Latin America News & Analysis

Carrefour has opened a store under the Express banner in the city of São Paulo this week (28 August). Store layout designed to optimise convenience The Carrefour Express is located in Tatuapé, to the east of the city. The store is designed around three 'circuits' to enable shoppers to fulfil their mission quickly and easily. The first circuit is targeted at products for immediate consumpt...

Walmart’s consolidated net sales increased by 2.8% for Q2 FY15 (three months ended 31 July), to $119.3bn, with sales in its US stores and Sam’s Club divisions up 2.7% and 2.3% respectively. International sales were up 3.1% to $33.9bn. Consolidated net income attributable to Walmart grew by 0.6%. The results: quick take Although there is still work to be done to drive stronger growth in t...

Walmart has reported international sales growth of 3.1% for its international business for Q2 2015 (three months ended 31 July). We look at its performance in Latin American markets. Brazil: focus is on turning business around Second quarter net sales were up 9.1%, and comp sales rose 9.7%, driven by a positive impact from the timing of Easter, and strong World Cup sales. The World Cup als...

Brazil's RaiaDrogasil has reported a 17.4% increase in net revenue for the first half of 2014. Breaks 1,000 store barrier in Q2  RaiaDrogasil opened 29 new stores in Q2, to end June with 1,015; it said it was the first Brazilian drugstore chain to operate 1,000 stores. Two milestones were the first stores in Recife, in the north-east, and the first airport store at Guarulhos international ...

Latin American e-commerce operator MercadoLibre has reported net revenue growth of 15% for the six months ended 30 June 2014. Number of customers using mobile is on the increase Brazil, MercadoLibre's biggest market, grew revenues by 34% in local currencies during the second quarter. Overall in Q2, revenue growth was stable at +22% in US dollar terms and +47% in local currencies, excluding Ve...

Walmart has re-launched its Walmart.com platform, overhauling existing features and introducing a number of new ones, to deliver a more personalised and faster shopping experience. Pangaea provides foundation for global best-practices The foundation for the improvements which are being made to the website is the retailer’s internally developed Pangaea ecommerce platform. This brings togeth...

Carrefour has today (31 July) reported growth in recurring operating income of 13.8% for the first half of 2014, and an increase in net income of 16.7%. For France, Carrefour reported 'good profitability in all formats' and a 6.9% increase in recurring operating income. Improved gross margin, resulting from decreased shrinkage and cost savings from logistics, was the primary driver. In Eur...

Portugal-based Jerónimo Martins has announced results for the first half of its financial year, with sales rising by 7.2% to €6.1 billion, although held back a contraction in like-for-like sales at its Poland-based Biedronka chain. Declining food prices affect performance Jerónimo Martins said that in its main markets of Portugal and Poland it had seen ‘ a significant decline in food prices...

We look at how retailers across Latin America have fared in the second quarter, reviewing expansion plans and other news, including some great stores we have seen in the region. Improving sales trends continue in second quarter Walmex achieved net sales growth of nearly 4% for the first half. Investment in e-commerce is ongoing, and Walmex is implementing changes to address problems at...

Spain-based DIA has announced second quarter results saying that, in Euro terms, gross sales fell by 2.7% to €3.0 billion, affected by the depreciation of the Argentinean peso and the Brazilian real during the year. Sales fall in Iberia In its home market and Portugal, DIA said that gross sales fell by 2.9% in the second quarter to €1.52 billion, affected by like-for-like sales that contrac...