Sales of Grupo Chedraui increased by 12 percent in the last year counted until October, reaching more than 9.5 billion pesos according to Bloomberg data. This expansion could be used for further growth of the company. On the other hand, Grupo Femsa, owner of the largest convenience store chain in Mexico, has investment plans to expand its minisuper "Bara", which will compete in the market against Chedraui's Supercito and Tiendas 3B.
Jonathan Ruiz Torre, columnist for El Financiero, mentions that Bara, which was founded three years ago, aims to reach the less favored sectors of Mexico, competing with the established stores of Chedraui and Tiendas 3B in these communities. Despite Grupo Femsa's size advantage and the established position of OXXO with more than 22,000 stores in Mexico, the current bet of the owners is focused on the growth of Bara, a chain that is achieving a strong presence in regions such as Bajío and Guadalajara.
José Antonio Fernández Garza Lagüera, CEO of Femsa, expressed in a conversation with financial analysts his surprise at Bara's success in recent years and his desire to maintain this positive performance. Despite this, he pointed out that the project remains cautious as the brand still needs to earn national trust.
To strengthen the presence of Bara in Mexico, Grupo Femsa plans to make a strong investment in the chain, which currently has 420 stores, offering large discounts and hiring specialized staff in this strategy. On the other hand, José Antonio Chedraui Eguia, CEO of Chedraui, also revealed plans for the growth of the Supercitos brand, with the opening of 70 additional stores by the end of 2024, which would increase the total number of stores to 200 nationwide.
