In Colombia there are thousands of small neighborhood tiendas where you can save money on groceries compared to shopping at Exito or larger grocery stores.
The easiest way to grocery shop in Medellín is to go to a big store like Exito or Jumbo where you can buy everything. But this won’t be the cheapest option. By smart shopping you can easily save over 30 percent compared to the prices at Exito or Jumbo.
We previously provided a guide to grocery shopping in Medellín. We also looked at the discount stores where you can save money on groceries compared to shopping at Exito or Jumbo including:
We now look at shopping at the small neighborhood tiendas in Medellín and another cities in Colombia where you can also save money on groceries.
A small neighborhood tienda in Sabaneta selling groceries
Neighborhood Tiendas in Colombia
In Medellín and other cities and towns in Colombia there are literally thousands of small neighborhood tiendas (stores) selling groceries.
Many of these small stores are family owned and they won’t have as big as a selection as found in the large grocery stores like Exito, Jumbo or Carulla.
However, in these small shops you can find selections of fruits and vegetables, eggs, bread, drinks, rice, milk, cheese and other dairy products, meats, snacks, oils, many other staples, cleaning products, and many other things found at larger grocery stores.
Inside a tienda, rice, sugar, oils and many other products
Also, some of these small shops offer domicillio (delivery) services. So, you can get groceries delivered from your local tienda.
Inside a small neighborhood tienda
In addition, you can find small tiendas selling many other products including clothing, cell phones, kitchen items and many other products.
Dairy products and meats in a neighborhood tienda
Where Can You Find Tiendas Selling Groceries?
In most neighborhoods in Medellín and in other cities and towns in Colombia, you can find many of these small tiendas selling groceries, sometime several on the same block. These small tiendas are conveniently located.
For example, where we live Sabaneta there are four small neighborhood tiendas selling groceries within a block from our casa (house).
A small tienda selling groceries in Sabaneta that is also a cafe
So, these small neighborhood stores selling groceries act like an extended pantry for us. When we need something, we can walk a block and buy what we need – very convenient.
Also, in our experience, one benefit of most of these small tiendas is they won’t ask for you cedula or ID on Pico y Cedula days. So, you can go shopping any day of the week. In larger grocery stores like Exito and Jumbo they will ask for your ID on Pico y Cedula days, so you are restricted.
However, not all neighborhoods have these small neighborhood grocery stores. For example, in the upscale area of El Poblado in Medellín, you won’t find many of these small neighborhood tiendas.
How Much Can You Save?
In general prices in these small neighborhood stores are less than what you will find at large grocery stores like Exito or Jumbo.
Prices in neighborhood tiendas tend to be about 10 percent to over 30 percent lower, depending on the item. For example, eggs we purchase in a local tienda are about 20 percent cheaper than at Exito.
One of many small tiendas selling groceries in Sabaneta
The Bottom Line: Shopping at Tiendas in Colombia to Save Money on Groceries
Smaller neighborhood tiendas selling groceries tend to have lower prices than in Exito and larger grocery stores.
So, you can save money and while having the convenience of shopping at a neighborhood tienda. However, you won’t find the selection that you can find in larger grocery store.
The bottom line is the easiest way to grocery shop in Medellín is to go to a big store like Exito or Jumbo where you can buy everything. But this won’t be the cheapest option.
We have a guide to grocery shopping in Medellín showing how you can save money on groceries.
If you shop at neighborhood tiendas you can save money, have convenience and support small businesses.
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3 thoughts on “Shopping at Tiendas in Colombia to Save Money on Groceries”
The prices at some of the mega-stores can be counter-intuitive. You’d think that since they buy ginormous quantities from their suppliers that prices on the shelf would reflect that. Yeah well, I found out too that sometimes they are higher than in the mom & pop’s. Plus the long lines at the big box megas can move slow; quite slow with lots of delays while people fumble around for their money, pay a few bills for their friends, top up their cellular minutes or try different credit cards until they find one that gets accepted. The smaller stores can get me in and out much quicker.
Yes, the mom & pop’s stores normally have lower price. That is due to lower overhead and wholesalers that sell to the thousands of mom & pop’s stores.
I have seen a wholesaler with their list of products at one tienda selling to the owner, think of the volume for the wholesaler, there are thousands of these small tiendas in Medellín.
Also, some mom & pop’s buy at wholesale prices at the huge Mayorista as I have seen products from Mayorista at some tiendas – https://medellinguru.com/central-mayorista/