Shopping and Daily Life in Colombia: Supermarkets, Plazas, Delivery

Most daily shopping in Colombia happens at hard-discount stores like D1, Ara and Ísimo, with Éxito and Carulla for bigger shops and Rappi for delivery. Here is how shopping in Colombia actually works.

Hard-discount stores: the everyday default

This is where most Colombians shop. D1 is the market leader with thousands of stores, while Ara, owned by Portugal’s Jerónimo Martins, is close behind.

Ísimo, part of the Olímpica group, filled the gap left when Justo & Bueno collapsed in 2022. All three are small, cheap and stock a limited set of mostly own-brand goods, which is perfect for a weekly top-up.

Full supermarkets

For a bigger shop or imported brands, the full supermarkets take over. Éxito is the national heavyweight, Carulla is its upmarket sibling, and Jumbo and Olímpica round out the field.

These carry fresh counters, household goods and international products that the discounters skip. Expect to pay noticeably more for anything imported, from cheese to peanut butter.

Plazas de mercado and tiendas de barrio

The cheapest, freshest produce is at the plaza de mercado. Bogotá’s Paloquemao and Medellín’s Plaza Minorista sell fruit, vegetables, meat and flowers at a fraction of supermarket prices.

For everyday convenience there is the tienda de barrio, the corner shop on almost every block. They sell single portions, often extend informal credit to regulars, and are the heart of neighbourhood life.

Delivery: Rappi and the apps

Colombia practically runs on Rappi, the home-grown super-app. It delivers groceries from Éxito, Carulla and D1, restaurant meals, pharmacy items and even cash, usually within the hour.

Coverage is strongest in Bogotá, Medellín and the other big cities. Tip the rappitendero, keep small cash for the door, and you can run much of daily life from your phone.

Pharmacies, household and electronics

Pharmacy chains are everywhere and often deliver. Cruz Verde, Farmatodo, La Rebaja and Locatel handle prescriptions and everyday medicine, and many basics are cheaper than at home.

For furniture and appliances, Homecenter is the Colombian equivalent of a big-box hardware store, alongside Falabella, Alkosto and the Ktronix electronics chain. Between them you can furnish an apartment in an afternoon.

The bottom line

The simplest routine is D1 or Ara for the weekly basics, a plaza de mercado for fresh produce, and a full supermarket for everything else. Rappi fills the gaps without leaving the sofa.

Keep some cash for corner shops and markets, since not every small vendor takes cards. Do that and daily shopping becomes one of the easier, and cheaper, parts of life in Colombia.

More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions