Recession or not, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is pushing ahead. Its latest innovation: Hispanic-themed retail locations called Supermercado de Walmart. The world's largest retailer opened a new Supermercado in Houston in April and just launched one in Phoenix as well. It's no surprise Wal-Mart is focusing on the Southwest with this new strategy, given the region's heavy concentration of Hispanic shoppers.
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This is a brilliant move by Wal-Mart, and a sign that the melting pot that is America is becoming even more intense. The Hispanic population is growing rapidly in the U.S., making for one heckuva' opportunity for retailers.
So let the price wars begin between these Supermercado locations and the competition. Hundreds of new Supermercado locations are possible, although Wal-Mart's supply chain might need a little tweaking to ensure Hispanic-specific goods are widely distributed -- and at the lowest prices.



Reader Comments (Page 1 of 12)
7-10-2009 @ 2:12PM
Dick said...
WALMART HAS DONE MORE DAMAGE TO SMALL BUSINESS THAN ANYONE ELSE COULD POSSIBLY DO WITH THEIR CUT THROAT PRICING, BADGERING VENDORS, SELLING REMANUFACTURED PRODUCTS AS "NEW" AND GENERALLY CONVINCING THE BUYING PUBLIC THAT THEY "ALWAYS" HAVE THE BEST PRODUCT AT THE LOWEST PRICE....PURE CRAP AND JUST 'NOT" TRUE!!!! PEOPLE....SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS.....THEY ARE THE ONES WHO MAKE AMERICA WHAT IT STANDS FOR!!!! "NOT WALMART'!!!!
7-10-2009 @ 2:17PM
Val said...
And so it begins...the de-Americanization of the American Dream. Remember when the American Dream meant moving to America, becoming an American and eschewing all former ways of life to FIT IN and be a part of the building and shaping this amazing country?
Wal-Mart has SUPER WAL-MARTS-- Supermercado means SUPER MARKET....just call it SUPER WAL-MART and they will come, regardless of their "target market" status. What a bunch of crap.
7-10-2009 @ 2:22PM
mdrgnfire25 said...
I do not agree with this at all. Wal-Mart is already big enough and why just concentrate on one particular race of people??? I thought this was America land of the free and home of opportunity?? What happened to something to please every race of people???
7-10-2009 @ 2:24PM
Louida said...
Walmart is like the government....they want to control everything!!
7-10-2009 @ 2:26PM
Louie Thomas said...
Way to go, Wal-Mart! Put these stores all along the Mexican border and let illegals work for you They can also stock up on all the items they need with the drug, welfare, and tax money they have bled from us.
7-10-2009 @ 2:29PM
garypba said...
When the Germans came to the US,they assimilated and learned english. When asians came to the US they assimilated and learned english......Russian Jews English.....Italians English........Hispanics SPANISH.
If you refuse to learn the language of the land that is giving you a chance for success.....GO BACK TO THE COUNTRY......YOUR COUNTRY THAT YOU CHOSE TO LEAVE FOR A BETTER LIFE.......DAMNIT.....
And Dear politicians and politically correct teary eyed liberals (I have been a Democrat my whole life) do not allow signs, forms, applications to cater to one ethnic group. ENGLISH ONLY! Forget multi-lingual apps for jobs, licenses and anything else legal.
And to Walmart......Sam must be turning over in his grave. You have lost a customer.
"My country, tis of thee, sweet land of Liberty......of thee I SING>>>>>>>>>>in English!
7-10-2009 @ 2:32PM
Toni Egan said...
Give me a break!!! I guess Walmart doesn't want people to speak our language , ENGLISH... Why are we always catering to the hispanics? My mom came from Italy many years ago and HAD TO SPEAK english. As did my fatherin-law from Ireland.
7-10-2009 @ 2:35PM
twenty4k2 said...
Well there goes America as Americans used to know it. Why not just change it to Meximerica or North Mexico. I am sure this not what Sam Walton envisioned many years ago, when he started WalMart.
7-10-2009 @ 2:38PM
Phil said...
Walmart is the reason for a lot of the ills in this country...even affecting our health insurance. No one can compete and give their employees benefits anymore.They say the'yre saving you money, but they have cost us all so much.
7-10-2009 @ 2:39PM
this is GREAT for "new look" on Cheesecake! said...
this is a VERY SAD DAY FOR OUR COUNTRY................to "cater to imigrants"..................
7-14-2009 @ 7:31PM
AHP said...
Why isn't WalMart building German, Italian, Ukranian or French stores ?? These people were here LONG before the Mexicans took over. But they learned the language, got jobs and paid for their own health insurance. They BECAME Americans.
7-11-2009 @ 7:19PM
Catmoves said...
Our Senators and Representatives are not in tune with real Americans feelings about the ILLEGAL aliens in our country. If they were, they would start by making English the national language of the U.S.
Write your Reps and Senatosr asking them to enact this kind of law. (And publish the mealy mouthed answers you get.)
7-10-2009 @ 2:48PM
Michael said...
What a stupid thing for WAL-MART to do
7-10-2009 @ 2:50PM
Peg said...
WalMart is way off the mark this time. WalMart has been for all Americans and visitors, so why cater to a minority group?? Makes no sense and is UnAmerican in my book. If I had a choice to buy somewhere else, I would, in protest of this racist idea. I have never witnessed any minority group being treated any way other than with the same respect as all others. What's their pt. should be the question of the day. Are we getting a glimpse of the future of America by the statement WalMart is making by doing this? Divided we fall.
7-10-2009 @ 2:55PM
B. Ishler said...
the only Wal-Mart I will shop in is our local Neighborhood Market. It is only a grocery store not a super anything.
7-10-2009 @ 2:55PM
Jo said...
They bring illegal mexicans that are stealing our jobs and wrecking the economy. Then they bring sickness that we never had before to this country which is now costing more money for the country to find a vaccine. then now the mexicans are taking our stores. LEARN NOW TO READ AND WRITE ENGLISH AND BECOME CITIZENS AND THERE WONT BE A PROBLEM. IF MEXICANS CANT DO THAT THEN STAY IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY.
7-10-2009 @ 2:56PM
Eileen said...
I think this is absolutely ridiculous! It's bad enough you see billboards in Spanish and signs everywhere you go in Spanish, this is AMERICA, learn to speak the language or don't live here! I think Walmart sucks now!
7-10-2009 @ 3:05PM
Sommer said...
What happened to speaking English? That is the language of America! We are suppose to know how to speak spanish when we go to Mexico or any other spanish language country. Then why are we catering to them?
Houston has a lot of asian people, on the NW side of town all the street signs are english and chinese (mandarin) and i thought we were selling out then. Now we have walmart making hispanic stores too. They do have Fiesta grocery stores, with clothing and other hispanic favorites already. When are we gonna stand up and stop this crap? I am so sick of it all.
7-10-2009 @ 3:05PM
harleydream19 said...
Walmart isn't the only retailer catering to the hispanic population here. Sears started a few years ago printing their indoor signs in Spanish. In fact, most of their employees were also hispanic. If you couldn't understand their english through their accent, or speak Spanish, you were out of luck in their stores. I'm sick of it. And now Walmart is following suit. What's next? Merging Canada, USA, and Mexico into one giant SUPER-Nation, with one language, Spanish, and a unifying currency?
7-10-2009 @ 3:06PM
donna bailes said...
DISCRIMINATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!