Chile Forum

I spent the first six months of this year studying in Chile and am eager to return for a more extended time when I finish my studies.

I am interested, in part because of a previous topic on this forum, in opening a small neighborhood grocery store. I want to find a place with low overhead and high traffic -- a task that may not be very easy. I would consider living in any part of Chile, but would prefer Vina del Mar, Valparaiso, Temuco, Valdivia or Puerto Montt.

I would plan to move to Chile next June. What business permits would I need to fill out to make this possible? Where is the best place to search for a business space? Supplier information?

Thanks for everyone's help. I know its a lot of questions and I am very early in this process but I appreciate any information you could pass along.

Just a note: Viña is significantly less busy in the winter so make sure your business plan takes into account seasonality, depending on location (even where you are within Viña is going to make a difference).

Very good point. Does anyone know a good online resource to find commercial rent space?

Do you speak Castellano? I can't stress enough how important it would be to be fluent, especially for all the yak-yakking and consulting and talking on the phone and in person to realtors and researching etc. that you'd be doing to rent a business space . You're gonna have to develop relationships with people to open a grocery store or any other business for that matter. That means a lot of talking to people. Things can move slowly.... wait, better phrase.... things move at their own pace in Chile.

I think it's a good idea. But go into it with your eyes open, my friend.

Yes, the language is terribly important. It does seem that gringos may have a lot to bring to a business here. if a person mixed Chilean and (for instance) US business ideas. Have you seen Lider lately? Walmart's fingerprints are all over it now. I've had my problems with some Walmart business practices but I was really impressed at Lider.

Laura55llc wrote:………… I was really impressed at Lider.

I was even impressed the other day when a worker there gave an accurate and correct answer about an item they did not happen to carry

One thing that I fear if I ran any storefront operation in urban/suburban Chile would be robbery and the possibility of me or one of my workers getting hurt. I also wonder what kind of stinky rumors and tactics any local competitors would use against me.

Standard advice: live in Chile for a year before making an investment preferably in the area you will be making any fixed location investment.

eeuunikkeiexpat wrote:

Laura55llc wrote:………… I was really impressed at Lider.

I was even impressed the other day when a worker there gave an accurate and correct answer about an item they did not happen to carry

Hehehe...yes, a low bar I know.

They had a "greeter" as we came in handing out sale catalogs.

xxx

There are several "patentes" you can choose to operate your business if you want to do a grocery store, like "panadería" but the one you're looking for the "supermercado" one, as it gives you more freedom on what you can sell. Ask your municipality about that one and all the guidelines needed, it's a written series of rules that a business of that kind must have, like hygienic conditions, location of storage stuff, etc. I'm sorry I can't explain myself better on this one, but my dad had his own small grocery store years ago. I can get some of the documents for you if they're still around the house, and if you're interested of course.

P.S.: Sometimes it scares me how well puelche knows some things about us chileans, hehe.