Regional Supermarkets
Unite To Fend of
Wal-Mart
The Grupo Empresarial
GESSA, which brings
together the
Perimercados, Super
Compro and Jumbo
supermarkets in Costa
Rica, has signed a deal
with other supermarkets
in Central America and
Panama, to form a
regional organization
called SUCAP to fend off
Wal-Mart.
The new organization,
with headquarters in El
Salvador, includes nine
companies with
supermarket chain stores
in six countries. In
total, the group will
have more than 279
supermarkets with more
than us$2.2 billion
dollars in sales and
24.000 employees.
The management of SUCAP
will be in the hands of
Franciso Calleja, owner
of the Super Selectos
and Selectos Market,
with 75 stores in El
Salvador.
"The alliance will
strengthen the position
of Perimercados, Super
Compro and Jumbo in the
local market with better
services and prices for
customers", said Victor
Mesalles, vicepresident
of GESSA.
GESSA currently has 48
supermarkets in Costa
Rica and 2.100
employees.
With the alliance, the
supermarket chain hopes
to be able to adopt
better commercial
practices, better
training for its
employees to work at
international standards,
which are expected to
result in a reduction of
operating costs for the
chain.
The move is to directly
compete against Wal-Mart
as it operates in Costa
Rica the Mas X Menos,
Palí and Maxibodegas
supermarkets and the
Hipermás chain of
department stores.
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