of 2026. Only one distinction is made: 20 cents less for those who buy to resell in the convoy.
The bag of 24 lollipops costs 2.70 euros for the “chupacheros”, who receive on average five or six euros each. Even though the first offer is always one euro for three lollipops, this doesn’t always work. In reality, almost all reductions will eventually pass.
“That’s why we aim to sell 10 bags per day, that’s the only way to make it worthwhile,” explains Raúl, emphasizing the difficulty of the proposed objective. He also comments on his arrival in the company: “I joined because of a friend who told me to start with lollipops until the newspapers came out.” He waits until he reaches the minimum two years to request regularization due to rooting.
Still, both sellers remember encouraging moments. “Latinos and Spanish people often help, encourage and boost morale.” For many of them, giving them a euro without asking for the product in exchange can be interpreted as a noble act, certainly, but there are also those who insist on providing the lollipop, as a symbol of pride and dignity.
In addition to the metro, they are also in Cercanías. The success of the product is obvious, even if the profits are not significant. Sellers consulted say they previously offered key fobs but it didn’t work.
The fact that these lollipops continue to circulate fully, while other street products lose customers after a few months, has an explanation in emotional memory. It’s about brand nostalgia. Bon Bon Bum are popular throughout the Latin American diaspora.
The sellers comment: “People remember the pacifier from their childhood and are interested, it’s not out of charity that they buy it, it’s because they want it.”
The street sale of these products is not a crime, it only involves an administrative process and the request to vacate the station.
Biting the candy to directly access the long-awaited gum awakens pleasant memories; the taste of a carefree past, or the simple illusion of a fleeting return home. It is an act that transcends generations and which, for the Latino migrant, is directly associated with this candy from the “Columbian” company.
Today, according to data from the business group, they are present in more than 70 countries and charge $700 million each year. As for the famous candies sold today on Madrid public transport, production is massive. It is estimated that 160 million Bon Bon Bums are made each month.
On several occasions, the brand’s leaders have emphasized that the Madrid Protocol is one of the instruments that contributes most to achieving uniform product expansion. This protocol, adopted in the capital 35 years ago – in addition to the historic Madrid system – is the only registration of international trademarks with the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Thus, Colombina and its flagship product have become an international giant. It was so successful that nine years ago they acquired the Fiesta company, which created the famous Kojak candies, a direct competitor to Bon Bon Bum and which became an integral part of the company.
