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Nogales, Arizona – On a late Saturday morning, several people wait at a bus stop a few steps from the international border crossing that divides Ambos Nogales, the border region that encompasses Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora.
The pedestrians who just crossed the port of entry from Mexico into the U.S. are not waiting for the local public transit, but rather a privately-operated bus with Villa's Market logos plastered on the side and the front, which will give them a ride to the local grocery store and then return them to the port of entry, free of charge.
According to Sergio Villa Jr., one of the family members who manages the business, the supermarket in Nogales, Arizona, is testing a new way to attract customers from Mexico and make shopping easier for them, providing a free shuttle service from the border to its store and back.
Villa's Market, established in 1968 by Villa’s grandfather, Mario Villa, is located at 631 W. Mesa Verde Dr., approximately five miles (eight kilometers) from the international border line.
Cristian Osorio Lopez, the bus driver for the company that serves Villa's Market, said they started this service on April 5, offering it every hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.
At 10 a.m., Osorio Lopez pulls up at the bus stop located on Grand Avenue, a few steps from the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry, under the watch of the Tucson Sector of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He waits about 15 minutes for passengers to board, then heads to the supermarket, a trip that takes no longer than 15 minutes. At 10:45 a.m., he makes his way back to the border, arriving around 11 a.m.
He makes the same trips throughout the day until his final drop-off at 6 p.m.
As in other border cities, Mexican shoppers cross through the Nogales ports of entry on foot every day. They must, however, pay for a shuttle service to reach stores located farther from the pedestrian crossing.
According to the U.S. Census, in 2024, there were 19,965 residents in Nogales, Arizona, while in 2020, there were 264,782 residents in Nogales, Sonora.
In Nogales, Sonora, there are no companies that advertise transporting customers from the border to their facilities. However, it is common to see people at the crossing offering dental services or selling medications from the numerous pharmacies located near the port of entry. These services are sought more often by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
When it comes to Mexicans living in Mexico who hold U.S. citizenship or visas and can easily cross the border, it is common to see them making their way back to Mexico with groceries. A common purchase are gallon bottles of milk, which in Nogales, Arizona cost approximately 59 pesos (roughly $3) each, while on the Mexican side they cost 74.50 pesos (just under $4).
A resident of Nogales, Sonora, who spoke with CALÓ News and chose not to give her name, crossed the border that Saturday morning to buy cereal and other items, citing lower costs and variety in products as to why she chooses to walk into the U.S. once every two weeks.
“There are things I can't find there (in Mexico). For example, the cereal is better on this side, in terms of price, and there's more variety,” she explained. She also buys other products, including juice, ice cream and snacks.
The driver offered her the service at the bus stop after she crossed the border, and she readily accepted, having not been aware of the free transit until that day.
If she had paid for the bus service to go to another store, she would have spent $4 round trip, equivalent to 76 pesos at an exchange rate of 19.20 pesos per dollar, the rate at which it was sold that day.
Villa, one of the supermarket's managers, explained that they established the free route to try to attract customers who don't have cars in which to cross the border. "The bus waits for you to do your shopping and then takes you back," he said, although many people are unaware of this service.
The bus began operating after another company stopped providing the same service, Villa said. They took advantage of the opportunity and resumed the route to attract new customers.
Juan Osorio, the owner of the company that provides transportation services to Villa's Market, said that they had provided the same service to Food City for 17 years, but one day they informed him that they no longer needed it.
Food City, which could not be reached for comment, operates 46 stores in Arizona, including one in Nogales, located less than a mile from the port of entry.
In May, Villa's Market launched an app so customers can see specials. They have a distributor in Nogales, Arizona, to supply Villa's stores and sell wholesale to businesses in southern Arizona and to buyers who cross the border from Nogales, Sonora.
César Barrón is an independent reporter covering the transnational communities of Ambos Nogales. He has over 20 years of experience covering the Sonoran communities.
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