The Superama supermarket on the Prolongacíon was painted green and declared a Walmart Express, provoking confusion among shoppers.
The market, which had a more upscale image than most other grocery chains, has been owned by Walmart for years. While Superama carried Walmart’s Great Value house brands, it also featured organic meats and imported foods. The reason for the rebranding was not clear, except to unify Walmart’s e-commerce platform.
That makes eight Walmart-branded stores in Mérida, not counting its affiliated outlets.
On Facebook, expat group members speculated about how the Superama would change under the Walmart banner. Inside, shelves were already being rearranged, comments indicated. But in interviews with business media, officials vowed little will change in terms of quality or selection.
“I am truly unhappy about this,” read one comment.
Mexico’s 93 Superama/Walmart Express branches are smaller than typical supermarkets and appear like boutiques compared the hypermarkets normally built by Walmart. They are most prevalent in Mexico City, aimed at urban shoppers looking for convenient options in their neighborhoods.
The changeover was announced in October and began in November, starting with Puebla’s Superama. Around the same time, the company converted a former Costco on Calle 60 Norte into a conventional Walmart and opened a 200,000-square-meter distribution center elsewhere in town. It distributes merchandise to more than 90 stores within the Walmart umbrella, including Bodega Aurrera and Sam’s Club, and fulfills online orders in Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo.
