Traditional fixed markets in Mexico
Encyclopedia
Traditional fixed markets in Mexico go by a variety of names such as "mercados públicos" (public markets), "mercados municipales" (municipal markets) or even more often simply "mercados" (markets). What is distinctive about these markets is that they are almost always housed in buildings owned and operated by the local government, with numerous stands inside rented by individual merchants, which usually sell produce and other basic food staples. This market developed in Mexico as a way to regulate pre Hispanic
markets called "tianguis
". These tianguis markets still remain in Mexico, with the most traditional held on certain days, put up and taken down the same day, much the way it was done in Mesoamerica
.
These fixed mercados can be found in any town of any size in Mexico. Often, these markets are accompanied one or more days per week by tianguis which sets up around the main building. However, the largest, best developed and most numerous fixed markets are in Mexico City
, which has over 300, eighty of which are specialty markets dedicated to one or more classes of merchandise such as gourmet food, plants, cut flowers, candy and more.
In every city, town or village in Mexico, there is a traditional market designed to meet basic needs. These can be called by different names. In municipal seats, the main market for the area is called the municipal market. In many areas of Mexico City, "mercados". Most reflect the area's culture and folklore and some are works of art. The municipal president of Tuxtla Gutiérrez
, Yassir Vázquez was quoted as saying that "Public markets are a live example of our culture". during a meeting of market merchants in the Chiapas
capital. The meeting was part of statewide efforts to improve and expand the system of these markets statewide.
These traditional markets are a variation of tianguis, or open air markets, which have been an important part of commerce since pre Hispanic times. The difference is that traditional tianguis are held on specific days, with individual vendors setting up and taking down their stalls on the same day. Like tianguis, traditional fixed markets have stands occupied by various individual merchants, and tend to sell the same kinds of products: produce, groceries and other basic necessities. The difference is that the fixed markets operate every day, and individual stands are rented and occupied in much the same way as a store is. The fixed market has its origin in the various attempts to replace tianguis with a market which can be regulated. However, the tianguis were never replaced. Many tianguis, especially in rural areas, now operate in conjunction with the fixed markets to expand on variety of merchandise available.
In addition to their permanent nature, another important aspect of mercados is that the maintenance and operating costs of the buildings are subsidized by or paid for by the government. Rent, when it is charged, is nominal. Around seventy five percent of these markets are located in middle and lower income neighborhoods. Twenty three percent are located in upper income neighborhoods and two percent in areas considered extremely poor.
The most complete anthropological study of how a Mexican fixed market operates was done by Bronislaw Malinowsky and Julio de la Fuente in the 1930s in the city of Oaxaca
. The study focused on how the central market of the city worked with the rural communities of the surrounding area. It determined that, for the most part, the relationship had not changed much since before the Conquest in both its economic and social structure. In many areas, local markets, with the abundance of colors, odors, flavors and meanings, represent a synthesis of culture and history of a region, especially that related to commerce that community has with others, according to Amalia Attolina, ethnohistorian at the INAH. In many areas of the country, these traditional markets still constitute a meeting area and a form of social cohesion. Another indication of the market’s cultural continuity is the presence of shrines in almost all traditional markets. In Aztec times, these were to deities such as those related to commerce. Today, most are dedicated to the Virgin Mary or Christ.
Mexico City has the most markets for its size but traditional markets are an important part of economy in most of the country. The State of Mexico has 652 such markets, 64.8% of which are in the eastern half of the state. This traditional form of commerce provides 65% of residents' foodstuffs even though other types of stores such as supermarkets have been growing. The city of Toluca
has various markets including 16 de Septiembre, Miguel Hidalgo and Jose María Morelos y Pavón and the largest, the Central de Abasto wholesale food market, the second largest in the country after its equal in Mexico City
.
Mexico City has the greatest number and variety of both tianguis and fixed markets. and important in the supply chain of basic foodstuffs. The city has 317 public markets with 70,000 vendors, and more than 1,000 tianguis along with 314 self service stores such as supermarkets. The traditional fixed market model has been expanded to the food distribution at the wholesale level, with the Central de Abastos
and La Nueva Viga
seafood markets handing foodstuff with an approximate value of 90 billion pesos each year.
These traditional markets have been under pressure since the 20th century by newer forms of retailing, such as supermarkets, chain stores and convenience stores. This is especially true in urban areas, with about eighty percent of all food sales in Mexico City now done in supermarkets and similar outlets. Traditional fixed markets remain most viable in small rural towns, where the social network is strongest and options available in the city are not viable. The system of a fixed public or municipal market along with a weekly tianguis, is an important part of the economy and food distribution of rural areas. These are how most people in very rural areas buy and sell, and sometimes trade, in order to obtain the necessities of life. However, the traditional markets still remain in many of the country’s largest cities. One factor in favor of these markets is that the difficulty of getting around by car in the city, increases demand for outlets close to home. Wholesale markets such as the Central de Abastos are most often the source of the products sold in other forms of commerce, such as corner stores. While supermarkets are considered modern and more sanitary, the traditional fixed market still offers better prices. In 2007 and 2008, sales in traditional markets and tianguis rose between 40 and 44 percent, with sales in lower socioeconomic areas rising between 50 and 53 percent. The most likely reason for this is the economic downturn which forced families to economize.
However, these traditional markets, especially in major cities, face serious problems. In the past thirty years, there has been no new construction of this type of market in Mexico City and those which do exist have fallen into a state of disrepair. While most of these older markets have had upgrades in gas, electric and drainage, as well as fire extinguishers installed, sixty percent are in danger of fire due to faulty electrical wiring. Many have insect and rodent infestations. Many of these markets are considered to be in unsafe areas, with drug addicts, alcoholics and delinquents.
The operation of these markets has also declined. In Mexico City, about 65% of permits that merchants have to operate in these public markets have some sort of irregularity. None of these markets have adequate sanitary measures for meat. Meat and dairy products sold in tianguis and fixed markets are not regulated or inspected according to the Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías (CUCEI). Contaminants such as Salmonella
and E. coli
have been detected in products tested by this organization. Since 1997, Mexico City authorities have not carried out inspection in businesses selling groceries of any type in the city. Federal authorities only have jurisdiction in the states.
Since these traditional fixed markets are filled with individual vendors, there are some disadvantages. One main disadvantage of the markets is that it is filled with small vendors, who cannot purchase in bulk like supermarkets. Another, is the inability to pay with anything other than cash. Not only are most vendors not able to take debit or credit cards, they also cannot receive a type of tax exempt food coupon called "vales" which many employees in Mexico receive along with their regular salary. However, the Mexico City government in 2010 authorized their employees to use their "vales" at fixed public markets as a move to support this traditional retail outlet.
Traditional fixed markets in the city have been steadily losing their client base. One reason for this is that many have moved out of inner cities where these markets are into the suburbs. Over fifty percent of those who do shop at these markets are over the age of thirty five, with younger and more affluent shoppers preferring supermarkets, which are generally cleaner and better maintained. Those markets which have had supermarkets and/or other chain stores open nearby have seen salves drop as much as fifty percent. This has led to the abandonment of many fixed market stalls and about twenty percent of these markets in the Mexico City area have been abandoned altogether. Although still important, the percentage of foodstuffs sold through basic markets has declined to only about twenty percent in Mexico City. Of the 317 markets, 248 offer fresh produce, many stands have been replaced by those selling prepared foods such as tortas
, juices, pirated
movies and music and other items.
Similar problems with empty stalls and lack of maintenance can be found in fixed markets from the north, such as in city of Durango
where eighty percent of stands are empty and in the south, such as in Mérida, Yucatán
where number have been completely abandoned, and for much the same reason, competition from self service stores and convenience stores.
The city's largest general retail traditional market is La Merce
d, located just east of the historic center of Mexico City
. It was a tianguis
for many years, before the federal government decided to build a permanent structure for it in the 19th century. By the mid twentieth century, it was the main wholesale market for the city. However, this market became too small to handle the wholesale volume for the growing city. The wholesale function was then moved to the Central de Abastos
in Iztapalapa in 1982. However, La Merced remains the largest and one of the busiest in the city.
The largest market in Mexico City is the Central de Abastos wholesale food market, which is located alongside the La Nueva Viga
wholesale seafood market in the southeast of the city. The complex is located on a property that extends 328 hectares (810.5 acre), with more than 2,000 businesses that sell principally fruit, vegetables, meat and some processed foods in a main building that covers 85 hectares (210 acre). The Central de Abastos itself commercializes more than 30,000 tons of food products daily, representing 80% of the consumption of the 20 million people in the Mexico City metropolitan area
.
The La Nueva Viga seafood market next door alone handles about sixty percent of all that is consumed in the country of Mexico. This market commercializes 1,500 tons per day and was built in the 1990s to replace the older La Viga Market, although the latter still operates. The next largest market is the Mercado del Mar in Zapopan
, Jalisco
, which commercializes about ten percent of all the seafood sold in Mexico. The governor of the state of Baja California Norte and the Comision Nacional de Acuacutura y Pesca (Conapesca) is working on a project to open a wholesale seafood market in the state to compete with the La Nueva Viga and Mercado del Mar markets. One reason to put such a market here is that the seas around the Baja California
peninsula produces about 75% of the country's seafood.
Mexico City has about eighty specialty markets partially or fully dedicated to one or few classes of items. The San Juan Market in the historic center specialized in gourmet foods such as the best produce and expensive and unusual meats and cheeses. Mercado Jamaica
was opened in 1957 on a plot which was chinampa
land along Canal de la Viga. It is best known for the sale of cut flowers and ornamental plants with a large section dedicated to produce. Mercado de Sonora
sells dishes, live animals and party items, but it is best known for its sections dedicated to herbal medicines and the occult. La Lagunilla
has a building dedicated to furniture and another to clothing. This market is also known for its Sunday antiques market. Other specialty markets include one dedicated to candy in Candelaria and an ornamental plant market in the ecological reserve in Xochimilco
.
A number of markets are considered historic places. The Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market
is located in the historic center of Mexico City, just northeast of the main plaza, or Zocalo
. It was built in 1934 as a prototype for a more modern marketplace and has a number of unusual features such as day care and an auditorium. However, the markets most distinctive feature is the approximately 1,450 square meters of wall and ceiling space covered in murals. These murals were painted by students of Diego Rivera
and under his supervision. The works mostly reflect socialist themes, such as the exploitation of workers, peasants and miners, the fight against Nazism
and fascism
, and racial discrimination. Earthquakes, time, humidity and vandalism took their toll on the murals from the time they were painted. Restoration of the murals began in 2009.
Most markets are located in middle and lower income neighborhoods. One exception is the Michoacán Market, located in one of the more prestigious neighborhoods of Mexico City, Colonia Condesa. It is located between Michoacán, Vicente Suárez and Tamaulipas streets where three colonias (official neighborhoods) intersect. It is the only mercado that provides services three, Colonia Condesa, Colonia Hipódromo
and Colonia Hipódromo Condesa
. These are residential neighborhoods, with some office buildings. They are considered to be cosmopolitan, with Art Deco
and other architecture from the 1930s and 1940s, along with a number of modern structures. It is an upper income neighborhood although it has had problems associated with urban decay. While the market was designed to sell foodstuffs retail, most of its sales are to the many restaurants which are located in this area as well as those who pass through the area. La Paz in the center of Tlalpan
has been around for about 110 years. It has 161 stands with everything from food to clothes and some esoteric products.
s were probably the first culture with a system of trading networks that spread over what is the center of Mexico. Later cultures with vast trading networks include the Teotihuacan
s and the Maya
. Local products as well as those obtained from trading networks were distributed through local markets called "tianguis" (Nahuatl
for "market"), generally set up on certain days. Mesoamerica
n markets were based on the trading of items, with certain very valuable items such as cacao beans serving as currency. This type of market consists of a number of stands set up by vendors, on a plaza, often designed for that purpose. Often these merchants as well as tradesmen and other business were grouped together by product or service. There were also specialized markets in certain products such as salt in Atenantitlan, dogs in Acolman
and slaves in Azcapotzalco
and Iztocan.
The most active trading routes were along the Mexican Plateau
centered on the Valley of Mexico
, whose lakes make transportation of goods easier using boats. The largest Mesoamerican trade network and market system was developed by the Aztec
s which brought valuable exotic goods from distant lands such as jade
, cotton, cacao and precious metals. The main plaza of Tenochtitlan, which roughly corresponds with the Zocalo
, was the city’s main market at first. This became insufficient and after taking over Tlatelolco
, the main market for the area was shifted to there, due to its easy access to lake and canal transportation though La Lagunilla, a small cove. The most important markets were located in Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Azcapotzalco and Tacuba. The largest was Tlatelolco followed by Tenochtitlan, where not only commercial activity took place, but political activity as well. The Tlalteloco market drew between 20,000 and 25,000 people each day to buy and sell. Every five days, was "market day", drawing between 40,000 and 45,000 people as there would be a far greater variety of merchandise. These markets sold everything from basic foodstuffs, to slaves, to exotic items from distant lands to precious metals such as gold.
In the past and the present, traditional Mexican markets reflect the local culture both in what they sell and in how they are sold. Many pre Hispanic elements survive to this day, relatively unchanged. A "tianguis" refers to a market of stalls set up for the day by vendors and taken down at night. More traditional tianguis are periodic, usually weekly, but tianguis in cities may be set up and taken down each day. Small businesses and trades can still be found grouped together in certain areas of cities and markets with specialties, such as Mercado de Sonora
, still exist. Pre Hispanic markets has altars inside them for the gods, a practiced continued, but with altars usually to the Virgin Mary or Christ. While these practices are still strongest in former Mesoamerican areas, tianguis and other market practices can be found in various parts of the country.
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire mostly did not change commerce patterns in Mesoamerica
. Tenochtitlan, renamed Mexico City, remained the center of the economy, with traders bringing merchandise from all the same regions as before. Markets remained outdoor affairs, with individual temporary stalls set up in plazas. Cacao beans would remain as a form of currency until as late as the beginning of the 19th century. Within the Valley of Mexico
, the lakes and canals remained the main way of getting goods, especially agricultural products to market in the city and would remain so until their drainage would make them disappear by the end of the19th century. One exception was that the great Tlatelolco market never recovered from the conquest and disappeared, replaced by the Mercado de San Juan, which was first located in the area where the Palacio de Bellas Artes
is now, and then moved to the main square of the rebuilt city, today called the Zocalo.
The main changes brought to commerce by the Spanish initially was the introduction of the wheel, which expanded trade routes and the variety of products regional markets could offer, the introduction of coins and the introduction of crops, animals and other merchandise from Europe. The last made the biggest impact. As early as 1541, indigenous peoples were growing, selling and consuming crops such as radishes, lettuce, pomegranate
s, peaches, quince
, apples and fig
s. Many craft technologies, such as glazed pottery were also produced and sold; however, the most prized items in colonial markets would be manufactured items from Spain. Another change was the introduction of new agricultural techniques, which diminished the amount of human labor needed. This would create an indigenous and mestizo class of tradesmen in carpentry, pottery, canoe making, locksmithing, ironworkers and much more. As in the markets of old, these new craftsmen would group together into certain sections of town. Carpenters, locksmiths and ironworkers were found on Tacuba Street, sheepskins were prepared and sold in La Palma neighborhood, tanners in San Hipólito and San Sebastián and potters were found on Santa María street. However, not all businesses grouped together. Tailors, bacon makers, shoemakers, bricklayers, bakers and bars selling pulque
tended to disperse.
What are now the traditional public retail markets found in Mexico were the result of efforts to regulate and replace tianguis with more modern forms of commerce. The first regulatory step came in 1580, when grain producers were prohibited from selling directly to the market. Instead, they were required to sell to the colonial government, which then stored the grains in large warehouses called pósitos or alhóndigas to sell to the general market.
The establishment of the Zocalo as the main market square meant that commercial development in Mexico would begin here and then spread outward to the rest of the territory. This also meant that the square would be a crowded, chaotic mass of stalls, with various attempts to clear it over the colonial period, with little long term success. This is because despite all the attempts by civil and religious authorties to control the markets, the indigenous market never disappeared. By the end of the 16th century, a number of indigenous markets were permitted to set up, so that these people could sell their own products, especially in areas then far outside Mexico City such as Tacubaya
. Eventually, they began to sell in the main plaza in Mexico City, weekly at first, then daily.
Attempts to regulate the tianguis commerce in the Zocalo led to the establishment of several formal markets. However, these markets would never eliminate tianguis commerce in the plaza. The first formal market to be established was the El Parían in 1703 after a major fire in the city. It was originally established to be a common market, with all of the Zocalo’s vendors inside. However, the building was not large enough, and the structure’s space requirements pushed remaining outside vendors into the areas belonging to the Cathedral and government building. This market then became space for the various guilds of the city to market their wares. By the end of the 18th century, it would become the market for the upper Spanish and Criollo
classes, selling imported merchandise such as that brought be the Manila Galleon
. This was the market's height. After this time, it would slowly decay until it was demolished in 1843.
With the upscaling of the El Parián market, vendors selling to commoners were pushed into two other markets, El Baratillo and El Volador. The El Baratillo was established in 1793, initially with the name of Cruz del Factor. It was on the Zocalo as well, and specialized in handcrafts, secondhand items and food to the lower classes. It was also known for the sale of stolen merchandise as well. Over time, this market would draw thieves and other delinquents and have a reputation for being dangerous. This market would eventually be moved to an area now called Tepito
. The first market established off the Zocalo was the El Volador at the end of the 18th century where the Supreme Court of Mexico is now. It was the first market to be run similar to the traditional retail markets of today, and became the main market for the city after the El Parián and El Baratillo disappeared.
As the colonial period continued, more fixed markets and more regulated tianguis were established outside the Zocalo, including Santa Catarina and La Lagunilla. The Zocalo itself would have several commerce centers. These would include the Portales de Mercaderes
, the Portales las Flores and Portales la Diputacion, stores affixed to several of the main buildings surrounding the Zocalo. However, the Zocalo would remain filled with vendors until the 20th century. At the end of the colonial era, markets and tianguis in the city were grouped into three categories. One corresponded to the area in and around the Zocalo. The second most important group of markets was on the periphery of the first group. There were groups of fixed stands made of wood in places such as the plazas of Santa Catarina Mártir, La Cruz del Factor and Las Vizcaínas. The third group consisted on non permanent stands even further away from the center of the city. These included the tianguis of Jesús, La Cal, Santa Ana, Carbonero, Mixcalco and others. During the last century of colonial rule, "estanco" or government monopolies were established on the production and commercialization of certain products, such as tobacco, gunpowder, playing cards, cured hides, salt, mercury and ice (which was brought by mule cart from the Iztaccíhuatl
and Popocatépetl
volcanos.
Traditional market practices for Mexico were established and best developed in Mexico City. After the Conquest, other areas in Mesoamerica
continued their traditional commerce patterns, with Spanish authorities then regulating them and building fixed structures. In areas outside of Mesoamerica, such as Jalisco
, there was no major pre Hispanic market system, so that of Mexico City would be transplanted in the new areas. Guadalajara's market history began on the plaza of the Teatro Degollado when the city’s general market was established in 1606, following the Mesoamerican tradition of "market day" every five days as a tianguis. After a fire in 1795, covered vending stalls called "portales" were built of adobe and stone for the market. Later a "Parián" market, much like the one in Mexico City was established, with the portales demolished in 1855. Like in Mexico City, the various markets and merchants were often segregated by district, with soap producers in Zacoalco, boot makers in Sayula, chairs and tapestries in Atoyac and cheese in Tizapán. Following Mexico City, merchants adopted the fixed market system in order to make themselves more visible to the public. Modern markets were built in the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries including Mercado Corona in 1891, Mercado Libertad or San Juan de Dios in 1896, Mercado Alcalde in 1897, Mercado Mexicaltzingo in 1900 and Mercado Sebastián Allende in 1905. Some others were built later, such as Mercado Zalatitlan in 1920 and Mercado IV Centenario in 1941. However, this city would abandon the traditional market model fairly early in favor of supermarkets and chain stores. New such markets were not constructed again until the 1960s, and then only in new neighborhoods created by the growth of the metropolitan area.
in 1821, the markets initially had momentum as restrictions against imports were lifted and other measures to free the market had a positive effect. However, for much of the 19th century, the country's political instability would hamper market development and food distribution, with most remaining sold in small tianguis
with large, formal markets only in the largest cities. The economic situation began to stabilize in the latter 19th century, especially the last decades under the Porfirio Díaz
regime. This government took steps to begin to regulate and modernize the food distribution system by establishing official monopolies called tendajones or estanquillos.
In 1844, a new building was constructed for the El Volador market. The market would be destroyed and terminated by fire in 1870. A number of major markets in Mexico City were either established or formalized during this time. In 1850, the new Mercado de San Juan, also called Iturbide, was inaugurated. The first permanent structure now known as La Merced
was constructed between 1861 and 1880. This structure was built to house much of the commercial activity which had taken place in this area, as well as absorb the vendors of El Volador, which had been closed. At this time, the area was still along a major canal called La Viga, filled with docks to receive incoming merchandise to the city from Xochimilco
, Chalco and Texcoco. By 1887, there were nine main markets in the capital. In the north, there were the Santa Catarina, Santa Ana and Guerrero markets; in the south, the Mercado de San Juan; in the east La Merced and San Lucas and in the west Dos de Abril and San Cosme. By the end of the century, these were joined by the La Lagunilla market
in 1893, the Loreto Market in 1889, and Martínez de la Torre in 1895. At this time as well, more modern forms of commerce would begin to appear in Mexico, such as the establishment of department stores, led by Liverpool
and Palacio de Hierro, which still exist today.
Mercado Juárez was opened in 1912, the last major market to open before the Mexican Revolution
brought market development to a halt. The war disrupted food production and distribution with the abandonment of hacienda
s, lack of manpower in the agricultural sector and the disruption of transportation systems. With the exception of the Abelardo L. Rodríguez
market in 1934, there were no new markets constructed in Mexico City, other than small ones for newly established neighborhoods in the growing city. Outside of Mexico City, formal markets were still be introduced to replace older tianguis. The installation of fixed structures to replace tianguis did not always go well. In Xalapa
, Veracruz
a new, modern and at the time, spacious market was built and promoted in the 1940s to replace the weekly market at the Plazuela del Carbón. However, at first no one would go and shop there, making it a distinct failure. It took fifteen years of efforts to make the market accepted and profitable.
In the 1950s, the government began to replace a number of markets, which were stalls made of wood and lamínate, with modern buildings. During the presidency of Adolfo López Mateos
(1958-1964) eighty eight markets were constructed in Mexico City. Mercados sobre ruedas (markets on wheels) was a concept implemented in 1969, to give agricultural producers a means to sell directly to consumers. The idea was that an association of producers could seek permission to sell their produce in a particular spot on a particular day of the week. However, many of these associations became dominated by intermediaries rather than by the farmers themselves, as the producers could not spend many days selling their merchandise. Today, "mercados sobre ruedas" is used to refer to informal street vendors who sell in large groups but generally can be found everyday in the same location, rather than on market days, such as tianguis. According to INEGI, about 23 percent of the population earns money in the informal economy, with includes the mercados sobre ruedas and tianguis.
During the rest of the 20th century, commercialization patterns for food and other staples were strongly influenced by the United States, with the introduction of concepts such as supermarkets and convenience stores. The current retail situation in Mexican cities varies widely. On one end, there are a myriad of small corner stores (called mesceláneas, expendios de abarrotes or tienditas) and on the other are major supermarket and department chains such as Comerical Mexicana, Wal Mart, Liverpool and others. These types of markets now account for eighty percent of food sales in Mexico City. The appearance of supermarkets has diminished the sales in many markets. For example, sales at the market in Colonia Industrial were cut by half when a supermarket opened nearby in 2009. Although mercados usually have better prices and fresher produce, the rundown conditions of many is one factor why many consumers prefer supermarkets.
Mesoamerican chronology
Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into several periods: the Paleo-Indian , the Archaic , the Preclassic , the Classic , and the Postclassic...
markets called "tianguis
Tianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....
". These tianguis markets still remain in Mexico, with the most traditional held on certain days, put up and taken down the same day, much the way it was done in Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
.
These fixed mercados can be found in any town of any size in Mexico. Often, these markets are accompanied one or more days per week by tianguis which sets up around the main building. However, the largest, best developed and most numerous fixed markets are in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, which has over 300, eighty of which are specialty markets dedicated to one or more classes of merchandise such as gourmet food, plants, cut flowers, candy and more.
Traditional fixed markets and tianguis
"Lo recorrí por años enteros, de mercado a mercado, porque México está en los mercados". (I went from market to market for years, because Mexico is in its markets.) - Pablo NerudaPablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....
In every city, town or village in Mexico, there is a traditional market designed to meet basic needs. These can be called by different names. In municipal seats, the main market for the area is called the municipal market. In many areas of Mexico City, "mercados". Most reflect the area's culture and folklore and some are works of art. The municipal president of Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is considered to be the state’s most modern city, with most of its public buildings dating from the 20th century. One exception to this is the San Marcos Cathedral which began as a Dominican parish church built in...
, Yassir Vázquez was quoted as saying that "Public markets are a live example of our culture". during a meeting of market merchants in the Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
capital. The meeting was part of statewide efforts to improve and expand the system of these markets statewide.
These traditional markets are a variation of tianguis, or open air markets, which have been an important part of commerce since pre Hispanic times. The difference is that traditional tianguis are held on specific days, with individual vendors setting up and taking down their stalls on the same day. Like tianguis, traditional fixed markets have stands occupied by various individual merchants, and tend to sell the same kinds of products: produce, groceries and other basic necessities. The difference is that the fixed markets operate every day, and individual stands are rented and occupied in much the same way as a store is. The fixed market has its origin in the various attempts to replace tianguis with a market which can be regulated. However, the tianguis were never replaced. Many tianguis, especially in rural areas, now operate in conjunction with the fixed markets to expand on variety of merchandise available.
In addition to their permanent nature, another important aspect of mercados is that the maintenance and operating costs of the buildings are subsidized by or paid for by the government. Rent, when it is charged, is nominal. Around seventy five percent of these markets are located in middle and lower income neighborhoods. Twenty three percent are located in upper income neighborhoods and two percent in areas considered extremely poor.
The most complete anthropological study of how a Mexican fixed market operates was done by Bronislaw Malinowsky and Julio de la Fuente in the 1930s in the city of Oaxaca
Oaxaca, Oaxaca
The city and municipality of Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name . It is located in the Centro District in the Central Valleys region of the state, in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín...
. The study focused on how the central market of the city worked with the rural communities of the surrounding area. It determined that, for the most part, the relationship had not changed much since before the Conquest in both its economic and social structure. In many areas, local markets, with the abundance of colors, odors, flavors and meanings, represent a synthesis of culture and history of a region, especially that related to commerce that community has with others, according to Amalia Attolina, ethnohistorian at the INAH. In many areas of the country, these traditional markets still constitute a meeting area and a form of social cohesion. Another indication of the market’s cultural continuity is the presence of shrines in almost all traditional markets. In Aztec times, these were to deities such as those related to commerce. Today, most are dedicated to the Virgin Mary or Christ.
Mexico City has the most markets for its size but traditional markets are an important part of economy in most of the country. The State of Mexico has 652 such markets, 64.8% of which are in the eastern half of the state. This traditional form of commerce provides 65% of residents' foodstuffs even though other types of stores such as supermarkets have been growing. The city of Toluca
Toluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
has various markets including 16 de Septiembre, Miguel Hidalgo and Jose María Morelos y Pavón and the largest, the Central de Abasto wholesale food market, the second largest in the country after its equal in Mexico City
Central de Abasto, Mexico City
The Central de Abasto is Mexico City’s main wholesale market for produce and other foodstuffs run similarly to traditional public markets. It was constructed to be the meeting point for producers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers for the entire country...
.
Mexico City has the greatest number and variety of both tianguis and fixed markets. and important in the supply chain of basic foodstuffs. The city has 317 public markets with 70,000 vendors, and more than 1,000 tianguis along with 314 self service stores such as supermarkets. The traditional fixed market model has been expanded to the food distribution at the wholesale level, with the Central de Abastos
Central de Abasto, Mexico City
The Central de Abasto is Mexico City’s main wholesale market for produce and other foodstuffs run similarly to traditional public markets. It was constructed to be the meeting point for producers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers for the entire country...
and La Nueva Viga
La Nueva Viga Market
La Nueva Viga Market is the largest seafood market in Mexico and the second largest after the Tsukiji fish market in Japan. It is located in Mexico City far inland from the coast, because of historical patterns of commerce in the country. The market handles 1,500 tons of seafood daily, representing...
seafood markets handing foodstuff with an approximate value of 90 billion pesos each year.
These traditional markets have been under pressure since the 20th century by newer forms of retailing, such as supermarkets, chain stores and convenience stores. This is especially true in urban areas, with about eighty percent of all food sales in Mexico City now done in supermarkets and similar outlets. Traditional fixed markets remain most viable in small rural towns, where the social network is strongest and options available in the city are not viable. The system of a fixed public or municipal market along with a weekly tianguis, is an important part of the economy and food distribution of rural areas. These are how most people in very rural areas buy and sell, and sometimes trade, in order to obtain the necessities of life. However, the traditional markets still remain in many of the country’s largest cities. One factor in favor of these markets is that the difficulty of getting around by car in the city, increases demand for outlets close to home. Wholesale markets such as the Central de Abastos are most often the source of the products sold in other forms of commerce, such as corner stores. While supermarkets are considered modern and more sanitary, the traditional fixed market still offers better prices. In 2007 and 2008, sales in traditional markets and tianguis rose between 40 and 44 percent, with sales in lower socioeconomic areas rising between 50 and 53 percent. The most likely reason for this is the economic downturn which forced families to economize.
However, these traditional markets, especially in major cities, face serious problems. In the past thirty years, there has been no new construction of this type of market in Mexico City and those which do exist have fallen into a state of disrepair. While most of these older markets have had upgrades in gas, electric and drainage, as well as fire extinguishers installed, sixty percent are in danger of fire due to faulty electrical wiring. Many have insect and rodent infestations. Many of these markets are considered to be in unsafe areas, with drug addicts, alcoholics and delinquents.
The operation of these markets has also declined. In Mexico City, about 65% of permits that merchants have to operate in these public markets have some sort of irregularity. None of these markets have adequate sanitary measures for meat. Meat and dairy products sold in tianguis and fixed markets are not regulated or inspected according to the Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías (CUCEI). Contaminants such as Salmonella
Salmonella
Salmonella is a genus of rod-shaped, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming, predominantly motile enterobacteria with diameters around 0.7 to 1.5 µm, lengths from 2 to 5 µm, and flagella which grade in all directions . They are chemoorganotrophs, obtaining their energy from oxidation and reduction...
and E. coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
have been detected in products tested by this organization. Since 1997, Mexico City authorities have not carried out inspection in businesses selling groceries of any type in the city. Federal authorities only have jurisdiction in the states.
Since these traditional fixed markets are filled with individual vendors, there are some disadvantages. One main disadvantage of the markets is that it is filled with small vendors, who cannot purchase in bulk like supermarkets. Another, is the inability to pay with anything other than cash. Not only are most vendors not able to take debit or credit cards, they also cannot receive a type of tax exempt food coupon called "vales" which many employees in Mexico receive along with their regular salary. However, the Mexico City government in 2010 authorized their employees to use their "vales" at fixed public markets as a move to support this traditional retail outlet.
Traditional fixed markets in the city have been steadily losing their client base. One reason for this is that many have moved out of inner cities where these markets are into the suburbs. Over fifty percent of those who do shop at these markets are over the age of thirty five, with younger and more affluent shoppers preferring supermarkets, which are generally cleaner and better maintained. Those markets which have had supermarkets and/or other chain stores open nearby have seen salves drop as much as fifty percent. This has led to the abandonment of many fixed market stalls and about twenty percent of these markets in the Mexico City area have been abandoned altogether. Although still important, the percentage of foodstuffs sold through basic markets has declined to only about twenty percent in Mexico City. Of the 317 markets, 248 offer fresh produce, many stands have been replaced by those selling prepared foods such as tortas
Torta
Torta is a Spanish word with a huge array of culinary meanings depending from the area and period of history in question. It originated in different regional variants of flatbread, of which the torta de gazpacho and torta cenceña are still surviving in certain areas of central Spain. Tortas are...
, juices, pirated
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
movies and music and other items.
Similar problems with empty stalls and lack of maintenance can be found in fixed markets from the north, such as in city of Durango
Durango, Durango
-Climate:The city of Durango has a semi-arid climate, classified as Bsk in the Koppen system. The climate is temperate in the western portion , with the average annual temperature being 15 °C and consisting of an average annual rainfall of 1,600 millimeters. In the eastern region, the average...
where eighty percent of stands are empty and in the south, such as in Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about from the Gulf of Mexico coast...
where number have been completely abandoned, and for much the same reason, competition from self service stores and convenience stores.
Major markets in Mexico
These traditional fixed market, whether they are called mercados públicos, mercados municipales or simply mercados, operate essentially the same in the entire country. However, Mexico City has the greatest number and variety of both tianguis and fixed markets. The city has 312 traditional fixed markets with cover an areas of about 60,000 m2.The city's largest general retail traditional market is La Merce
La Merced Market, Mexico City
The La Merced Market is a traditional public market located in the eastern edge of the historic center of Mexico City and is the largest retail traditional food market in the entire city. The area, also called La Merced, has been synonymous with commercial activity since the early colonial period...
d, located just east of the historic center of Mexico City
Historic center of Mexico City
The historic center of Mexico City is also known as the "Centro" or "Centro Histórico." This neighborhood is focused on the Zócalo or main plaza in Mexico City and extends in all directions for a number of blocks with its farthest extent being west to the Alameda Central The Zocalo is the largest...
. It was a tianguis
Tianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....
for many years, before the federal government decided to build a permanent structure for it in the 19th century. By the mid twentieth century, it was the main wholesale market for the city. However, this market became too small to handle the wholesale volume for the growing city. The wholesale function was then moved to the Central de Abastos
Central de Abasto, Mexico City
The Central de Abasto is Mexico City’s main wholesale market for produce and other foodstuffs run similarly to traditional public markets. It was constructed to be the meeting point for producers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers for the entire country...
in Iztapalapa in 1982. However, La Merced remains the largest and one of the busiest in the city.
The largest market in Mexico City is the Central de Abastos wholesale food market, which is located alongside the La Nueva Viga
La Nueva Viga Market
La Nueva Viga Market is the largest seafood market in Mexico and the second largest after the Tsukiji fish market in Japan. It is located in Mexico City far inland from the coast, because of historical patterns of commerce in the country. The market handles 1,500 tons of seafood daily, representing...
wholesale seafood market in the southeast of the city. The complex is located on a property that extends 328 hectares (810.5 acre), with more than 2,000 businesses that sell principally fruit, vegetables, meat and some processed foods in a main building that covers 85 hectares (210 acre). The Central de Abastos itself commercializes more than 30,000 tons of food products daily, representing 80% of the consumption of the 20 million people in the Mexico City metropolitan area
Greater Mexico City
Greater Mexico City refers to the conurbation around Mexico City, officially called Mexico City Metropolitan Area , constituted by the Federal District—itself composed of 16 boroughs—and 41 adjacent municipalities of the states of Mexico and Hidalgo...
.
The La Nueva Viga seafood market next door alone handles about sixty percent of all that is consumed in the country of Mexico. This market commercializes 1,500 tons per day and was built in the 1990s to replace the older La Viga Market, although the latter still operates. The next largest market is the Mercado del Mar in Zapopan
Zapopan
Zapopan is a city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, which is part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. It is best known as being the home of the Virgin of Zapopan, an image of the Virgin Mary which was made in the 16th century. This image has been credited with a number of...
, Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, which commercializes about ten percent of all the seafood sold in Mexico. The governor of the state of Baja California Norte and the Comision Nacional de Acuacutura y Pesca (Conapesca) is working on a project to open a wholesale seafood market in the state to compete with the La Nueva Viga and Mercado del Mar markets. One reason to put such a market here is that the seas around the Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
peninsula produces about 75% of the country's seafood.
Mexico City has about eighty specialty markets partially or fully dedicated to one or few classes of items. The San Juan Market in the historic center specialized in gourmet foods such as the best produce and expensive and unusual meats and cheeses. Mercado Jamaica
Mercado Jamaica, Mexico City
Mercado Jamaica is one of Mexico City’s traditional public markets where various vendors sell their wares in an established location. This market was inaugurated in the 1950s as part of efforts to modernize the markets in the area. The market is located on the corner of Congreso de la Union and...
was opened in 1957 on a plot which was chinampa
Chinampa
Chinampa is a method of ancient Mesoamerican agriculture which used small, rectangle-shaped areas of fertile arable land to grow crops on the shallow lake beds in the Valley of Mexico.-Description:...
land along Canal de la Viga. It is best known for the sale of cut flowers and ornamental plants with a large section dedicated to produce. Mercado de Sonora
Mercado de Sonora
Mercado de Sonora is a city-established traditional market, located just southeast of the historic center of Mexico City in the Colonia Merced Balbuena neighborhood. It was established in the 1950s with a number of other similar institutions in order to help regulate retail commerce in the city...
sells dishes, live animals and party items, but it is best known for its sections dedicated to herbal medicines and the occult. La Lagunilla
La Lagunilla Market, Mexico City
La Lagunilla Market is a traditional public market in Mexico City, located about ten blocks north of the city’s main plaza, in a neighborhood called La Lagunilla. The market is one of the largest in the city and consists of three sections: one for clothing, one for furniture and one for foodstuffs,...
has a building dedicated to furniture and another to clothing. This market is also known for its Sunday antiques market. Other specialty markets include one dedicated to candy in Candelaria and an ornamental plant market in the ecological reserve in Xochimilco
Xochimilco Ecological Park and Plant Market
Xochimilco Ecological Park and Plant Market is a natural reserve or park, with a thirteen hectare plant market, the largest in Latin America. The park and market are located in the southern Mexico City borough of Xochimilco, about 23 km south of the historic center of the city...
.
A number of markets are considered historic places. The Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market
Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market, Mexico City
The Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market is a traditional public market located in the historic center of Mexico City, northeast of the main plaza, or Zocalo. It was built in 1934 as a prototype for a more modern marketplace and has a number of unusual features such as day care and an auditorium...
is located in the historic center of Mexico City, just northeast of the main plaza, or Zocalo
Zócalo
The Zócalo is the main plaza or square in the heart of the historic center of Mexico City. The plaza used to be known simply as the "Main Square" or "Arms Square," and today its formal name is Plaza de la Constitución...
. It was built in 1934 as a prototype for a more modern marketplace and has a number of unusual features such as day care and an auditorium. However, the markets most distinctive feature is the approximately 1,450 square meters of wall and ceiling space covered in murals. These murals were painted by students of Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez was a prominent Mexican painter born in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, an active communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo . His large wall works in fresco helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in...
and under his supervision. The works mostly reflect socialist themes, such as the exploitation of workers, peasants and miners, the fight against Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, and racial discrimination. Earthquakes, time, humidity and vandalism took their toll on the murals from the time they were painted. Restoration of the murals began in 2009.
Most markets are located in middle and lower income neighborhoods. One exception is the Michoacán Market, located in one of the more prestigious neighborhoods of Mexico City, Colonia Condesa. It is located between Michoacán, Vicente Suárez and Tamaulipas streets where three colonias (official neighborhoods) intersect. It is the only mercado that provides services three, Colonia Condesa, Colonia Hipódromo
Colonia Hipódromo
Colonia Hipódromo is a colonia west of the historic center of Mexico City in the Cuauhtémoc borough. It is one of three colonias that are jointly known as “La Condesa.” The colonia and the La Condesa area is centered on Parque México, a large park built on a former private racetrack belonging to...
and Colonia Hipódromo Condesa
Colonia Hipódromo Condesa
Colonia Hipódromo Condesa is a colonia or neighborhood located west of the historic center of Mexico City. The colonia is part of the “La Condesa” area of the city, which also includes Colonia Condesa and Colonia Hipódromo. This colonia is better known popularly as part of La Condesa, as it shares...
. These are residential neighborhoods, with some office buildings. They are considered to be cosmopolitan, with Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and other architecture from the 1930s and 1940s, along with a number of modern structures. It is an upper income neighborhood although it has had problems associated with urban decay. While the market was designed to sell foodstuffs retail, most of its sales are to the many restaurants which are located in this area as well as those who pass through the area. La Paz in the center of Tlalpan
Tlalpan
Tlalpan is one of the sixteen administrative boroughs of the Federal District of Mexico City. It is the largest borough, with over eighty percent under conservation as forest and other ecologically sensitive area. The rest, almost all of it on the northern edge, has been urban since the mid 20th...
has been around for about 110 years. It has 161 stands with everything from food to clothes and some esoteric products.
Mesoamerican markets
Mexican traditional fixed markets and a number of other business practices have their origin in pre Hispanic or Mesoamerican trade and markets. Archeological evidence has shown that the OlmecOlmec
The Olmec were the first major Pre-Columbian civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco....
s were probably the first culture with a system of trading networks that spread over what is the center of Mexico. Later cultures with vast trading networks include the Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas...
s and the Maya
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
. Local products as well as those obtained from trading networks were distributed through local markets called "tianguis" (Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
for "market"), generally set up on certain days. Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
n markets were based on the trading of items, with certain very valuable items such as cacao beans serving as currency. This type of market consists of a number of stands set up by vendors, on a plaza, often designed for that purpose. Often these merchants as well as tradesmen and other business were grouped together by product or service. There were also specialized markets in certain products such as salt in Atenantitlan, dogs in Acolman
Acolman
Acolman de Nezahualcoyotl is a town and municipality located in the northern part of Mexico State, part of the Greater Mexico City area, just north of the city proper. According to myth, the first man was placed here after being taken out of Lake Texcoco. In the community of Tepexpan, the...
and slaves in Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco (altepetl)
Azcapotzalco was a pre-Columbian Nahua altepetl , capital of the Tepanec empire, in the Valley of Mexico, on the western shore of Lake Texcoco.The name Azcapotzalco means "at the anthill" in Nahuatl...
and Iztocan.
The most active trading routes were along the Mexican Plateau
Mexican Plateau
The Central Mexican Plateau, also known as the Mexican Altiplano or Altiplanicie Mexicana, is a large arid-to-semiarid plateau that occupies much of northern and central Mexico...
centered on the Valley of Mexico
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with the present-day Distrito Federal and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations, including...
, whose lakes make transportation of goods easier using boats. The largest Mesoamerican trade network and market system was developed by the Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
s which brought valuable exotic goods from distant lands such as jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
, cotton, cacao and precious metals. The main plaza of Tenochtitlan, which roughly corresponds with the Zocalo
Zócalo
The Zócalo is the main plaza or square in the heart of the historic center of Mexico City. The plaza used to be known simply as the "Main Square" or "Arms Square," and today its formal name is Plaza de la Constitución...
, was the city’s main market at first. This became insufficient and after taking over Tlatelolco
Tlatelolco (altepetl)
Tlatelolco was a pre-Columbian Nahua altepetl in the Valley of Mexico. Its inhabitants were known as Tlatelolca. The Tlatelolca were a part of the Mexica ethnic group, a Nahuatl speaking people who arrived in what is now central Mexico in the 13th century...
, the main market for the area was shifted to there, due to its easy access to lake and canal transportation though La Lagunilla, a small cove. The most important markets were located in Tenochtitlan, Tlatelolco, Azcapotzalco and Tacuba. The largest was Tlatelolco followed by Tenochtitlan, where not only commercial activity took place, but political activity as well. The Tlalteloco market drew between 20,000 and 25,000 people each day to buy and sell. Every five days, was "market day", drawing between 40,000 and 45,000 people as there would be a far greater variety of merchandise. These markets sold everything from basic foodstuffs, to slaves, to exotic items from distant lands to precious metals such as gold.
In the past and the present, traditional Mexican markets reflect the local culture both in what they sell and in how they are sold. Many pre Hispanic elements survive to this day, relatively unchanged. A "tianguis" refers to a market of stalls set up for the day by vendors and taken down at night. More traditional tianguis are periodic, usually weekly, but tianguis in cities may be set up and taken down each day. Small businesses and trades can still be found grouped together in certain areas of cities and markets with specialties, such as Mercado de Sonora
Mercado de Sonora
Mercado de Sonora is a city-established traditional market, located just southeast of the historic center of Mexico City in the Colonia Merced Balbuena neighborhood. It was established in the 1950s with a number of other similar institutions in order to help regulate retail commerce in the city...
, still exist. Pre Hispanic markets has altars inside them for the gods, a practiced continued, but with altars usually to the Virgin Mary or Christ. While these practices are still strongest in former Mesoamerican areas, tianguis and other market practices can be found in various parts of the country.
Colonial period and establishment of fixed markets
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
. Tenochtitlan, renamed Mexico City, remained the center of the economy, with traders bringing merchandise from all the same regions as before. Markets remained outdoor affairs, with individual temporary stalls set up in plazas. Cacao beans would remain as a form of currency until as late as the beginning of the 19th century. Within the Valley of Mexico
Valley of Mexico
The Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly coterminous with the present-day Distrito Federal and the eastern half of the State of Mexico. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, the Valley of Mexico was a centre for several pre-Columbian civilizations, including...
, the lakes and canals remained the main way of getting goods, especially agricultural products to market in the city and would remain so until their drainage would make them disappear by the end of the19th century. One exception was that the great Tlatelolco market never recovered from the conquest and disappeared, replaced by the Mercado de San Juan, which was first located in the area where the Palacio de Bellas Artes
Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes is the most important cultural center in Mexico City as well as the rest of the country of Mexico...
is now, and then moved to the main square of the rebuilt city, today called the Zocalo.
The main changes brought to commerce by the Spanish initially was the introduction of the wheel, which expanded trade routes and the variety of products regional markets could offer, the introduction of coins and the introduction of crops, animals and other merchandise from Europe. The last made the biggest impact. As early as 1541, indigenous peoples were growing, selling and consuming crops such as radishes, lettuce, pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
s, peaches, quince
Quince
The quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...
, apples and fig
Common fig
The Common fig is a deciduous tree growing to heights of up to 6 m in the genus Ficus from the family Moraceae known as Common fig tree. It is a temperate species native to the Middle East.-Description:...
s. Many craft technologies, such as glazed pottery were also produced and sold; however, the most prized items in colonial markets would be manufactured items from Spain. Another change was the introduction of new agricultural techniques, which diminished the amount of human labor needed. This would create an indigenous and mestizo class of tradesmen in carpentry, pottery, canoe making, locksmithing, ironworkers and much more. As in the markets of old, these new craftsmen would group together into certain sections of town. Carpenters, locksmiths and ironworkers were found on Tacuba Street, sheepskins were prepared and sold in La Palma neighborhood, tanners in San Hipólito and San Sebastián and potters were found on Santa María street. However, not all businesses grouped together. Tailors, bacon makers, shoemakers, bricklayers, bakers and bars selling pulque
Pulque
Pulque, or octli, is a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant, and is a traditional native beverage of Mexico. The drink’s history extends far back into the Mesoamerican period, when it was considered sacred, and its use was limited to...
tended to disperse.
What are now the traditional public retail markets found in Mexico were the result of efforts to regulate and replace tianguis with more modern forms of commerce. The first regulatory step came in 1580, when grain producers were prohibited from selling directly to the market. Instead, they were required to sell to the colonial government, which then stored the grains in large warehouses called pósitos or alhóndigas to sell to the general market.
The establishment of the Zocalo as the main market square meant that commercial development in Mexico would begin here and then spread outward to the rest of the territory. This also meant that the square would be a crowded, chaotic mass of stalls, with various attempts to clear it over the colonial period, with little long term success. This is because despite all the attempts by civil and religious authorties to control the markets, the indigenous market never disappeared. By the end of the 16th century, a number of indigenous markets were permitted to set up, so that these people could sell their own products, especially in areas then far outside Mexico City such as Tacubaya
Tacubaya
Tacubaya is a section of Mexico City located in the west in the Miguel Hidalgo borough. The area has been inhabited since before the Christian era, with its name coming from Nahuatl meaning “where water is gathered.” From the colonial period to the beginning of the 20th century, Tacubaya was...
. Eventually, they began to sell in the main plaza in Mexico City, weekly at first, then daily.
Attempts to regulate the tianguis commerce in the Zocalo led to the establishment of several formal markets. However, these markets would never eliminate tianguis commerce in the plaza. The first formal market to be established was the El Parían in 1703 after a major fire in the city. It was originally established to be a common market, with all of the Zocalo’s vendors inside. However, the building was not large enough, and the structure’s space requirements pushed remaining outside vendors into the areas belonging to the Cathedral and government building. This market then became space for the various guilds of the city to market their wares. By the end of the 18th century, it would become the market for the upper Spanish and Criollo
Criollo people
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
classes, selling imported merchandise such as that brought be the Manila Galleon
Manila Galleon
The Manila galleons or Manila-Acapulco galleons were Spanish trading ships that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines, and Acapulco, New Spain . The name changed reflecting the city that the ship was sailing from...
. This was the market's height. After this time, it would slowly decay until it was demolished in 1843.
With the upscaling of the El Parián market, vendors selling to commoners were pushed into two other markets, El Baratillo and El Volador. The El Baratillo was established in 1793, initially with the name of Cruz del Factor. It was on the Zocalo as well, and specialized in handcrafts, secondhand items and food to the lower classes. It was also known for the sale of stolen merchandise as well. Over time, this market would draw thieves and other delinquents and have a reputation for being dangerous. This market would eventually be moved to an area now called Tepito
Tepito
Tepito is a barrio located in Colonia Morelos in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City bordered by Avenida del Trabajo, Paseo de la Reforma, Eje 1 and Eje 2. Most of the neighborhood is taken up by the colorful tianguis or open-air market. Tepito’s economy has been linked to tianguis or traditional...
. The first market established off the Zocalo was the El Volador at the end of the 18th century where the Supreme Court of Mexico is now. It was the first market to be run similar to the traditional retail markets of today, and became the main market for the city after the El Parián and El Baratillo disappeared.
As the colonial period continued, more fixed markets and more regulated tianguis were established outside the Zocalo, including Santa Catarina and La Lagunilla. The Zocalo itself would have several commerce centers. These would include the Portales de Mercaderes
Old Portal de Mercaderes (Mexico City)
Old Portal de Mercaderes in the historic center of Mexico City was and is the west side of the main plaza . This side of the plaza has been occupied by commercial structures since the Spanish Conquest of Mexico in 1521...
, the Portales las Flores and Portales la Diputacion, stores affixed to several of the main buildings surrounding the Zocalo. However, the Zocalo would remain filled with vendors until the 20th century. At the end of the colonial era, markets and tianguis in the city were grouped into three categories. One corresponded to the area in and around the Zocalo. The second most important group of markets was on the periphery of the first group. There were groups of fixed stands made of wood in places such as the plazas of Santa Catarina Mártir, La Cruz del Factor and Las Vizcaínas. The third group consisted on non permanent stands even further away from the center of the city. These included the tianguis of Jesús, La Cal, Santa Ana, Carbonero, Mixcalco and others. During the last century of colonial rule, "estanco" or government monopolies were established on the production and commercialization of certain products, such as tobacco, gunpowder, playing cards, cured hides, salt, mercury and ice (which was brought by mule cart from the Iztaccíhuatl
Iztaccíhuatl
Iztaccíhuatl , is the third highest mountain in Mexico, after the Pico de Orizaba, , and Popocatépetl, . Its name is Nahuatl for "White woman"....
and Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl also known as "Popochowa" by the local population is an active volcano and, at , the second highest peak in Mexico after the Pico de Orizaba...
volcanos.
Traditional market practices for Mexico were established and best developed in Mexico City. After the Conquest, other areas in Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
continued their traditional commerce patterns, with Spanish authorities then regulating them and building fixed structures. In areas outside of Mesoamerica, such as Jalisco
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, there was no major pre Hispanic market system, so that of Mexico City would be transplanted in the new areas. Guadalajara's market history began on the plaza of the Teatro Degollado when the city’s general market was established in 1606, following the Mesoamerican tradition of "market day" every five days as a tianguis. After a fire in 1795, covered vending stalls called "portales" were built of adobe and stone for the market. Later a "Parián" market, much like the one in Mexico City was established, with the portales demolished in 1855. Like in Mexico City, the various markets and merchants were often segregated by district, with soap producers in Zacoalco, boot makers in Sayula, chairs and tapestries in Atoyac and cheese in Tizapán. Following Mexico City, merchants adopted the fixed market system in order to make themselves more visible to the public. Modern markets were built in the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries including Mercado Corona in 1891, Mercado Libertad or San Juan de Dios in 1896, Mercado Alcalde in 1897, Mercado Mexicaltzingo in 1900 and Mercado Sebastián Allende in 1905. Some others were built later, such as Mercado Zalatitlan in 1920 and Mercado IV Centenario in 1941. However, this city would abandon the traditional market model fairly early in favor of supermarkets and chain stores. New such markets were not constructed again until the 1960s, and then only in new neighborhoods created by the growth of the metropolitan area.
Independence to the present
After the end of the Mexican War of IndependenceMexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
in 1821, the markets initially had momentum as restrictions against imports were lifted and other measures to free the market had a positive effect. However, for much of the 19th century, the country's political instability would hamper market development and food distribution, with most remaining sold in small tianguis
Tianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....
with large, formal markets only in the largest cities. The economic situation began to stabilize in the latter 19th century, especially the last decades under the Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
regime. This government took steps to begin to regulate and modernize the food distribution system by establishing official monopolies called tendajones or estanquillos.
In 1844, a new building was constructed for the El Volador market. The market would be destroyed and terminated by fire in 1870. A number of major markets in Mexico City were either established or formalized during this time. In 1850, the new Mercado de San Juan, also called Iturbide, was inaugurated. The first permanent structure now known as La Merced
La Merced Market, Mexico City
The La Merced Market is a traditional public market located in the eastern edge of the historic center of Mexico City and is the largest retail traditional food market in the entire city. The area, also called La Merced, has been synonymous with commercial activity since the early colonial period...
was constructed between 1861 and 1880. This structure was built to house much of the commercial activity which had taken place in this area, as well as absorb the vendors of El Volador, which had been closed. At this time, the area was still along a major canal called La Viga, filled with docks to receive incoming merchandise to the city from Xochimilco
Xochimilco
Xochimilco is one of the sixteen delegaciones or boroughs within Mexican Federal District. The borough is centered on the formerly independent city of Xochimilco, which was established on what was the southern shore of Lake Xochimilco in the pre-Hispanic period...
, Chalco and Texcoco. By 1887, there were nine main markets in the capital. In the north, there were the Santa Catarina, Santa Ana and Guerrero markets; in the south, the Mercado de San Juan; in the east La Merced and San Lucas and in the west Dos de Abril and San Cosme. By the end of the century, these were joined by the La Lagunilla market
La Lagunilla Market, Mexico City
La Lagunilla Market is a traditional public market in Mexico City, located about ten blocks north of the city’s main plaza, in a neighborhood called La Lagunilla. The market is one of the largest in the city and consists of three sections: one for clothing, one for furniture and one for foodstuffs,...
in 1893, the Loreto Market in 1889, and Martínez de la Torre in 1895. At this time as well, more modern forms of commerce would begin to appear in Mexico, such as the establishment of department stores, led by Liverpool
Liverpool (store)
Liverpool is mid-to-high biggest chain of department stores in Mexico, operating 79 stores and one luxury shopping center Galerías Insurgentes, throughout Mexico and continuing to grow...
and Palacio de Hierro, which still exist today.
Mercado Juárez was opened in 1912, the last major market to open before the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
brought market development to a halt. The war disrupted food production and distribution with the abandonment of hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
s, lack of manpower in the agricultural sector and the disruption of transportation systems. With the exception of the Abelardo L. Rodríguez
Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market, Mexico City
The Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market is a traditional public market located in the historic center of Mexico City, northeast of the main plaza, or Zocalo. It was built in 1934 as a prototype for a more modern marketplace and has a number of unusual features such as day care and an auditorium...
market in 1934, there were no new markets constructed in Mexico City, other than small ones for newly established neighborhoods in the growing city. Outside of Mexico City, formal markets were still be introduced to replace older tianguis. The installation of fixed structures to replace tianguis did not always go well. In Xalapa
Xalapa
Xalapa-Enríquez, commonly Xalapa or Jalapa, is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the year 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which it serves as municipal seat reported a population of...
, Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
a new, modern and at the time, spacious market was built and promoted in the 1940s to replace the weekly market at the Plazuela del Carbón. However, at first no one would go and shop there, making it a distinct failure. It took fifteen years of efforts to make the market accepted and profitable.
In the 1950s, the government began to replace a number of markets, which were stalls made of wood and lamínate, with modern buildings. During the presidency of Adolfo López Mateos
Adolfo López Mateos
Adolfo López Mateos was a Mexican politician affiliated to the Institutional Revolutionary Party who served as President of Mexico from 1958 to 1964...
(1958-1964) eighty eight markets were constructed in Mexico City. Mercados sobre ruedas (markets on wheels) was a concept implemented in 1969, to give agricultural producers a means to sell directly to consumers. The idea was that an association of producers could seek permission to sell their produce in a particular spot on a particular day of the week. However, many of these associations became dominated by intermediaries rather than by the farmers themselves, as the producers could not spend many days selling their merchandise. Today, "mercados sobre ruedas" is used to refer to informal street vendors who sell in large groups but generally can be found everyday in the same location, rather than on market days, such as tianguis. According to INEGI, about 23 percent of the population earns money in the informal economy, with includes the mercados sobre ruedas and tianguis.
During the rest of the 20th century, commercialization patterns for food and other staples were strongly influenced by the United States, with the introduction of concepts such as supermarkets and convenience stores. The current retail situation in Mexican cities varies widely. On one end, there are a myriad of small corner stores (called mesceláneas, expendios de abarrotes or tienditas) and on the other are major supermarket and department chains such as Comerical Mexicana, Wal Mart, Liverpool and others. These types of markets now account for eighty percent of food sales in Mexico City. The appearance of supermarkets has diminished the sales in many markets. For example, sales at the market in Colonia Industrial were cut by half when a supermarket opened nearby in 2009. Although mercados usually have better prices and fresher produce, the rundown conditions of many is one factor why many consumers prefer supermarkets.