Amigo Supermarkets

Infobox_Company
company_name = Amigo Supermarkets
company_
company_type = Grocery
foundation = 1989
location = San Juan, Puerto Rico
industry = Retail
products = Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor
homepage = [http://www.amigo.com/ www.amigo.com]

Amigo Supermarkets (Supermercados Amigo) is a chain of supermarkets located in Puerto Rico owned by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Beginnings

"Supermercados Amigo" was opened by Jose A. Marti Fuentes. During the company's formative years, it operated small supermarkets across the island; these would be located at small strip malls. Many towns in Puerto Rico had multiple "Supermercados Amigo" locations.

The transformation

After the Grand Union and Coop Supermarkets companies ceased operations in Puerto Rico, "Amigo" began plans to become a major player in Puerto Rico's supermarket industry. In 1989, they opened their first major store, located at Plaza del Carmen Mall, in Caguas. Subsequently, many other major stores were opened across Puerto Rico. A massive television campaign began, and their slogan, "Amigo, lo mejor al mejor precio" ("Amigo, the best at the best prices") became a household phrase in Puerto Rico.

Economic problems

Amigo ran into serious economic problems in the 1990s, most of them having to do with employee salary. As a consequence, the company began losing money. There were several strikes, and these received wide media attention.

Wal-Mart

In July 2004, in what became a controversial business move, American retail giant Wal-Mart took over Supermercados Amigo. Claims of unfair competition and monopoly were instantly made by smaller supermarkets, because Amigo would be backed by the strong assets of Wal-Mart. As part of the agreement made in order for the purchase to take place, various supermarket locations had to be closed (specifically if there was a Wal-Mart or Sam's Club nearby). The closed Amigos became part of a new (at the time) supermarket company known as "SuperMax".

The structure of the supermarkets themselves was not changed because of the purchase, the only exception being that now customers may pay for their purchases with their respective Sam's Club or Wal-Mart Credit Cards.