Comercial Mexicana

Controladora Comercial Mexicana, S.A.B. de C.V.
Sociedad Anónima Bursátil de Capital Variable
Traded as BMV: COMERCI
Industry Retail
Founded 1930
Headquarters Mexico City, Mexico
Key people
Guillermo González Nova, (Chairman)
Carlos González Zabalegui, (CEO)
Products Consumer goods
Revenue Increase US$ 4.5 billion (2010)
Increase US$ 83.9 million (2010)
Number of employees
38,930
Slogan Vas al Súper o a la Comer?.
(
You go to supermarket or to the comer?.)
Website www.comerci.com
Comercial Mexicana store in Zamora, Michoacán
Comercial Mexicana brand Flor de Jamaica (Hibiscus flower)

Comercial Mexicana (colloquially known as La Comercial or La Comer) is a Mexican hypermarket group, which features stores similar to those owned by Carrefour in France or Wal-Mart in the United States. It is part of the Controladora Comercial Mexicana Group which also co-owns the local Costco warehouse franchise, Sumesa stores, City Market stores, Alprecio stores and Restaurantes California. Comercial Mexicana is the third-largest supermarket chain in Mexico as of 2009. The first store, which opened in Mexico City in 1930, primarily sold textile products.[1]

Comercial Mexicana has different retail formats, with the general stores branded as Comercial Mexicana, the larger stores as Mega Comercial Mexicana and its smaller facilities as Bodega Comercial Mexicana. Many of its general stores are connected to a shopping mall with competing businesses surrounding. An example is Plaza Río in Tijuana, Baja California, which has Comercial Mexicana as an anchor store but also has a traditional department store and smaller specialty stores selling items that can be purchased in Comercial Mexicana.

Comercial Mexicana also has programs for children. In exchange for working in stores as bag boys, the children receive family support, tuition support and educational supplies, and basic services. The children wear almost-trademark brown uniforms with the orange pelican logo and are expected to be well groomed. They help most of the customers out of the store and return the carts, which in turn keeps the shopping cart thefts low.

Carlos González Nova, Comercial Mexicana's co-founder, served as the chairman of the company's board of directors until 1998.[2] He remained the honorary chairman of Comercial Mexicana until his death on August 19, 2009, at the age of 92.[2]

A boat owned by Carlos González Nova, on which he was travelling, hit and killed British singer Kirsty MacColl while sailing unauthorized in a diving zone.

Carlos González Nova's son, Carlos González Zabalegui, is the company's current executive chairman and CEO of the company as of Dec 2014.[2]

In January 2015 it was announced that Organización Soriana will buy Comercial Mexicana stores, from which 118 will be fully owned while 42 will be leased and operated by third parties.[3]

References

  1. Longdorf, Amy (2009-08-24). "Founder of Comercial Mexicana Dies". Poder 360. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Franco Piña, Fernando (2009-08-20). "Falleció el fundador de La Comer". El Economista. Retrieved 2009-08-23.
  3. "Mexico's Soriana to Buy Stores From Comercial Mexicana". Nasdaq. Nasdaq. Retrieved 14 April 2015.

External links