Supermarkets in Colombia – statistics & facts
The Colombian supermarket sector is among the largest in Latin America and one of the main sources of employment in the country. Colletively in 2019, the major supermarket chains such as Éxito, Olímpica, and Alkosto generated annual sales revenues of over 20 million U.S. dollars, while Grupo Éxito alone accounted for over eighty percent of the total. Even with traditional supermarkets acting as the main players of the Colombian retail sector, other formats such as discounters are gaining ground, along with a large quantity of convenience stores that have traditionally shaped the Colombian retail landscape.
Grupo Éxito is the supermarket operator with the largest workforce in Colombia, partly due to its widespread and diversified store formats throughout the national territory. This group operates a chain of traditional supermarkets under two main brands: Éxito and Carulla. Its low-cost segment is marketed through the brands Super Inter and Surtimax, while the brand Surtimayorista specializes in the cash & carry format. This company is not only the largest food retailer in the country, but it is also the most valuable supermarket brand in Colombia.
Besides the recent discounter boom, the supermarket sector in Colombia heavily relies on neighborhood grocery stores. Between 2017 and 2019, the number of neighborhood grocery shops increased by nearly 30 percent. As a result, during the first months of quarantine due to COVID-19 in 2020, they were the second most preferred type of store to do grocery shopping, only after low-cost supermarkets.
Grupo Éxito is the supermarket operator with the largest workforce in Colombia, partly due to its widespread and diversified store formats throughout the national territory. This group operates a chain of traditional supermarkets under two main brands: Éxito and Carulla. Its low-cost segment is marketed through the brands Super Inter and Surtimax, while the brand Surtimayorista specializes in the cash & carry format. This company is not only the largest food retailer in the country, but it is also the most valuable supermarket brand in Colombia.
Discounters and neighborhood grocery stores
In recent years, grocery retailers operating under the format of soft and hard discount have had enormous growth in Colombia. It is forecast that by 2023, the market value of this retail format would reach 25 trillion Colombian pesos, representing more than 30 percent of the Colombian supermarket sector. Supermarkets such as D1, Ara, and Justo & Bueno have become the leading grocery discounters. Together, they operate a network of over 2,800 stores.Besides the recent discounter boom, the supermarket sector in Colombia heavily relies on neighborhood grocery stores. Between 2017 and 2019, the number of neighborhood grocery shops increased by nearly 30 percent. As a result, during the first months of quarantine due to COVID-19 in 2020, they were the second most preferred type of store to do grocery shopping, only after low-cost supermarkets.
