Amigo Supermarkets
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Amigo Supermarkets (Supermercados Amigo) was a Puerto Rican Supermarket company. It was one of the main competitors of Pueblo Supermarkets.
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Beginnings
Supermercados Amigo were 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.
Economical problems
Amigo ran into serious economical 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 of 2004, American retail giant Wal-Mart bought over Supermercados Amigo.