This article was written by the team of Food Retail Italia, the official representative of the international trade fairs Cibus and TuttoFood Milan in Latin America.
Peru is undergoing a transformation that echoes what Colombia experienced not long ago.
Each country has its own context, of course — yet claiming that a foreign model cannot work locally is often just a way to resist change. Europe thought that way for decades, until the evidence showed something different: retail formats evolve according to universal dynamics. When consumers seek low prices and a channel can deliver them efficiently, markets inevitably move forward.
In Peru — a country with a growing population where traditional commerce still dominates — modern retail has struggled to take root. It is often perceived as expensive or distant, especially among lower-income consumers and in smaller cities. Yet the rise of convenience stores, and particularly the explosive growth of Tiendas Mass, is reshaping that perception. These outlets, built on a model of modern proximity, are adopting the logic of the neighborhood discount store — just as Tiendas 3B did in Mexico and D1 in Colombia. In every case, the formula for success is the same: low prices, assortments calibrated to local demand, dense store networks, and centralized management that replaces the improvisation typical of traditional trade.
Today, informal retail represents only about 10% of total trade in Colombia, while in Peru it still accounts for roughly 60%. But the direction is clear. The expansion of Tiendas Mass — backed by capital, technology, and structured processes — is irreversibly transforming the small-store landscape, displacing those unable to adapt. It’s the same evolution that, within a decade, turned Colombia’s fragmented retail ecosystem into one dominated by hybrid chains, where proximity no longer equates to informality.
A recent study on the development of Peruvian retail suggests that modernization is not just about new formats — it’s fundamentally about human capital.
FOOD RETAIL ITALIA at IFEMA Madrid – Pavilion 7, Stand 7A27A – November 5–6
The gap between a traditional bodega and a modern convenience store is not measured in square meters, but in management capabilities.
The former still operate with daily cash flow, informal accounting, and intuitive margins. The latter rely on analytical tools, trained staff, standardized procedures, and digital systems for payment and replenishment.
Technology, however, merely mirrors a deeper divide — the one separating a formal economy from an informal one. Around 60% of Peruvian stores remain unregistered, and fewer than half of their owners have completed secondary education. This divide, cultural even before it is economic, will define the future of the country’s retail sector.
Like Colombia once did, Peru is navigating its most delicate transition: moving from a system rooted in personal relationships to one based on professional management. In this process, many informal micro-operators will inevitably disappear. That should not be seen as a negative outcome, but as a natural adjustment. Attempting to protect informal micro-businesses through generic state programs is a strategic mistake. Markets tend to reorganize around those who can ensure efficiency, transparency, and scale.
The new economic and social balance emerging is clear: large retail groups are expanding through proximity formats; small shopkeepers are becoming formal employees with salaries, benefits, and taxes; and fragmented commerce is giving way to organized distribution.
The Colombian lesson is unmistakable: neighborhood discount stores don’t coexist with traditional trade — they replace it. They do so through investment, operational efficiency, and managerial discipline. Resisting that trend is as futile as fighting windmills: Don Quixote couldn’t do it, and neither will Peru’s informal retail.
