PUNTA ARENAS, Chile, Dec. 16, 2024 — Today, Walmart Chile President and CEO Cristián Barrientos, alongside Walmart International President and CEO Kath McLay, announced a five-year, $1.3 billion investment in Walmart Chile. The investment includes the opening of 70 new stores across all formats and creation of 4,000 new jobs, representing Walmart’s continued commitment to helping Chileans save money and live better.
“This is not just an investment in infrastructure and technology; it is an investment in people, in communities,” said Barrientos. “We are building a better future for everyone, for future generations and for our children. We trust in Chile. We trust in its people. We continue exploring together.”
“This announcement allows us to further enhance our value proposition to customers through low prices on basic products, as well as products and solutions that improve their quality of life,” said McLay.
An announcement ceremony was held in Punta Arenas, the location of the southernmost Walmart store in the world. Due to the complexity of the climate, accessing the southern tip of Chile is not an easy task. The Walmart store in Punta Arenas, known as Lider, is more than 2,000 miles from the central distribution center. Weather can be extreme – in 2024, the area saw temperatures reaching -15° F – resulting in road closures and challenging border crossings. Because of this, Walmart has created supply chain routes by land, air and sea, or a combination of routes, to reach Punta Arenas’ Lider store. When access becomes too treacherous, Walmart utilizes a reserve storage system called “El Oso” (the bear) to ensure customers can still get the essentials they need.
The Punta Arenas team also created an ecommerce strategy to deliver products via ferry to the 25 residents of Puerto Toro, the southernmost permanently inhabited community on earth.
“Stories like these are what drive us,” said Barrientos. “For this reason, the impact of Walmart Chile is not only in Punta Arenas; our value proposition aims to reach every corner of Chile: from Putre in the far north to Biobío in the central south. And to so many other places whose inhabitants motivate us to continue seeking new ways to approach, listen to and serve them... to become their best ally and neighbor.”
Walmart’s continued investment in Chile will mean expansions into new regions of the country like Vallenar, Los Vilos, Pozo Almonte and more. A ninth distribution center will be built in southern Chile, promoting omnichannel growth and access nationwide.
In support of Walmart’s global commitment to being a regenerative company by 2040, this investment also includes concrete measures to mitigate climate change and contribute to the restoration and regeneration of nature. Solar panels will be incorporated into more than 50 stores, meaning more than 80% of Walmart Chile’s energy is renewable energy, and 25 new recycling points will be added across the country by 2025.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better — anytime and anywhere — in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 255 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries. With fiscal year 2024 revenue of $648 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on X (formerly known as Twitter) at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart.
About Walmart Chile
Walmart Chile is one of the main actors in the retail industry, with 15 years in the country. Its main activity is the sale of food and merchandise in supermarkets, which it develops through its 399 stores of the Lider, Express de Lider, Lider.cl, SuperBodega aCuenta, and Central Mayorista formats throughout the national territory, from Arica to Puerto Toro in Magallanes. In all its activities, Walmart Chile is characterized by fulfilling a primary mission: helping its customers save money so they can live better. Currently, it is the third-largest employer in the country, with around 40,000 employees nationwide. Since 2023, Cristián Barrientos has led the company, with 25 years of experience in the multinational, both in Chile and Central America and Mexico. Walmart Chile is a subsidiary of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the largest supermarket and retail chain in the world. Founded in 1962, it is of American origin and is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, United States.
