Venezuela records 91 supermarket openings in 2026

Venezuela has recorded 91 supermarket openings so far in 2026, according to a report published by Banca y Negocios on 23 September. The figure provides a useful reference for franchise businesses and investors assessing locations and retail formats, although it does not establish how many of these stores operate as franchises or how they have performed.

A measure of openings, not profitability

The figure reported by Banca y Negocios covers supermarkets opened across Venezuela during the year up to the publication date. Its scope is specific: it counts new openings. On its own, it does not measure net growth in store numbers, as the available material does not include a record of closures over the same period.

Nor does it provide a breakdown by city, state, brand or store size. This makes it impossible to identify where openings are concentrated or whether they mainly involve small shops, medium-sized stores or large outlets. For a commercial assessment, these differences matter just as much as the national total.

The most cautious interpretation is that new openings have been documented in supermarket retail. Turning that activity into a claim about profitability, a recovery in consumer spending or the success of a business model would require additional information not included in the research provided.

What it means for the franchise sector

For those involved in Venezuela’s franchise sector, the figure can serve as a starting point for examining the retail environment. It should not be interpreted as a count of new franchises: the available information does not identify how the 91 supermarkets are operated or distinguish between company-owned and franchised stores.

That distinction matters. A retail opening and a franchise opening are not interchangeable categories. Without information about the companies involved, their contracts or their expansion models, attributing these openings to the franchise sector would be an unsupported conclusion.

It is, however, reasonable to factor these openings into location research. Anyone assessing premises can check whether new supermarkets have opened in their target area and observe how they interact with nearby businesses. This is a recommendation for further analysis, not a claim that every opening brings more footfall or stronger sales to neighbouring retailers.

The 55-minute figure needs context

The same report presents another figure: Venezuelans spend 55 minutes on each supermarket shopping trip. This offers an indication of the time spent on that activity, but the material supplied does not detail the methodology, sample or geographical coverage of the measurement.

For that reason, the figure should remain attributed to Banca y Negocios, and extrapolation should be avoided. The available information also does not explain how those minutes are divided between choosing products, queuing to pay and other stages of the shopping trip.

For a franchise considering a location near a supermarket, this time should not be confused with time available to spend in another business. Nor does it demonstrate an intention to make additional purchases elsewhere. The useful question is which parts of the customer journey can be observed and measured at a specific location before committing to an investment.

How to apply the news to a local assessment

The next step for a prospective franchisee is not to project sales from the 91 openings, but to investigate the circumstances of their chosen location. A national count is no substitute for reviewing access to the premises, visibility, opening hours, nearby competition and operating costs.

It is also worth asking the franchisor for evidence from comparable outlets and distinguishing actual results from projections. If a business proposal cites new supermarket openings as a selling point, ask what demonstrable connection they have with expected demand for that business.

Practical conclusion: the 91 openings are a reason to investigate, not a guarantee that an investment will succeed. The franchise sector can make use of this reference point if it is backed by local checks, data on the chosen format and a careful review of every commercial assumption.