11/30/2007 08h06

Wal-Mart invests US$ 690 mi and may start e-commerce

Folha de S. Paulo - 11/30/2007

In order to expand the network in Brazil, American retailer Wal-Mart plans to invest R$ 1.2 billion (US$ 690 million) in 2008. In the growth plan, there is the start of e-commerce in the second half of the year, and there is the opening of 36 stores, the generation of 7,100 direct jobs, and the construction of a distribution center. It will be the year with the greatest number of inaugurations in the country in 12 years of operation of the company. Next year, the priority of the network - which sold R$ 12.9 billion (US$ 5.93 billion) in 2006 - will be to grow in the market of low income customers and wholesale, with the Todo Dia and Maxxi stores, respectively. Growing in the wholesale market has been the focus of the rival networks. This year, Carrefour acquired Atacadão and took over the leadership in the ranking of the sector in sales, and the Pão de Açúcar group, second place, purchase Assai, which operates in the "atacarejo" (the combination between wholesale and retail in Portuguese), focused on small business and low income consumers. Due to market matters, the president of the retailer has neither detailed where the new units will be located nor how many stores of each brand will be inaugurated. He restricted himself to saying they will open stores of all formats and that the investments will be well distributed throughout the entire country where they already operate. Wal-Mart is present in 17 States. The executive officer said all new stores, except for those of the Sam's Club format, will have drugstores and anticipated that they will offer new services, without specifying them though. The retailer's CEO does not rule out the possibility of acquisitions: "We're always open to acquisitions". However, he said that being greater than its rivals is not an objective pursued by the company. Trius said that the Internet sales may be outsourced and that the network will keep the same low-price policy. The network works with the perspective that the Brazilian economy will grow above the global average in the next 15 years. Yesterday, the network inaugurated three stores - one in the South and two in the Northeast - and it intends to open seven other stores in the next two weeks. Wal-Mart will end 2007 with 20 new stores, in a total of 319. Trius has pointed out that the customers are increasingly conscious. Bearing that in mind, the company has prepared a five-year plan of sustainable practices - which includes, for instance, garbage recycling in all units, rainwater storage and reduction of the use of plastic in the packages of the its own brand, and encouragement of the customers to replace plastic bags, with the sale, in the store, of bags made of canvas, cotton, and recycled plastic, and paper, plastic and cardboard boxes.