Grocery Shopping in Mexico
As hard as you try, you can't eat out every day
Apparently I'm hungry today, since I feel an overwhelming urge to write about where and how to shop for groceries in Mexico (I also wanted a respite from the heavier subject of my previous article). I find that figuring out how to procure food isn't challenging in most places in the world I've visited - after all, everyone has to eat. The same is true of Mexico, it is all quite approachable and familiar. But there are some interesting nuances to consider that may not be immediately obvious to the casual or first-time visitor.
Generally speaking, there are 5 categories of establishments where people buy food for their home; we will look at each of these in turn:
Supermarkets and Club Stores
Mercados
Convenience Stores
Tianguis and Tiendas
Specialty Stores and Markets
Supermarkets and Club Stores
Supermarkets in Mexico are largely similar to their Canadian and U.S. counterparts. They are meant to be a one-stop destination for stocking up your pantry and refrigerator. And like the U.S. and Canada, there are supermarket chains in Mexico, with Walmart being the largest corporate owner. Here is a somewhat comprehensive list of the chain supermarkets, and their corporate umbrella:
Walmart
Bodega Aurrera
Walmart Super Center
Sam's Club
Superama
Soriana
Soriana Hiper
Soriana Mercado
Soriana Super
Soriana Express
Chedraui
Tienda Chedraui
Super Chedraui
La Comer
La Comer
Mega
City Market
And rounding out the list:
Alsuper
HEB
Costco
Costco and Sam's Club are membership stores, and they sell a lot more than groceries. Like in the U.S., you would shop at these places for larger or bulk grocery items (in addition to their non-grocery inventory). And if you have a membership card for these stores from your home country, you can use that same membership card in Mexico. However, there is a significant cost savings if you buy your membership to these stores in Mexico (and likewise, you can use your Mexico membership card in the U.S. and Canada).
In most of the larger and more visited cities in Mexico, Soriana has a large presence - you can find them everywhere. They are a good and reliable option for your basic grocery needs. Most La Comer stores are a step up in quality of inventory from Soriana, and in cities with lots of tourists and U.S./Canadian immigrants, the La Comer stores will often stock the same types of items you'd find back in your home country. They often have dedicated organic sections, a gluten-free aisle, and gourmet labels that you wouldn't typically find in other stores. Stepping up again, City Market - a sub-brand of La Comer - is really fancy. This is high-end shopping for sure. As of this writing, there aren't many City Markets in Mexico: there are a few in Mexico City, and at least one in Guadalajara, Monterrey, Querétaro and San Miguel de Allende. While City Market may not be representative of most people's grocery shopping experience in Mexico, it is fun to visit just to see how upscale a Mexican grocery store can get.
For you Texans, y'all will feel a bit more at home if you wander into one of the approximately 75 HEB stores in Mexico, although most of them aren't in really touristy or immigrant destinations - notable exceptions being the cities of Guanajuato and Querétaro.
Not all cities in Mexico have all the supermarkets and club stores listed above. In larger cities though, you will typically find a good mix of the above options.
There are a few things you will notice about supermarkets in Mexico that may feel a bit different, especially if you are coming from the U.S. Firstly, they are often 1 much more neat and better stocked. Things are arranged on the shelves with all the labels facing out, and there aren't as many gaps in the shelves left by previous shoppers removing items. There are more employees around, and they are constantly re-stocking the shelves and tidying things up. Secondly, many supermarkets sell a lot more than groceries: appliances, small furnishings, table- and flat-ware, clothing, small motorcycles (seriously), toys, etc.
In all supermarkets, you will find foods and labels that are unfamiliar to you. And you won't find all the things that you're used to finding in the U.S. and Canada. But if you're adaptable, you'll find a Mexican supermarket that suits your one-stop shopping needs.
Bagging and Tipping in Supermarkets
You will notice in Mexican supermarkets that there is always a dedicated person bagging your groceries. In all stores except Costco, these baggers are not paid by the stores and have no salary - they are usually retired people who are working as baggers to help supplement whatever retirement income they have. Instead, they work for tips, so please, please always tip the person bagging your groceries. I always give at least 5 pesos per bag. If you are paying for your groceries by debit or credit card (both work in all supermarkets) and don't have the right change, ask the cashier for change.
And finally for the bags themselves - some states and municipalities in Mexico have banned single-use plastic bags. Baja California Sur, Quintana Roo, Mexico City, Monterrey, Tijuana - the list is growing. To be safe (as well as environmentally friendly), carry your own bags, or be prepared to purchase multi-use bags at the supermarket.
Mercados
Mercados in Mexico are permanent outdoor, indoor or indoor-outdoor markets with a collection of stalls that sell various food (and non-food) items. Mercados are much more free-wheeling - they are not chains, and the quality of mercados varies from place to place. Depending on the size of the city, there may be anywhere from 0 to many mercados. And the food items you find there will vary as well, according to the size of the mercado, local tastes and food availability. Almost always, though, they will carry fresh produce, eggs, cheeses, and breads. Packaged and processed foods are less common or absent altogether. Some mercados will have stalls that sell chicken, pork or beef. In larger cities and near the coast, you can find fish stalls. Prepared meals are sold in various stalls as well, often with informal seating options. By far, shopping in mercados is my preferred food shopping experience in Mexico. The prices are often (but not always) better, the food is fresher, and the atmosphere is more dynamic and colorful. When I lived in the city of Oaxaca, 90% of my food shopping was done in a mercado (laziness may have contributed to that figure - there was a very nice mercado a few blocks from my house, and the nearest grocery store was a bus ride away).
The location of mercados isn't always obvious - you may need to ask around for the nearest or the better mercados in your area. But do branch out from the predictable and familiar supermarket scene and give the local mercados a visit.
Convenience Stores
The most ubiquitous convenience store in most Mexican cities is OXXO - you will sometimes see them on nearly every corner. 7-11, Circle-K and Kiosko stores can usually be found sprinkled around the plethora of OXXOs. Similar to your home country, these are great for quick stops - a carton of milk here, a bottle of sunscreen there. In addition to light grocery shopping, OXXO is where many people go to buy or recharge Mexican SIM cards 2, and where locals go to pay various utility bills.
Tianguis and Tiendas
Tianguis are a sort of non-permanent flea market that pop up on various days of the week in many Mexican cities and towns. The stalls in the tianguis sell more non-food than food items, but they sometimes will sell local produce and almost certainly prepared foods. Don't look to tianguis to meet your grocery shopping needs, but on the right day of the week you might find one on your way home and opt to stock up on a few onions.
Tiendas are small, family-owned stores, akin to convenience stores but they are not chains and don't have the formal structure of a chain store. They vary in size, but are not usually larger than a small house and more typically are the size of a living room. Sometimes they are simply a street-facing room in someone's house. Small tiendas are my go-to for filler type of shopping - a bottle of water, maybe some eggs, a bag of Flamin' Hot Doritos (shh - don't tell). Like OXXO, you can find tiendas everywhere - there is probably one right around the corner.
A larger variant of the tienda is the mini-super, which is what its name implies: a small super market. Mini-supers fall somewhere between tiendas and supermarkets in size and frequency. They stock more items than tiendas, and are convenient for the mid-size grocery outing, or for filling in with items that may not be available in the smaller tiendas.
Specialty Stores and Markets
When you are out looking for one particular type of food, or when you are on your way home from the mercado which perhaps doesn't sell that one food item, there are a variety of stores in Mexico that specialize in what you are looking for. While not an exhaustive list, these are:
Verdurería or Frutas y Legumbres - fruits and vegetables shop
Pollería - fresh chicken and eggs shop
Rosticería - roasted chicken (usually also sold with condiments and side dishes) shop
Carnicería - butcher shop
Tortillería - fresh tortillas shop (typically machine-made)
Salchichonería - cured meats shop
Panadería - bakery
Pescadería - fresh fish shop (usually only found in coastal towns and larger cities)
Like tiendas, these are usually family-owned businesses, but they come in all shapes and sizes. A carnicería might be a tiny place with barely enough room for 2 customers at a time, or it can be a large building capable of handling 30 or more customers at once. It is useful to get recommendations in your location for the best carnicería or verdurería, etc, along with where to find them. I usually just use my nose when I'm looking for the neighborhood tortillería and panadería 😉.
In addition to these specialty stores, many towns have dedicated organic markets, as well as farmers and other specialty markets once or several days a week. Again, ask around! The locals know all the best places, when to go, when not to go, and what to avoid.
I'm a bit of a grocery nerd. I love exploring food selling establishments, taking in all of the colorful sights and aromas of the mercados and panaderias, admiring the immaculate shelves of the supermarkets, stopping by the tortillería for a warm stack of corn tortillas, fresh off the press and wrapped precariously in paper that the steam will rip holes through on the walk home. Mexico is a food paradise, and there are so many ways to relate to and experience the food culture. It is out in the open, and it is hidden. The supermarkets shout out their presence, and the tiendas whisper. Just use your senses, talk to the locals - it's all right there, just across the street, or down the way.
I am moved to tears by the homesickness evoked by your very personal experience of food shopping in Mexico. Thank you!