Pueblo Supermarkets
 |
|
| Grocery | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Headquarters | San Juan, PR |
| Products | Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor |
Pueblo has been one of Puerto Rico's major supermarket chains since 1955.
The brainchild of brothers Harold Toppel and George Toppel, the son of Russian immigrant parents. Pueblo began as a single store operation on Roosevelt Avenue in the Puerto Nuevo section of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The success of the first store led the Toppels to open 43 other Pueblo Supermarkets around the Island and, by 1960, to convert the enterprise into a public corporation that began trading on the .
In 1963, Pueblo expanded beyond Puerto Rico's shores to the US Virgin Islands. Pueblo opened stores in St. Thomas and St. Croix, quickly becoming a popular supermarket chain.
The company also introduced the trademark Pueblo Foods, which included anything from paper towels to rice and was sold in all Pueblo stores.
In 1983, Pueblo launched the Xtra Super Food Centers concept, a discount warehouse supermarket which allowed the customer to shop for food in a larger store format featuring lower prices. The lower prices were because the Xtra stores had no baggers; less employees, more savings. In 1989, Pueblo acquired the franchise rights to develop Blockbuster Video Stores in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The first Blockbuster Video store opened in Puerto Rico in June 1990 at Campo Rico Avenue in Carolina next to the Administration Office and Distribution Center.
In 2003, Pueblo faced financial troubles and there were rumors of a potential buyer from Venezuela. Despite this, Pueblo's management remained optimistic about the company's future.
In 2007, Pueblo appeared to be facing serious financial difficulties again, as many locations were sold to other competitors. Some were acquired and taken over by rival supermarkets Econo, Grande, COOP and Supermax.
...
Wikipedia