MEXICO – When in 1998 the Falabella Group entered the home improvement market, it was in partnership with The Home Depot. Today, the Falabella Group becomes a serious threat to The Home Depot’s hegemony in Mexico, with the announcement that it’s entering this promising market through a joint venture with local retail leader Soriana.

COLOMBIA – The Orbis Group, a multi-latin company founded 94 years ago in Medellin, Colombia, opened the first Master Pro store in Bogota. The Group’s new hardware store chain in which it plans to invest COP 30 billion (approx. USD 10 million) over the next two years.

MEXICO – Falabella signed on April 15th a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Soriana, the second largest supermarket chain operator in Mexico, in order to develop together a chain of home improvement stores and a financial services business. 

USA – The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, reported sales for FY 2015 of USD 88.5 billion, an increase of 6.4 percent from fiscal 2014. 

MEXICO – Grupo Famsa announced its earnings results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2015, reporting a solid annual growth in Consolidated Net Sales of 13.5% and 11.8%, respectively. 

COLOMBIA – The retail network specialized in materials for the furniture and construction industries, Ardisa, presents to the Colombian market the new Egger lines of melamine boards: Perfect Sense and Feelwood. 

PARAGUAY – Danish children’s furniture manufacturer Flexa has opened its first store in South America. It is located in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. 

U.S.- On January 15 Wal-Mart announced plans to close 269 stores among them 154 locations in the U.S., including the company’s 102 smallest format stores, Walmart Express, which had been in pilot since 2011. 

CHILE – The Falabella Group announced plans to invest USD 4,038 million from 2016 through 2019 in order to fund the organic growth of its operations in six countries in Latin America. This four-year investment plan, in Chilean pesos, represents a 9.5% increase with respect to the 2015-18 investment plan announced last January.

SPAIN – The Iberian subsidiary of Ikea, the world’s leading RTA furniture manufacturer and retailer, announced the distribution of € 12.5 million to its employees in recognition to their contribution to achieving the Company’s business objectives. 

CHILE – Consolidated revenues for the Falabella Group in the third quarter of 2015 reached USD 2,857 million, which represents 12.7% growth compared to the same period last year. 

PERU – The Falabella Group announced the opening on November 12 of the first Crate & Barrel store in South America.