Cencosud

Cencosud is a retailer which was established in 1963 and is headquartered in Las Condes, Chile. It is one of the biggest retail companies in Chile and has recently been recognised as the largest retailer in Latin America. The firm is active in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and Peru.

The company operates under the following sectors:

• Retail
• Home improvement and construction
• Shopping center and real estate

Presently, Cencosud manages a total of 249 stores in Chile, 281 stores in Argentine, 200 shops in Brazil, 92 stores in Peru and 92 shops in Colombia.

In the financial year 2021, the firm achieved a turnover of € 14.84 billion, indicating an increase of 24.24% from 2020. Furthermore, Cencosud has a dedicated workforce of 125,269 people. 

In addition, the company gained recognition for its IPO by Cencosud Shopping through the IFLR America Awards 2020. 

Furthermore, the enterprise offers a wide assortment of goods in different categories in its retail stores which are as follows: 

• Savoury Grocery: pasta, olive oil, condiments, etc 
• Sweet Grocery: chocolates, cookies, breads, etc 
• Chilled & fresh: fresh pasta, pate and paste, chilled poultry and cut, etc
• Frozen: ice cream, pizza, vegetables, etc 
• Dairy: yoghurt, milk, butter, etc
• Drinks: water, juice, coconut water, etc
• Personal care: hair cream, pads, toothbrush, etc. 
• Household: detergents, toilet papers, liquid soaps, etc

In order to improve their logistics and operation systems, the firm invested € 29 million. Cencosud implemented the latest version of sega wms in their distribution centers hence benefiting from latest technologies in warehouse management systems with global automation and management of the supply chain.

In 2020, Cencosud partnered with Cornershop and under this agreement, customers of Cornershop are able to shop in Cencosud’s retail chains without bearing service charges. 

Additionally, the retail group has developed Spid35, a convenience store app. Currently, the company is working towards setting up dark stores for the new venture. 

It is noteworthy that Cencosud entered the largest market in Brazil and South America by acquiring 100% stake in Giga, a Brazilian supermarket chain. The deal was closed for around € 95.6 million on May 6, 2022. 

Moreover, on May 10, 2022, Cencosud signed an agreement to acquire 67% stake of The Fresh Market, a leading supermarket chain in the United States for € 646 million. Making its entry into the US market, the firm also announced that its majority share could increase to 100% in the coming years.  

With regards to sustainability, the company is working towards reducing its carbon footprint by implementing water reduction strategies in its operations.