Chile: Hard discounters change the way customers shop in Chile
Discount Retail in Chile is represented by Mass from the Peruvian holding company Intercorp; Liquimax, a Chilean capital venture part of the Lagos Group; and Don Salva, Cencosud's entry into this segment since May 2026, adding a major player to a category gaining prominence in the Chilean market. Consumers are engaging with this phenomenon digitally.
A study by the consulting firm Simbiu, which analyzed six months of digital conversations regarding the hard discount segment, reveals how a single brand can dominate almost all the recognition and engagement in a rapidly growing format in the country.
Smaller stores, limited assortments, and simpler operations compared to traditional chains, all focused on competitive pricing, define the hard discount formula. This model has been developed over decades in European markets and has recently gained traction in the country.
Simbiu's study, which monitored digital discussions around Don Salva, Mass, and Liquimax for six months, shows a notable disparity between Cencosud's brand and its competitors. Don Salva accounted for about 86% of mentions among the three chains, far surpassing Mass at 9% and Liquimax at 6%. The gap widens in interactions: Cencosud's new brand amassed 52,334 out of 53,308 interactions, exceeding 98% of the total. In potential reach, this gap is mirrored: Don Salva achieved a potential exposure of 208.6 million users, compared to Mass's 12.1 million and Liquimax's 5.9 million.
"The study indicates that the hard discount format is no longer a minor topic in supermarket discussions and is becoming a recognizable alternative for consumers. Its growth is driven by the entry of a significant national player like Cencosud and a more functional buying logic, where price, proximity, and speed are as important, if not more, than assortment or traditional experience," says Leonardo Hernandéz, Communications Manager at Simbiu. A launch that sparked reactions The conversation curve about these channels was uneven over time. The study found that interest surged during Don Salva's launch, peaking in late May and early June. However, unlike typical initial peaks, interest did not wane; it rose again in July and August, coinciding with the opening of new stores.
The Cencosud chain, Don Salva's parent company, also featured prominently in the study's data, appearing in 295 mentions within the analyzed conversations, suggesting that much of the new chain's recognition is fueled by the group's support. A mostly positive conversation Besides the volume of conversation, the study assessed the tone of posts. 42.8% were positive, 52.2% neutral, and only 5% negative. This balance results in a net sentiment score of 83.6 for Don Salva, significantly higher than Liquimax's 60 and Mass's 46.2.
Simbiu cautions that these results measure recognition and digital conversation, not market share or actual purchase preferences. Regarding sources, three-quarters of the analyzed data came from the social network X, followed by digital portals, blogs, Facebook, and Instagram.
A market still defining its boundaries
Rather than indicating close competition among the three chains, the study highlights a segment establishing its identity with consumers. Don Salva, Mass, and Liquimax share elements of the hard discount model but present themselves differently and compete with proposals that also intersect with convenience, price/warehouse, and wholesale formats.
This lack of rigid boundaries may be a key to future developments: the arrival of new players could further deepen this segmentation and compel brands to more clearly define what type of purchase they aim to fulfill and for which consumer.
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