Like any major city, Buenos Aires boasts an extensive commercial scene. Supermarkets, neighborhood stores, grocery shops, and small markets form a vast distribution chain offering everyday necessities.
Buenos Aires is a city where, within a very short distance, you can find various types of shops in terms of size, product variety, and opening hours. This advantage allows you to choose where to shop based on what you need and when you need it.
In this article, ExpatPathways will guide you on which market or store to visit depending on your shopping needs. Sometimes, large chain supermarkets are your best bet, while at other times, a local store might be more convenient.
Check out these tips to maximize both your time and money!
Tricks to do your daily shopping in Buenos Aires
If you want to buy in bulk or large quantities
For bulk purchases, wholesale supermarkets are ideal. These large markets offer very affordable prices if you buy in quantity, such as beverage packs, cleaning products, or large bags/boxes of cereals.
Typically, these supermarkets are located in the Province of Buenos Aires, though some can also be found in the City of Buenos Aires.
Remember, since they are not retail supermarkets, products on the shelves are usually in large packages and boxes. However, you can still buy individual items or more than one unit without any issues.
Key players in this sector include Vital, Diarco, Yaguar, Maxiconsumo, and Makro, each providing a broad range of products to meet the diverse needs of their customers.
If you need to buy various products in one place
We recommend visiting supermarkets and hypermarkets like Jumbo, Disco, Carrefour. The City of Buenos Aires has various branches, both large and small, in most neighborhoods.
These supermarkets offer a wide variety of products, as well as different payment methods and discounts. Therefore, they are ideal for your weekly shopping of various items.
Although their prices may not always be the most affordable, supermarkets and hypermarkets are perfect for finding everything you need for your daily life.
If you want to shop without leaving your home
E-commerce in Buenos Aires is very well developed. Along with the significant reach of the e-commerce company Mercado Libre, which accounts for an increasingly large number of online transactions in the Argentine market, city stores and markets offer their products and services online, so you can shop from the comfort of your home.
Apps like PedidosYa and Rappi allow you to shop from a wide variety of stores and have products delivered to your doorstep. However, you can also take advantage of the online stores of major supermarket chains, which handle the processing and delivery of your purchases to your home.
You can also turn to Mercado Libre for very specific products, though keep in mind that home delivery through this platform is not available on Sundays.
If you want to shop close to home
Often, you may need to buy just a few items or perhaps a specific product. Plus, many people prefer to compare products and choose from several options, all good reasons to prioritize neighborhood stores over large supermarket branches.
In Buenos Aires, you won’t have trouble shopping at local stores.
Firstly, the City of Buenos Aires and the Greater Buenos Aires area have an incredible number of Chinese supermarkets. These stores, which have proliferated throughout the city since the late 20th century, offer a diverse range of products and some include butcheries and greengroceries. They usually have economical prices and the advantage of being open every day of the week.
Additionally, you’ll find neighborhood stores in some parts of the City of Buenos Aires. These stores, often family-run and rich in history, are managed by their owners. While such stores have diminished in significance in recent years, they are ideal for shopping close to home due to the friendliness and cordiality of the sellers.
Lastly, the large supermarket chains mentioned earlier often have smaller branches throughout the city, like the Carrefour Express outlets. These mini-markets offer the same services and benefits as their larger counterparts and are noted for their quick service and clean, orderly conditions.
If you need to make a late-night purchase
Are you coming back from a night out and need to make a last-minute purchase? In a city as large as Buenos Aires, this will happen more often than you might expect.
When you need a very specific product late at night or even in the early hours of the morning, the stores mentioned earlier will not be available. So, where can you go?
In Buenos Aires, kiosks or 24/7 stores are always open. Generally, you’ll see more of these stores on major avenues and street intersections, for example in the neighborhoods of Palermo, Centro, Villa Crespo, Belgrano, Caballito, or Recoleta.
For safety reasons, these kiosks or stores offer service without allowing access inside, but the advantage is that they are always open, no matter what time you visit.
You will also find stores at gas stations (known as service stations in Buenos Aires), which like many cities around the world, are open 24/7. You can buy anything from coffee or something to eat to cigarettes, beverages, and other items you may need late at night.
Pharmacies
Certain pharmacy chains like Farmacity (the largest in Buenos Aires) have branches open 24/7. However, not all branches offer this service. But it can be a good option when you need a medicine, hygiene product, or personal use item at an unusual hour.
If you want to shop without compromising on quality-price ratio
Here you have two great options. On one hand, the aforementioned Chinese supermarkets. These are located in nearly every neighborhood in Buenos Aires and you won’t have to walk far to find one.
They offer affordable prices compared to chain supermarkets and what you can find in online stores, and often provide discounts or bonuses for cash payments. They also accept various payment methods.
If you’re looking for something more similar to a supermarket chain but on a budget, your best bet is to go to supermarkets like DIA. This chain is known for its economical prices and incredible discounts, making it as convenient as the Chinese supermarkets.
They offer own-brand products at a cheaper price and you’ll find their branches throughout different areas of Buenos Aires.
Last Considerations
Navigating the shopping scene in Buenos Aires is simpler than you might think, thanks to the wide array of shopping options available across the city.
From expansive supermarkets to quaint local shops, planning your daily or weekly purchases is a breeze. While you may find a great variety of products and brands, keep in mind that not all shopping options are equal in terms of pricing and convenience to your location.
Conversely, if you’re on the hunt for specific items, Chinese supermarkets and neighborhood stores can be invaluable, though they may lack in broader product selections or significant discounts.
Embrace the diverse retail environment Buenos Aires has to offer and discover how effortless shopping can be with insights from ExpatPathways.
(Featured Image Source: Christophe/flickr.com)
