Comercial Mexicana
Comercial Mexicana was a major Mexican supermarket and hypermarket group whose stores and formats were divided between Soriana and the successor company Grupo La Comer.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Comercial Mexicana was a Mexican food, household-goods and general-merchandise retail group best known for its orange pelican logo, broad supermarket network and promotional campaigns. The business began in Mexico City in 1930, when Carlos González Nova and his father, Antonino González Abascal, opened a store that initially concentrated on textile products. Over time, the company expanded into self-service retail and developed a portfolio of formats serving different customer groups and locations. At its core, Comercial Mexicana operated general supermarkets and hypermarkets under the Comercial Mexicana name. Larger stores used the Mega Comercial Mexicana identity, while smaller warehouse-style locations operated as Bodega Comercial Mexicana. The wider corporate portfolio also included premium and neighborhood supermarket concepts such as City Market, Fresko and Sumesa, rural-oriented Alprecio stores, and businesses outside conventional grocery retail. Through a joint venture established in 1991, the group helped introduce Costco's warehouse-club model to Mexico; that investment was later sold to Costco Wholesale Corporation. The company also operated California Restaurants and Beer Factory before selling those businesses to Grupo Gigante. The group became one of Mexico's largest supermarket operators, with a particularly strong presence in Mexico City and central Mexico. Its stores were frequently located as anchor tenants in shopping centers, combining grocery shopping with general merchandise and access to surrounding specialty retailers. The brand's commercial identity was also tied to large promotional events, especially the long-running Julio Regalado campaign, which became one of the most recognizable seasonal retail promotions in Mexico. The company additionally operated a social program involving child baggers, who worked in stores and received forms of family, education and basic-needs support. Comercial Mexicana experienced a serious financial crisis in 2008. In response, Controladora Comercial Mexicana progressively sold or separated parts of its portfolio. The Costco Mexico stake was sold in 2012, and the California Restaurants and Beer Factory businesses were sold to Grupo Gigante in 2014. These disposals reduced the scope of the original group and preceded the break-up of its supermarket operations. In 2015, Organización Soriana agreed to acquire most of Comercial Mexicana's stores. The transaction covered 160 locations, with 118 intended for full ownership and 42 to be leased and operated through other arrangements. The acquisition was implemented during 2016, when Soriana obtained the right to use the Comercial Mexicana name and logo for the stores it operated. Soriana retained a portion of the acquired network, while other assets became part of a reorganized company. On January 4, 2016, the successor company Grupo La Comer began operating with four principal formats: La Comer, Fresko, City Market and Sumesa. These formats emphasized differentiated supermarket and premium-food propositions rather than reproducing the entire former group's general-merchandise model. The successor business also replaced the traditional Julio Regalado promotional platform with Temporada Naranja, while continuing to participate in El Buen Fin. The original Comercial Mexicana identity therefore survived temporarily in Soriana-operated stores and in parts of the reorganized network, but the historical group ceased to exist as a unified retail enterprise. By 2018, Soriana-operated stores using the inherited branding had been renamed under Soriana's own formats.
History
Comercial Mexicana originated in Mexico City in 1930, when Carlos González Nova and his father, Antonino González Abascal, opened a retail store focused primarily on textiles. The enterprise later developed into a self-service supermarket and general-merchandise group. Its growth reflected the modernization of Mexican retail, as larger stores began combining food, household supplies, clothing and other goods under one roof. The company eventually organized its business through multiple formats. The principal Comercial Mexicana stores served as general supermarkets and hypermarkets. Larger units operated as Mega Comercial Mexicana, while Bodega Comercial Mexicana provided a smaller warehouse-style format. The group also managed Sumesa, Fresko and City Market, which addressed neighborhood, premium and differentiated supermarket demand, as well as Alprecio locations serving more rural markets. Its portfolio extended beyond supermarkets: the company participated in Costco Mexico through a joint venture established in 1991 and operated California Restaurants and Beer Factory. Comercial Mexicana became particularly important in Mexico City and central Mexico and was among the country's largest supermarket chains by 2014. Many stores served as shopping-center anchors, with surrounding specialty stores and other retailers benefiting from the customer traffic generated by the supermarket. The company cultivated a highly visible promotional identity. Julio Regalado, its recurring discount campaign, became a notable part of Mexican retail culture. Another distinctive initiative involved child baggers, who helped customers carry purchases and return carts while receiving support connected with education, family needs and basic services. The corporate group entered a period of financial difficulty in 2008. Its response included selling or divesting several businesses. On July 14, 2012, Controladora Comercial Mexicana sold its interest in Costco Mexico to Costco Wholesale Corporation. On August 21, 2014, it sold California Restaurants and Beer Factory to Grupo Gigante; the restaurant operations were subsequently associated with the Toks group. These transactions narrowed the business and prepared the ground for a restructuring of the supermarket network. In 2015, Organización Soriana reached an agreement to acquire Comercial Mexicana stores. The announced structure contemplated 118 stores being fully owned by Soriana and 42 being leased and operated by third parties. The transaction was implemented in 2016, with Soriana operating 143 retained branches across inherited formats and holding temporary rights to the Comercial Mexicana name and logo. The stores were not immediately converted, allowing a period of joint operation and transitional marketing. The reorganized company began operating on January 4, 2016, under the La Comer identity. It retained four principal formats: La Comer, Fresko, City Market and Sumesa. Unlike the historical business, the successor focused less on mass promotional discounting and did not carry clothing and footwear in the same way as the former general-merchandise formats. Temporada Naranja became the successor promotional platform to Julio Regalado, while El Buen Fin remained part of the promotional calendar. The original brand thus entered a staged retirement rather than disappearing in a single event. Soriana continued using Comercial Mexicana branding during the agreed transition period, while La Comer developed a separate identity for the retained business. By 2018, Soriana-operated stores had been renamed under Soriana formats. The historical Comercial Mexicana group is therefore best understood as a defunct Mexican retail organization whose assets, store formats, promotional heritage and customer relationships were divided among successor businesses.
- 2018
Soriana completes rebranding of inherited stores
[1]Stores operated by Soriana under the historical name are converted to Soriana formats.
- 2016
La Comer launches as successor company
[1]The retained business begins operating through La Comer, Fresko, City Market and Sumesa.
- 2015
Soriana acquisition agreement announced
[1]Organización Soriana agrees to acquire most of Comercial Mexicana's stores.
- 2014
California Restaurants and Beer Factory are divested
[1]The restaurant and brewery businesses are sold to Grupo Gigante.
- 2012
Costco Mexico interest is sold
[1]Controladora Comercial Mexicana sells its stake in Costco Mexico to Costco Wholesale Corporation.
- 2008
Financial crisis prompts portfolio restructuring
[1]Financial difficulties lead Controladora Comercial Mexicana to begin reducing and reshaping its collection of retail and non-retail formats.
- 1998
Guillermo González Nova becomes chairman
[1]Guillermo González Nova succeeds his brother as chairman of the board.
- 1991
Costco Mexico joint venture begins
[1]The group participates in bringing the Costco warehouse-club concept to Mexico through a joint venture.
- 1930
First store opens in Mexico City
[1]Carlos González Nova and Antonino González Abascal establish the business with a store initially focused on textiles.
Products and positioning
A mass-market Mexican supermarket and hypermarket group combining food retail, household necessities and general merchandise, with a strong emphasis on large stores and high-visibility promotional events.
Supermarket and hypermarket
Comercial Mexicana
The core store format offered groceries, fresh foods, household products, personal-care goods and general merchandise. Many locations were large shopping-center anchors and historically carried categories such as clothing and footwear alongside food and household necessities.
Megamarket
Mega Comercial Mexicana
Mega stores were the group's larger-scale format, designed to provide a broad assortment and high-volume shopping environment. They combined supermarket operations with the extensive general-merchandise range associated with the historical Comercial Mexicana group.
Warehouse-style supermarket
Bodega Comercial Mexicana
Bodega locations used a smaller, warehouse-oriented format intended to provide everyday groceries and household products with a more utilitarian store design and assortment.
Premium supermarket
City Market
City Market was the group's premium supermarket concept, focused on higher-end food and specialty grocery shopping. It was one of the four formats retained by the successor company La Comer.
Supermarket
Fresko
Fresko was a differentiated supermarket format within the former group's portfolio. It was retained during the 2016 restructuring and continued under Grupo La Comer.
Neighborhood supermarket
Sumesa
Sumesa served as a smaller supermarket concept oriented toward neighborhood shopping. It was one of the four formats transferred to the La Comer successor business.
Warehouse club · 1991
Costco Mexico
Costco Mexico was operated through a joint venture involving Comercial Mexicana. The group exited the investment in 2012 by selling its stake to Costco Wholesale Corporation.
Restaurants and brewery
California Restaurants and Beer Factory
These non-supermarket businesses formed part of the wider corporate portfolio before being sold to Grupo Gigante in 2014.
Controversies
2000
Boating death involving Carlos González Nova
Carlos González Nova, the company's former chairman and honorary chairman, was reported to have struck and killed musician Kirsty MacColl with a powerboat in a restricted area near Cozumel. The incident concerned González Nova personally rather than a retail product or formal company operation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Temporada Naranja
Mexico
La Comer introduced Temporada Naranja as a promotional platform for the successor business, replacing the former group's Julio Regalado campaign while retaining a seasonal-offer concept.
Outcome. It became the successor company's principal named promotional season, alongside participation in El Buen Fin.
- Julio Regalado
Mexico
A long-running national promotional campaign associated with deep discounts and seasonal supermarket offers. It became one of Comercial Mexicana's most recognizable marketing properties.
Outcome. The campaign remained part of the historical brand's retail identity and was later succeeded in the retained La Comer business by Temporada Naranja.
- Child bagger support program
Mexico
Comercial Mexicana allowed children to work as store baggers and return shopping carts in exchange for support connected with education, family needs and basic services.
Outcome. The program became a distinctive social and operational feature of the chain's stores.
Brand decisions
2016
Creation of the La Comer successor businessStrategyBackground
Following the Soriana transaction, the retained business needed a separate operating identity and a narrower portfolio of profitable formats.
Action taken
La Comer began operating with La Comer, Fresko, City Market and Sumesa, while the company moved away from the former broad general-merchandise model.
Aftermath
The historical Comercial Mexicana group ceased to operate as a unified chain, and the La Comer identity became the principal successor brand.
2015
Agreement to sell stores to Organización SorianaM&ABackground
The retailer's financial crisis and portfolio restructuring led to the planned separation of its supermarket network.
Action taken
Comercial Mexicana agreed to sell most of its stores to Organización Soriana, with 118 stores planned for full ownership and 42 planned to be leased and operated through third parties.
Aftermath
Soriana operated the acquired stores during a transition, while the retained business was reorganized as La Comer.
2014
Sale of California Restaurants and Beer FactoryM&ABackground
The sale formed part of the group's post-crisis effort to dispose of businesses outside its principal supermarket operations.
Action taken
Controladora Comercial Mexicana sold the restaurant and brewery businesses to Grupo Gigante.
Aftermath
The restaurant assets were converted into or associated with the Toks restaurant group, further narrowing Comercial Mexicana's business scope.
Sale consideration. MXN 1,061 million (August 21, 2014)
2012
Exit from Costco MexicoM&ABackground
After financial difficulties beginning in 2008, Controladora Comercial Mexicana reduced its portfolio of non-core and adjacent businesses.
Action taken
The company sold its interest in Costco Mexico to Costco Wholesale Corporation.
Aftermath
Costco Wholesale became the owner of the Mexican operation, while Comercial Mexicana continued concentrating on its supermarket and retail formats.
Sale consideration. MXN 12,791 million (July 14, 2012)
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