Waldo’s Expansion Plan in Mexico
Waldo’s, a discount store chain in Mexico, is accelerating its growth plan with an investment of 847 million pesos to open 130 new stores by 2025.
Focus on Central, Bajío, Southern, and Northeast Regions
The majority of the new openings will take place in the central, Bajío, southern, and northeastern regions of Mexico, according to Ernesto Llano, Waldo’s Vice President of Commercial Operations.
Current Store Count and Growth
As of early August, Waldo’s reported 923 stores in operation, with nearly 100 new units opened so far this year. They maintain a steady pace of weekly openings and aim to reach their 1,000th store in the coming months.
“With our planned openings, we expect to reach approximately 1,000 stores by mid-2026. Our coverage allows us to open stores in any city across the country,” explained Ernesto Llano.
The discount store chain has consistently maintained around 70 annual openings, though they surpassed this figure in 2024 with over 85 new stores. This year, their goal is even higher—to open 130 establishments.
Distribution Center Expansion
To support the growth of new stores, Waldo’s plans to open a new distribution center in Mexico’s southeastern region within the next two years, following the recent opening of a new complex in Salinas Victoria, Nuevo León, where they invested 38 million pesos.
Despite their presence in all states and over 300 municipalities, Waldo’s sees opportunities for further expansion. They analyze commercial areas to identify potential locations and found that their stores thrive in areas with at least 20,000 residents.
Based on this assessment, they estimate the potential to open over 5,000 units in the coming years. Key growth states include Baja California, Chihuahua, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and Coahuila, with moderate growth in Baja California Sur and Sonora.
Product Sourcing Strategy
Waldo’s maintains a diverse product sourcing strategy to ensure variety, quality, and competitive pricing. More than 50% of their catalog is produced and acquired in Mexico, while the rest comes from 17 countries, including the US, Canada, India, China, Vietnam, Pakistan, South Korea, and Thailand, as well as other markets in Central America, South America, and Europe.
Ernesto Llano emphasized that their strategy involves identifying countries with better conditions for specific products. If a country offers significant advantages for a particular product, Waldo’s shifts its orders to that location to capitalize on those benefits.
Waldo’s commercial offer focuses on a wide and ever-changing assortment of trending products at affordable prices, ranging from general merchandise, clothing, consumables, to vehicles and other mobility lines.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is Waldo’s investment for? Waldo’s is investing 847 million pesos to open 130 new discount stores by 2025.
- In which regions will the new stores be located? The majority of new openings will take place in central, Bajío, southern, and northeastern Mexico.
- How many stores does Waldo’s currently operate? As of early August, Waldo’s operates 923 stores.
- What is Waldo’s strategy for product sourcing? Waldo’s seeks out countries with better conditions for specific products and adjusts their sourcing accordingly to take advantage of those benefits.
- What is the price range of most products sold by Waldo’s? Over 80% of Waldo’s offerings are priced at 50 pesos or less, while the rest goes up to 100 pesos.
