Amazon wants to fill Mexican shopping baskets

The Mexican subsidiary of Amazon.com has launched sales of wines, beers, packaged food and other groceries in what appears to be a direct challenge to the retail online domination of Walmart in the country.

Internet amounts to a very small proportion of Mexicos retail sales but it is growing fast. Retail analysts say that Amazon falls well short of Walmart in online sales but it has an excellent logistical infrastructure that it can tase to its advantage.

Amazon sells food and groceries in the United States both online and at shops of Whole Foods Market, which it bought last year for some $14 billion.