GROCERY STORES PUNTA CANA, BUY LIKE A LOCAL.

 Learn how to navigate Dominican supermarkets and make grocery shopping in Punta Cana as easy as it is in your home country.

Trying to buy bread or milk may be easier than you think. Having special dietary restrictions or relying on public transportation can also be an experience in the Dominican shopping experience.

The Dominican way of grocery shopping.

If you’re from a country with 24-hour grocery stores, living in a place where stores are open seem at random is a difficult adjustment but may be easier than you think.

Upon arriving in the Dominican Republic, you’re bound to encounter one recurring type of shop name as colmado.

What is a colmado? Well they sell a bit of everything.

A colmado is primarily a local convenience store. In a colmado you can find everything from rice and beans to toiletries, cigarettes and alcohol, hygienic products like toothpaste. People can call their local colmado for a delivery. Many new arrivals simply can’t believe that even if you just need a coca cola you can call to any colmado around you and they will deliver it to you with no additional cost ( tips for the delivery  guy is optional, colmados have much more to offer than on-demand groceries. Colmados are scattered all around the island, in great numbers. Oficially there is one colmado for every 188 inhabitants. I can confirm that colmados are everywhere, and in numbers. Like colmados are central to life in the Dominican Republic, some of them are used for other purposes than shopping and socializing. People come here to buy mobile phone credit, pay electricity or water bills.

 Expats in Punta Cana may also be surprised by the cost of a taxi to go to the supermarket there's always the option of going in motoconcho but it will depend on how many bags you get at the supermarket, thats why we recommend in case of just milk and eggs go to a colmado that may be just steps from your place.

Over time, youll start to appreciate these difference. In the US, for example, shoppers visit massive stores where armies of staff work in shifts; in Dominican, you go to the small, independent papelería for pens and notebooks, the ferretería for a hammer or screwdriver, and el colmado for any last minute grocerys shopping. Most of these small shops are family operations,  they’re not employees of a vast multinational company – they are independent traders with families.

Supermarkets in Punta Cana

There are a number of popular Dominican supermarket chains in Punta Cana.

Inexpensive

Iberia: Located in Friusa 

Supermercados Ole: Located in Pueblo Bavaro

Average

Super Pola: Located in San Juan Shopping Center

Expensive

Supermercado Jumbo: Located In downtown mall

Supermercado Nacional: Located in Punta Cana Village

Supermercado Ciccolella: Located in los corales

Las Canas Marketplace: Located in Cap Cana

In some countries you have to bag your own groceries. In Punta Cana is not necessary and they don't charge anything for plastic bag, but we recommend to have you own bags for less plastic use.

Specialty food stores in Punta Cana for dietary restrictions

Some expats in Punta Cana not only have to learn a new language but also find foods necessary for dietary reasons. 

The first step is to ensure that you know the right Spanish words for your specific food requirement.

Latributaina: is the first bulk store in Punta Cana, they have organic cleaning and personal care products and also they sell the products of their family garden, they are located in Bavaro.

If you can’t find your product in a store, you can also check online as there are also dozens of specialty food shops available.

kairosmarket.com: This shop offers a wide range of items, including organic, vegetarian and keto products. Orders are delivered to BM cargo.

Alosano: organic and natural products.

Hogarenas Bakery: vegan and dairy-free breads.

Zonaecord: natural, organic and eco-friendly products.

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