Dollarcity records 124 stores in Guatemala and reaches 800 across Latin America

Guatemala plays a prominent role in Dollarcity’s expansion. At the end of June 2026, the chain had 124 stores in the country, its second-largest national network in the region. That figure predates the announcement that the company had reached 800 stores in Latin America, reported by Just Retail on 23 September 2026.

Guatemala: the second-largest market by store count

The figures for the end of June placed Guatemala ahead of Peru, which had 116 stores, El Salvador, with 88, and Mexico, with 21. Colombia was the company’s other market and ranked first by network size.

The 124 Guatemalan stores accounted for approximately 15.9% of the 781 outlets Dollarcity operated in the region at the time. In other words, roughly one in six of the chain’s stores was in Guatemala, based on a calculation using the published figures.

This comparison puts the country’s importance within the retail network into perspective. It does not, however, measure sales, profitability or market share in Guatemala: the available information concerns store numbers, not financial performance.

For those involved in or considering franchising in Guatemala, that distinction matters. Network size is a useful indicator of a brand’s expansion, but it cannot, on its own, establish the financial appeal of a location or the terms of investing in it.

From 658 to 781 stores in a year

At the end of June 2026, Dollarcity operated 781 stores in Latin America, compared with 658 a year earlier. The difference of 123 stores represents growth of approximately 18.7% in the total number of outlets.

That increase applies to the regional network as a whole. The research provides no comparable figure for Guatemala for June 2025, so it is not possible to establish how many stores the company added in the country during that period or what share of regional growth came from the Guatemalan market.

Later, Federico Mesa, the company’s head of expansion in Colombia, announced the milestone of 800 stores on LinkedIn. According to Just Retail’s report, he said Dollarcity was now operating in five countries: Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, El Salvador and Mexico.

It is important to distinguish between these two reporting points. Guatemala’s 124 stores relate to the end of June; the 800-store announcement came later. The information provided does not include an updated country-by-country breakdown showing Guatemala’s total at the time of that announcement.

A business that began in El Salvador

Dollarcity was founded in El Salvador in 2009 and subsequently expanded its discount-store model to Guatemala, Colombia and Peru. Its presence in Mexico forms part of the five-country operation described in the announcement of the new regional milestone.

The report therefore brings together two points: a network that has grown beyond its June total, and Guatemala’s significant position within the latest available country breakdown. The brand’s Salvadoran origins also place its development in a Central American context, before its expansion into other Latin American markets.

The published figures do not provide addresses for new Guatemalan stores, investment costs per outlet or a schedule of forthcoming openings. The regional milestone should therefore not be interpreted as the announcement of a specific store opening in Guatemala.

What the figures mean for the franchise community

Dollarcity’s expansion offers a useful reference point for the growth of a retail chain with a significant presence in Guatemala. However, the research does not identify its stores as franchises or report any offer to buy a franchise. Presenting this news as a franchise opportunity open to investors would go beyond the documented information.

Practical takeaway: when assessing expansion news, check the date of each figure, distinguish regional results from national ones, and confirm the brand’s operating model directly before considering an investment.