You'll Never Guess What Walmart Is Called In These Countries

Whether you are in the market for an engagement ring, a casket, or a beef jerky supply that will last for the next 25 years, you can probably rest assured that Walmart has you covered.

Until 1990, the company's massive outlets were a privilege exclusive to America. Then, in 1991, the empire-like franchise expanded into Mexico, per Visual Capitalist, and that was only the beginning of its proliferation into its southern neighboring countries. Statista states that the number of stores in Central America belonging to the mega-corporation has grown to 836, which is a mere fraction of its 10,500 branches in 24 countries, per the company website. Today, Walmart goes by many names and themes and is prevalent in countries like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Chile, and Nicaragua, per World Atlas. 

Having been in the retailer game for so long, Walmart knows that to appeal to its clientele, it needs to brand its stores with names that customers can relate to, according to Bizfluent. For this reason, Walmart buys out existing companies or brands in foreign countries but keeps their branding. That begs the question: Are these outlets called Walmart, or are they only owned by the Walmart corporation? 

Walmart is behind three different Despensas (pantries) in El Salvador: Despensa de Don Juan, Despensa Maxi, and Despensa Familiar, per a report by the United States Department of Agriculture. In Honduras, then stores are just called Despensas, according to Central American Data. You can also have a Walmart experience in Chile at a Superbodega Acuenta, Lider Express, Lider Hiper, and Central Mayorista, says Walmart's website.

Walmart currently owns 2,634 stores in Mexico, according to Statista. You will find the same aircraft hangar-like marts going by the name of Bodega Aurrera. In Nicaragua, Walmarts assets go by the names: Pali, Maxi Pali, and La Union. Guatemala follows the "Maxi Despensa" and "Familiar Despensa" naming conventions, but a supermarket chain branded as Supertiendas Paiz also belongs to the franchise. There even are 10 outlets in Guatemala branded with its original name, Walmart.

Unfortunately for Walmart, not every attempt at expansion has been a success. The brand was not very well received by the local competition in Argentina when it moved there in 1995. It was eventually squeezed out by the country's severe recession, per The Washington Post. In September of 2021, Walmart sold out to Colombian-born Francisco De Narváez, and new ownership rebranded the stores as Híper Changomás, according to MercoPress. As reported by Regent University, similar ventures in South Korea and Germany failed, too.