The popular Chinese supermarket that is competing with D1, Ara, and Oxxo is expanding its presence in Colombia.

The Colombian supermarket sector has had a 2025 marked by strategic moves and brand changes.

Amidst this transformation, a new brand is gaining ground: Mercatus9, a Chinese supermarket focused on Asian products.

According to 'Red+ Noticias,' low-cost stores continue to be the largest employers and the most popular in the market, according to figures from the Bank of the Republic.

However, the arrival of differentiated offerings like Mercatus9 has begun to capture the attention of consumers interested in alternative shopping experiences.

The chain opened a store in the Gran Plaza Soacha shopping center, on island L1-24, where it presented a smaller format than its other locations.

It also opened a store at 11-67 Calle 93A in Bogotá . Both openings generated positive reactions on social media, with comments from internet users celebrating the arrival of more Asian product options.

After several requests, the company announced the opening of another store in the Diverplaza shopping center, a space that will be directly adjacent to Tiendas D1, Ara, and Oxxo , low-cost chains that dominate the area.

For the company, this represents a key step in its strategy to compete in markets where budget brands are popular.

In the country's capital, Mercatus9 has several strategically located locations. The Capital location is located at Carrera 13 #119-12.

Another store is the Chengdu headquarters , on Calle 93A #11-67, which opens every day from 10:30 am to 8:00 pm. There is also the Tokyo headquarters , on Carrera 15 #75-25.

In the city center there is the Shanghai headquarters , located at Calle 24 #7-43 Local 103, which is open every day from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. In addition to these, there is the Hong Kong headquarters , at Calle 53 #21-65.

The Osaka headquarters is located in the Gran Plaza El Ensueño shopping center (Av. Villavicencio and transversal 63), which operates with the same hours.

In addition to Bogotá, Mercatus9 has a presence in Medellín with its Qingdao headquarters , located in the Sandiego shopping center, store 3432 (Carrera 43A #34-32).

Mercatus9 imports and markets food and household products from various Asian countries.

Their offering seeks to introduce Colombian consumers to the culinary culture of the Far East with selected items ranging from Korean snacks and sesame cookies to sweet potato noodles, soybean paste, and traditional sauces like gochujang.

It also offers utensils and household products with oriental-inspired designs.

The chain's expansion is led, among others, by Hui Min Zheng, an influencer of Chinese origin who has lived in Colombia for more than six years.

In an interview cited by 'El Espectador,' Zheng noted that the concept was born after identifying a gap in the national industry regarding Asian products.

The business started as a digital store, but later migrated to physical locations by better segmenting its products and attracting broader audiences.

The best-selling products, according to the co-founder, are instant noodles and rice. Despite their prices being higher than those offered in traditional supermarkets , customer loyalty has been remarkable.

The company even maintains a WeChat channel to serve and communicate with the Asian community living in Colombia.

“In addition to business growth, we are proud to have contributed to job creation in the country,” Zheng concluded.

*This content was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on publicly available information released to media outlets. It was also reviewed by a journalist and an editor.

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