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Costa Rica is in for some big changes when Walmart starts infringing on the small businesses that operate in San Jose. The city will become more run down. I hate to see what is going to happen. I know they already own some grocery stores, but that is only a prelude to what is going to happen. The Walton's want to control the World's small businesses.

They already are the largest grocery supplier in Costa Rica..... You will likely NEVER see anything with the actual name of WalMart on it in Costa Rica... that is other than the name tags the employees wear.

Currently in the WalMart "family" is Pali (a discount, bag it your self grocery store), Mega Super (a middle of the road grocery store) MaxiBodega (I compare these to a slightly smaller version of the WalMart Neighborhood stores) Mas X Menos (a high end grocery store for CR standards) and HyperMas (this is your run of the mill WalMart, right down to the Rolling Back Prices banners in the store and the layout of the floor plan is almost identical.

In all of the above mentioned stores the employees are actually wearing WalMart name tags.

Top all of this off with PriceMart (this is Sam's Club). Was originally owned by the group that own's all the WalMart stores but is now a spin off from the original family.

My Development Group is doing a build to suite on a piece of land to the WalMart group in Central America and they will be opening the doors of a HyperMas location by the end of October 2014. During the process of signing the contracts I did talk with one of the marketing people from their company and as an American I asked the question of why they do not use the WalMart name. It was explained that WalMart is associated with "American" and in Latin American culture it is assumed that American means expensive.

This explanation fits in with the typical idea of "Well, your gringo.... you can afford it, and as a matter of fact, you owe it to me...."

Golfer, you are correct - they are here and have been for a while - just not under the Walmart name.

You can't stop progress anymore than stoping a clock stops time

Sure I'm old enough to remember the mom and pop stores in my home town that were displaced by large grocery chains (we had small groceries, a butcher shop, fish market, and a paper store that I loved the smell....) - the "paper store" - stationary, newpapers, Magazenes, cigars almost does not exist - the Luncheonette has been replaced by fast food.

Do I "like" all this - frankly, no - but they can't survive on a business model from the the 1880's

I also think Walmart takes a huge ration of undeserved shit - not perfect, sure - but would they be where they are today if they did not fill a huge need - its business and capitalism, guys - we don't have to "like" it. Most change is difficult - and often unwanted - but it happens never the less.

The Hipermas stores, and the other brands in the chain, are now owned by Walmart Mexico. The Hipermas stores are under going a complete renovation and in the store setup now more closely resemble a typical Walmart layout. The Hipermas sign has been removed from the building at the Escazu location and all of the handles on the shopping carts that were inscribed "Hipermas" are now replaced with ones marked "Walmart".

Word on the street is that the all the Hipermas stores will be branded Walmart in the near future.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

I'm thinking Wal-Mart won't be the death of mom-pop places for a while for the simple reason that the society in Costa Rica isn't as mobile as in the States. Many people, if not most, don't have the option or want to go through the trouble of going to the Wal-Mart owned supermarket since it may involve a long walk, bus ride, taxi etc... No telling for how much longer, but there will be a need for the local 'super' for a long time to come IMHO...

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The only thing that matters is happiness in all it forms...

When I lived in La Uruca I used to buy a lot of stuff from a little 'super' that I could walk to.

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* These are the "Good Ole Days". Enjoy Them.

* RENT but, "Don't Buy a Home in Costa Rica" until you have lived here for THREE years.

Beside the convenience the pulperia will always have a place in the life of many Ticos. Where else can you go and buy just 1 or 2 eggs or a cigarette? Certainly not any of the major chain super markets. For those with a limited amount of cash the local pulperia which will sell many items in very small quantities will always exist.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

That's exactly right. The upper-middle class car driving family might shop at Walmart but the typical barrio resident will continue the old way.

I am in Granadilla almost every day. I think it is typical of a lot of the barrios a little way away from central. Primary mode of travel is walking and the bus. They have everything except a pharmacia in one block (bakery, meat market, dairy/eggs/cheese shop and small market). Everyone is walking with a bag from at least one of the shops.

The society lives day-to-day and they shop according to what they can carry on foot.

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"Your love gives me such a thrill
but your love don't pay my bills,
I NEED THE MONEY!" - John Lee Hooker

Disclaimer: The above is merely the opinion of the author unless specific scientific data is included.
Your mileage may vary. https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewto ... 978#206978

Every Hipermas I've seen recently has had their signs removed, a taxi guy told me they are putting up Walmart signs but only at Hipermas. If you enter a newer Mas x Menos building they are also designed like Walmart.

OK, hate to argue with your nostalgic popularism, but WalMart or whatever variation of it that has set up shop will give far more benefits than the Mom & Pop stores that get replaced. Give it a few minutes of objective thought:
1) How many local employable citizens that such stores will employ. The fact that WalMart in the U.S. is a great employer of both the young and old will no doubt be practiced at some level in CR as well.
2) The benefit to the population of being able to purchase goods in a cost effective manner.
3) The benefit to the government of having a corporation that will pay its large corp tax.

Please feel free to argue whatever anti-Walmart screed that the current anti-capitalists scream about. Perhaps you would like the Soviet era GUM Department store to set up shop?

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“Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” And we are the guys that keep them in Eggs & Grits

Walmart is contributing to the downfall of small business. Granted they employ people, but to them an employee is just a number. No loyalty to the community they serve. Big corporations, big money. If you look at the overall picture they put people out of work. They cause whole downtown small businesses to close. They have no loyalty to what country the goods are made. They even control their suppliers telling them what they are going to get paid for a product. Walmart is a blight to local economy's. You say tax dollars, everyone pays taxes for goods they buy

adding to Pac's comments..... Walmart does not offer the line of credit that many of the local pulperia's do.... I have one just outside my project office and we pay our bill every Friday. On almost a daily basis we send someone in for beverages, coffee grinds, cleaning supplies, etc that are needed in a pinch. If I remember I stop in and pay the bill on Fridays when buying a pack of smokes. If I forget they ask me for it when I stop in next for my next pack of smokes.

Walmart must be reading these post . Funny thing just received Email from walmart to register for $ 250.00 gift. Somethings fishy about that. I have never received any correspondence before this post. Conspiracy?

Another thing too with the Walmart experience: Build a smaller Walmart say 20 minutes from your house, destroy the local businesses, then a few years down the road, "consolidate" a few smaller Walmarts into a regional SuperCenter. Now you have to drive 45 minutes to one with no reasonable alternatives.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

What a fantastic generalization! Walmart is one of the most important companies in the country. They employ lots of veterans, senior citizens and teenagers with their first job and is considered one of the best supporters of the American way of capitalism. I did a case study on Walmart while I was studying for my MBA, what is your analysis based on? Without big corporations, most of us in the U.S. would be out of a job. I happen to work for a company that provides life saving treatment to the chronically ill. Without my employer thousands of people would die. Would you consider them to be another greedy corporation?

Please explain no loyalty to the community comment. In every environment where they do business, the vast majority of corporations contribute by employing locals, giving support through charitable giving and other support to the community and pay the lions share of the taxes as they are taxed in the U.S. to the tune of 35%; (with the acceptance of corporate slugs like GE, a friend of the current administration).

I am curious, did you form your own analysis or are you simply parroting something you heard from someone .

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“Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” And we are the guys that keep them in Eggs & Grits