Mobility data analytics are transforming the way commercial strategies are defined in the retail business, and supermarket chains are no exception.
Understanding what consumers think, what they want and what they do is critical for companies in the retail sector. This is where Big Data tools play an important role, as it is possible to measure the affluence at a location and customer behavior, among other aspects.
Between March and April, Walmart opened five new stores of the Palí format, located in Heredia, San José, Alajuela, Cartago and Guanacaste.
The supermarket chain informed that the company invested close to $6.7 million to open these five new stores. With these recent openings, there are now 181 points of sale of the Palí format.
In the new commercial reality in which customers value food free of any virus or bacteria, producers and international distribution chains are forced to reinforce their safety systems to reduce the risk of selling contaminated products.
Months ago, it was reported that in China, processed and frozen meat products arriving from abroad were detected with the presence of the coronavirus.
Although sales are not expected to exceed those of the 2019 Christmas season, businesses expect revenues to be robust in the context of the pandemic, a situation that could be enhanced by the dynamism of digital channels.
The spread of covid-19 generated an economic crisis, which for most of 2020 significantly affected the commercial sector. Despite the fact that in the context of the new business reality and changing consumer habits, commercial establishments are still in the process of adapting, there is optimism among businesspeople regarding end-of-year sales.
In the region, it is estimated that more than 4 million people show interest in the digital environment for supermarkets, being Walmart, Pricesmart, Paiz, La Torre, La Colonia and Super Selectos, some of the chains that have better positioned in the minds of consumers.
An analysis of the interests and preferences of consumers in Central America, prepared by the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData, gives interesting results on the preferences and tastes of people in various products, services, store chains, brands and activities.
After investing $17 million, Walmart opened a new store to the public on July 10, in the canton of San Pablo, province of Heredia.
This new location becomes the 14th store that the chain will operate under the Walmart format and for the operation of this supermarket, the company will hire 123 people, said the official statement.
During the fourth quarter of 2019, Walmart's sales increased year-on-year in all countries in the region, except in Costa Rica, where they fell because of the lower dynamism of local economic activity.
The signs of recovery reported in the Costa Rican economy in the second half of 2019 do not seem to have been enough to boost retail trade, as one of the largest supermarket chains is registering a drop in sales.
The Walmart chain is investing in the construction of a new supermarket in Santa Ana, El Salvador, which will have a sales hall of 4,600 square meters.
According to information revealed by the company's directors, the new sales point, which is being built on a 15,000-square-meter site, will have a parking lot with capacity for 149 vehicles.
Walmart opened a new sales point under the Maxi Despensa format, in La Libertad, and required a $4 million investment.
Walmart representatives informed that the new Maxi Despensa Campos Verdes is located in a total area of 1,833 square meters, of which 1,436 square meters correspond to the sales room.
Walmart plans to invest $48 million in Guatemala during 2019, of which $25 million will be used to open new stores and remodel existing ones.
According to information provided by representatives of Walmart, the investment projected for this year in the country will double that invested in 2018, since last year the amount disbursed totaled $24 million.
Arguing that there are risks that the economic agent will affect market prices, in Costa Rica the Commission for the Promotion of Competition denied Walmart the request to purchase the supermarket group Gessa.
Representatives of the Commission for the Promotion of Competition (Coprocom) informed that the decision was taken unanimously on December 4th and the parties were notified the following day.
In Costa Rica a group of cooperatives, associations and companies are considering to present a purchase offer for the supermarket chain Gessa, in order to try to stop Walmart from making the acquisition.
Elfinancierocr.com announced that a group of companies, cooperatives and associations, led by the National Chamber of Social Solidarity Economy, is working on a proposal to present to the owners of Grupo Empresarial de Supermercados (Gessa).At the end of last month, Walmart announced that it had filed with the Commission for the Promotion of Competition (Coprocom), aproposal to acquire the supermarket chains Perimercados, Súper Compro and the Saretto store, which currently belong to Gessa.
In Costa Rica, Walmart has agreed to buy the supermarket chains Perimercados, Súper Compro and the Saretto store, until now owned by Grupo Empresarial de Supermercados.
Walmart Mexico and Central America reported that the transaction was presented on July 19 to the Commission for the Promotion of Competition (Coprocom), which must evaluate and authorize it.
The growing influx of tourists in Guanacaste is one of the factors that is encouraging supermarket chains to increase the number of branches in the province.
The growing influx of international tourists to beaches in Guanacaste has increased the attractiveness of the province for the commercial sector, particularly supermarkets.According to Elfinancierocr.com,"...Super Compro (owned by Gessa) has 23 stores in Guanacaste, which makes it the chain with the most stores in the province, followed by Palí (Walmart) with 13 and Megasuper with 7."
The supermarket chain has announced that it is preparing to open twelve new stores in 2016, including one in the Walmart format in Tegucigalpa, in which it plans to invest $12 million.
Currently the American supermarket chain Walmart operates 82 outlets in Honduras, and expects to close 2016 with at least 100 stores in four formats that it is currently operating.In the case of the larger format store, Walmart, Hernan Muntaner, vice president of Perishables and Agroindustrial Development for Walmart of Mexico and Central America, told Laprensa.hn that"... 'the project will be built in Tegucigalpa, with an estimated investment of 12 million dollars between land and construction'."
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