Published: 3rd of February 2026 by Patrick Carpen.
Last updated: February 3, 2026 at 19:32 pm
Chinese have been part of the Guyanese identity since colonial times. They first came to work as laborers on the European sugar plantations but found it unsuitable. The Chinese then rerouted to establishing Chinese restaurants which grew and spread across the country. Chinese food is a well-known delicacy for Guyanese people of all ethnic groups, and you’ve probably heard talk of the classic “paper bag” Chinese Fried Rice from Berbice!
Despite being one of Guyana’s six peoples, the Chinese are perceived to keep to themselves more than other groups. Intermarriages between other races do happen, but they are less frequent that the other races. Further, Chinese are perceived to keep business among themselves. The Chinese are also known to use Guyana as a transit point to US migration. Being in Guyana for several years puts them in a better position to migrate to the USA.
With the rise of China, Chinese kept expanding their business portfolio to different sectors in Guyana including construction, retail, and wholesale distribution. In Lethem, Chinese stores supply the local population and a significant number of Brazilians. Chinese companies have been granted contracts to build high level infrastructure across Guyana. Most notably, a Chinese company built the recently opened Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge.
Since around the year 2020, a new and somewhat surprising Chinese business model started to appear in Guyana: Chinese supermarkets. These were established primarily along the coastal areas and kept growing in number and density. Today, more and more Chinese supermarkets are being opened all across Guyana–in both African and East Indian dominated communities. The Chinese are even seeking to expand to indigenous communities, but the effort is currently met with criticism and resistance.
Chinese supermarkets give traditional Guyanese shops, grocery stores, and supermarkets a run for their money, and it seems like the locals are unable to compete. While a struggling Guyanese might start with small infrastructure and expand over time, the Chinese come fully equipped. Chinese businesspeople have flush finance, overwhelming manpower, and a supply chain which streams out of China. Further, they offer superior service: Sunday to Sunday from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Chinese supermarkets are always well organized and stocked, providing great convenience to the population.
But this strength is a double-edged sword. While some admire the Chinese for their organization, willingness, and industry, others see them as a threat and unfair competition. Most of the supermarket owners are Chinese nationals, not Guyanese. They do hire locals to work in the supermarkets, but the employees are given menial jobs, paid minimum wages, and worked maximum hours. Although the Chinese supermarkets stock significant Guyanese products, special shelves are reserved as an outlet for Chinese products. Further, most of the profits from the supermarkets stay in Chinese pocket and stream back to China.
When it comes to “the supermarket industry” in Guyana, Chinese sure do have a competitive advantage. In the eyes of some, this is to be admired and most welcome, but others see it as undermining the national economy and suppressing the livelihood of the ordinary Guyanese.
How do you feel about the rise of Chinese supermarkets in Guyana? Tell us in the comments.
