In this guide
For your weekly shop in Mariano Roque Alonso, choose by where you live relative to the PY03, the former Transchaco highway: it is the town's main commercial road and where the big supermarkets are. For a large shop, pick a store on the highway with good fresh produce and parking; for top-ups of bread, milk or vegetables during the week, a neighbourhood shop saves you the traffic. Before you go, check whether it is Expo season and how you will pay.
Big store on the highway or neighbourhood shop?
The PY03 runs through town from Asunción in the south towards Limpio in the north, and Wikipedia (opens in a new tab) describes it as the road for large businesses. That is where you find the supermarkets with the widest range, as well as the Mariano and La Rural shopping centres (ABC Color, 2022 (opens in a new tab)).
- Big shop, weekly or fortnightly: a supermarket on the highway, with parking and plenty of chilled aisles. Go with a list and by car.
- Midweek top-ups: the shop in your barrio, whether Surubi'i, Universo, Arecayá, San Jorge or Remanso Castillo, keeps you off the highway at rush hour.
- If you work in Asunción: many people shop on the way home. Pick a store on your side of the highway so you are not U-turning with a loaded car.
When is the best time to go?
The PY03 carries traffic from Mariano Roque Alonso and Limpio and links to San Pedro, Amambay and Cordillera, and the malls draw shoppers from Limpio, Villa Hayes, Luque, Emboscada and Asunción (ABC Color, 2022 (opens in a new tab)). For fresh food and shorter queues, a weekday morning is usually calmer than Saturday afternoon.
Watch out in July. The Paraguayan Rural Association's Expo takes place in Mariano Roque Alonso for about two weeks every July; in 2026 it ran from 11 to 26 July, with a special highway police operation (Hoy, 2026 (opens in a new tab)). If you live near the showground or shop on the highway, do your big shop before it starts.
Keeping fresh and frozen food in shape
- Check fruit, vegetables and meat early, when shelves are best stocked.
- Leave frozen and dairy items for the end and keep a cool box in the car: in Central department heat, the drive home matters.
- Buy fruit and vegetables for a few days and top up locally; long-life staples (rice, pasta, oil, cleaning products) go in the big shop.
What if the checkout price does not match the shelf?
Sedeco, Paraguay's consumer protection office, says shelf and till prices not matching happens often in supermarkets and minimarkets. Its advice is to complain first to the store manager so the displayed price is honoured. If that fails, photograph the shelf price and your receipt and file a complaint on Sedeco's website; with that evidence, inspectors visit the store and the price is usually corrected (Hoy, 2026 (opens in a new tab)). Check your receipt before you leave.
Paying
QR codes already account for 68.1% of electronic payments in Paraguay, according to Bancard (ABC Color, 2026 (opens in a new tab)). Large supermarkets usually take QR and cards; at small neighbourhood shops ask first and carry some cash for small purchases.
Quick list before you go
- A prioritised list: essentials first, extras after.
- Reusable bags and a cool box on hot days.
- Check the receipt at the till, before you leave.
- A second store in mind in case a key item is out.
FAQ
Where are the supermarkets in Mariano Roque Alonso?
The largest are on the PY03 (former Transchaco), the town's commercial road. Neighbourhoods have small supermarkets and corner shops for midweek top-ups.
When is the best time for the weekly shop?
A weekday morning is usually calmer than Saturday afternoon. In July, during the Expo, do your big shop before it starts.
What if I am charged more at the till than the shelf price?
Complain to the store manager. If it is not fixed, photograph the price and receipt and file a complaint on Sedeco's website.
Can I pay by QR at supermarkets?
Large supermarkets usually take QR and cards. At neighbourhood shops ask first and carry some cash.
