Markets and neighborhood shops

In Mexico, daily shopping is done at the market and in specialized neighborhood shops. The tienda de abarrotes sells everyday goods: groceries, soft drinks and cleaning supplies. The tlapalería (from the Nahuatl tlapalli, “color”) sells paint, solvents and hardware.

In popular markets, “marchante” is what people call someone who regularly buys or sells at the same stall: it can mean either the seller or the customer, and “¿qué le damos, marchante?” is part of everyday dealings.