Selling to Walmart

Selling to Walmart could be a growing business in the region, as could the business of teaching suppliers how to do it.

Walmart of Mexico and Central America will add 1,000 stores over the next ten years, an increase of one third, the company said last week.

When it comes to teaching, United States-based consulting firm 8th & Walton, which specializes in retail training, five years ago offered a Miami seminar on how to sell to Walmart in the region.

Not much else has happened.

Walmart has its own guide to suppliers in the region, and is interested in buying local products, especially in the agriculture sector.

At the same time, many producers could use help in determining whether or not they can meet Walmart standards of quality, volume and price.

As of last March, Walmart had 3,056 stores in the region, 2,345 in Mexico and 711 in five countries of Central America.

Walmart has no operations in Belize or Panama.

The share price of the parent company on the New York Stock Exchange rose to nearly $70 last week, from a low of $56 last November.

The price was $90 at the start of 2015, but competition from Amazon and other on-line retailers affected profit at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.