Líder (Spanish for ''Leader'') is a

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

hypermarket A hypermarket or superstore is a big-box store combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full grocery lines and general merchandise. In ...

chain originally owned and operated by

Distribución y Servicio Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

(DyS) but sold to US American corporation

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

in 2009.Chile Wal-Mart affiliate D&S year profit tumbles
by Manuel Frias, Reuters, 27-02-2009, access date 27-02-2009Nuestra Historia
Líder.cl, access date 27-02-2009

Overview

There are 251 Líders in the Republic of Chile including the original hypermarket (97) in addition to the express (154) concepts complemented by the Lider.cl website. The stores sell groceries, home electronics, school supplies, toys, tools and home supplies. Like its parent company Walmart, most Lider stores also have a small indoor

strip mall A strip mall, strip center, strip plaza or simply plaza is a type of shopping mall, shopping center common in North America and Australia where the stores are arranged in a row, with a footpath in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a ...

, usually featuring fast food.

History

Líder's origins lie in the 1893 establishment of

(D y S) as an important distribution company. That company opened the Tres Montes general store in 1921. In 1957, the company opened Latin America's first supermarket in

Santiago, Chile Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

followed by the opening Ekono a discount supermarket in 1984. In 1995, the Líder hypermarket was born and was followed by the Líder Vecino neighborhood markets and Líder Express concepts in 2000 and 2003 respectively. The company added a membership warehouse store in 2007.Wal-Mart's Entry Into Chile Market Threatens Cuban Rum
by Pascale Bonnefoy, January 22, 2007, Global Post/The Huffington Post, access date 27-02-2009 The company was acquired by Walmart in 2009. Walmart purchased a 58.3% share in the D y S company with the remainder in the hands of the Ibáñez Scott brothers.
Associated Press, 23-02-2009, access date 27-02-2009 In addition to this Walmart has followed up with an offer to purchase the remaining stock from the brothers. The company divested from any

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

n products like

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...

due to the embargo on Cuban products between the United States and any American company or subsidiary causing a consumer outcry and legal hurdle for Walmart since this violates Chilean free market and competition laws. Líder stores began selling Cuban products in addition to products from countries banned in the United States at half price to eliminate them from stock before the merger was complete. This caused a buying frenzy of Cuban rum that made headlines. This also caused an uproar from the public that was accustomed to certain products from certain countries. The largest retailing in the country no longer importing certain goods will certainly raise the price. Competitor Jumbo was inspired to begin a publicity campaign that they did not discriminate in their product selection by nationality. In fact, several members of the

National Congress of Chile The National Congress of Chile () is the legislative branch of the Republic of Chile. According to the current Constitution ( Chilean Constitution of 1980), it is a bicameral organ made up of a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate. Established by l ...

wrote a bill that would make it illegal to discriminate merchandise by country of origin. The Chilean authorities have stated that individual companies have wide latitude in determining what products they do and do not sell and why, however some in congress have insisted this move violates fair competition laws. All Líder stores are

unionized A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

and offer full benefits. The takeover by Walmart has made union leaders anxious due to Walmart's reputation for

union busting Union busting is a range of activities undertaken to disrupt or weaken the power of trade unions or their attempts to grow their membership in a workplace. Union busting tactics can refer to both legal and illegal activities, and can range anywhe ...

. Líder stores also employ

child labor Child labour is the exploitation of children through any form of work that interferes with their ability to attend regular school, or is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such exploitation is prohibited by legislation w ...

, bagging groceries; they must however be in school, according to the Labor Code. The company competes with Cencosud's

Jumbo Jumbo (December 25, 1860 – September 15, 1885), also known as Jumbo the Elephant and Jumbo the Circus Elephant, was a 19th-century male African bush elephant born in Sudan. Jumbo was exported to Jardin des Plantes, a zoo in Paris, and then tr ...

and Santa Isabel supermarkets, SMU's Unimarc, as well as the smaller Tottus.Living In Chile, Retail Planet

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lider Hypermarkets Walmart Retail companies established in 1995 Retail companies of Chile Supermarkets of Chile 1995 establishments in Chile 2009 mergers and acquisitions