The face of grocery retailers in Latin America and the Caribbean are changing due to the presence of large food conglomerates. Latin American grocery retailers include major food retailers out of the US, France and South America who have brought in supermarkets.

Better economic conditions in Latin America are also the cause of the invasion of supermarkets, as opposed to a Latin American grocery store. Caribbean grocery stores have not been taken over by larger supermarkets in the same way, perhaps because the islands are small and based on tourism.

1. Grocery retailers in Latin America and the Caribbean are increasingly being usurped by supermarkets owned by global food retailers.

2. The presence of large food retailers has changed the face of Caribbean grocery stores and South American grocery stores.

3. Latin America groceries and Caribbean grocery stores represent new markets for food conglomerates because the U.S. and Europe food retail markets are full.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Check out South American grocery stores

There are several big grocery retailers in South America and Latin America that have a worldwide presence.

I recommend: Carrefour, a French company, is one of the biggest food retailers in South America. It has 55 Hypermarket stores in Colombia. Hypermarkets sell food and more, and are a strong retail presence in Colombia. Casino, another French outfit, owns the Exito and Ley supermarkets in Colombia.

Find Caribbean grocery stores in St. Maarten and British Virgin Islands

Food stores in the Caribbean can be high end, stocked with food from the US and Europe. Grocery retailers in the Caribbean are less likely to be part of a food conglomerate.

I recommend: Le Grande Marche is a grocery store in St. Maarten. It stocks food from around the world. Bobby's Marketplace, located in the British Virgin Islands, is another Caribbean grocery store that caters to villas and yachts.

Get more information grocery retailers in Latin America and the Caribbean

Latin American food retailers are changing and becoming part of the global food economy.

I recommend: The Latin American Institute of the Channels of Distribution provides a lot of information on the grocery and food retailers in Latin America, including the number of stores that food retailers such as Walmart have in Latin American countries. Grocery retailers in the British Virgin Islands, for instance, are better understood by looking at the Government's analysis of its food sectors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  It isn't easy to find individual grocery stores with a website -- either in Latin America or the Caribbean, the big retailers do have websites. Check with local governments via their websites and inquire there for the names of grocery retailers in Latin America and the Caribbean.