S.A.C.I. Falabella
A Chilean multinational retail and financial-services group operating department stores, home-improvement stores, supermarkets, shopping malls and consumer-finance businesses. Chilean retail brand offering department-store merchandise, home-improvement products, groceries, fashion, electronics, and other consumer goods through stores and digital channels.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
S.A.C.I. Falabella, commonly known simply as Falabella, is a Chilean multinational retail group headquartered in Santiago. Its origins date to 1889, when Salvatore Falabella opened a tailoring business on Ahumada Street in Santiago. The company later broadened its merchandise range and developed into one of Chile's largest retail groups, with activities spanning department stores, home improvement, supermarkets, shopping centers, consumer finance, banking, insurance brokerage and travel services. The Falabella department-store business sells apparel, accessories, household goods and other general merchandise. The group also operates Sodimac home-improvement stores, Tottus hypermarkets and supermarkets, and Mallplaza shopping centers. Financial services have historically been organized around CMR, the group's credit-card and consumer-finance platform, and Banco Falabella. These businesses allow the group to combine retail distribution with private-label or co-branded payment products, banking and related services. Other activities have included insurance brokerage, travel services, mobile telecommunications and textile manufacturing. Falabella's expansion beyond Chile occurred in stages. It entered Argentina and Colombia during the 1990s, entered Peru through the acquisition of the Saga department-store business, and subsequently expanded its retail, banking, supermarket and shopping-center operations across the region. The company later entered Brazil through the acquisition of a controlling interest in the Dicico home-improvement chain and entered Uruguay through Sodimac. It also formed a partnership with Soriana to develop home-improvement and financial-services activities in Mexico. Falabella exited Argentina in 2021. The group's retail architecture is deliberately multi-format. Falabella department stores address broad consumer merchandise needs; Sodimac focuses on construction, renovation, tools and home projects; Tottus serves food and everyday household demand; and Mallplaza provides shopping-center infrastructure for retail and services. Banco Falabella and CMR support customer financing and payment relationships across parts of the network. The combination gives the group a regional platform rather than a single-format department-store identity. According to the referenced Wikipedia description, the group has operated hundreds of stores and dozens of shopping centers, including Falabella department stores, Sodimac home-improvement stores and Tottus supermarkets. The precise store and mall count is not treated here as a current figure because operating totals can change. Falabella's department-store division has been affiliated with the International Association of Department Stores since 2009. The company has also been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, according to the supplied reference material.
History
Falabella traces its origins to 1889, when Salvatore Falabella opened a tailoring store on Ahumada Street in Santiago, Chile. The business initially focused on clothing and tailoring. In 1937, Alberto Solari joined the company and helped transform it into a larger clothing retailer. A major change came in 1958, when the company added household products. This broadened assortment created the basis for a Chilean department-store format rather than a business limited to apparel. Ahumada Street subsequently became closely associated with the Falabella name. The company expanded geographically in Chile in 1962, opening its first store outside Santiago in Concepción. In 1980, it introduced CMR, its own credit-card and consumer-finance platform. CMR became an important part of the group's retail model by linking payment services with merchandise sales. During the 1990s, Falabella added several businesses and began a sustained international expansion. Mallplaza opened Mallplaza Vespucio in La Florida in 1990, establishing the group's shopping-center activity. Falabella entered Argentina in 1993, while Sodimac entered Colombia during the same period. In 1995, Falabella entered Peru through the acquisition of the Saga department-store operation. The corporate group reached the public markets in 1996, when its shares began trading on the Santiago Stock Exchange. In 1997, it created Viajes Falabella and Seguros Falabella, broadening the group beyond retail into travel and insurance brokerage. That year it also formed a partnership with The Home Depot in Chile; Falabella acquired the partner's Chilean operation four years later. In 1998, the group established Banco Falabella after acquiring a banking license from ING Bank Chile. Falabella.com began internet sales in Chile in 1999, adding an early digital channel to the physical-store network. The 2000s saw the group consolidate and extend its multi-format structure. Tottus opened its first supermarket in Lima in 2002. In 2003, Falabella and Sodimac merged their activities, creating a major regional home-improvement platform. Falabella acquired the San Francisco supermarket chain in Chile in 2004. Falabella Retail entered Colombia in 2006 with a department store in Bogotá, while Banco Falabella expanded into Peru in 2007. The same year, the group launched Aventura Plaza in Peru and Sodimac acquired a 60 percent stake in Chilean home-improvement chain Imperial. In 2008 and 2009, CMR developed Visa partnerships in Peru and Chile; later, MasterCard partnerships were established in Argentina and Colombia. Homy, a Chilean home-furnishing format, was launched in 2009. Expansion continued during the 2010s. Banco Falabella began operating in Colombia in 2011, and Mallplaza opened its first Colombian shopping center in 2012. Falabella entered Brazil in 2013 by acquiring a controlling stake in Dicico. That year it also launched Móvil Falabella in Chile. Sodimac acquired the Maestro home-improvement chain in Peru in 2014, while Hiperbodega Precio Uno was introduced in the Peruvian market. Sodimac entered Uruguay in 2015 and opened its first two Brazilian stores during the same year. In 2016, the company was admitted to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and separated Aventura Plaza S.A. in Peru. It also signed final agreements with Soriana to develop Sodimac and CMR-related businesses in Mexico. The first Falabella-Soriana credit card was issued in Mexico in 2017, alongside the acquisition of a 50 percent interest in Servicios Financieros Soriana. In Peru, the Saga Falabella name was simplified to Falabella in 2018, aligning it with the brand used in other countries. The group later left Argentina in 2021. Across its history, Falabella evolved from a Santiago tailoring store into an integrated regional group whose principal activities include department stores, home improvement, supermarkets, shopping centers, banking and consumer finance.
- 2021
Exit from Argentina
[1]Falabella left the Argentine market.
- 2018
Saga Falabella brand simplified in Peru
[1]The Peruvian department-store operation dropped the Saga name and adopted the Falabella name.
- 2016
Sustainability index inclusion and Mexico partnership
[1]Falabella was admitted to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and agreed with Soriana to develop home-improvement and financial-services businesses in Mexico.
- 2014
Sodimac acquires Maestro in Peru
[1]Sodimac expanded its Peruvian home-improvement business through the acquisition of Maestro.
- 2013
Entry into Brazil
[1]Falabella entered Brazil by acquiring 50.1 percent of the Dicico home-improvement chain.
- 2006
Falabella Retail enters Colombia
[1]Falabella Retail opened its first Colombian department store in Bogotá.
- 2003
Falabella and Sodimac activities merge
[1]The group combined Falabella and Sodimac activities to create a regional home-improvement platform.
- 2002
Tottus enters supermarket retail
[1]The first Tottus supermarket opened in Lima, Peru.
- 1999
Falabella.com launches
[1]The company began internet sales in Chile through Falabella.com.
- 1998
Banco Falabella established
[1]The group established Banco Falabella after acquiring a license from ING Bank Chile.
Products and positioning
A broad Latin American omnichannel retail platform combining department-store assortment with home improvement, grocery, digital commerce, and related consumer services.
Department stores · 1889
Falabella department stores
The group's flagship department-store format offers a broad assortment centered on fashion, apparel, accessories, household goods, electronics and other general merchandise. The format developed from Falabella's original clothing business and became a multi-category department-store model after household products were added in 1958. It operates under the Falabella name in the group's principal South American markets. The department-store business brings together a wide range of consumer categories, including fashion, footwear, beauty, electronics, home goods, sports, baby products, and seasonal merchandise. Its value proposition is breadth of assortment and the convenience of purchasing different types of goods through one retail destination. The format is supported by physical stores and digital commerce, with the exact assortment and services varying by market.
Home improvement
Sodimac
Sodimac is the group's home-improvement and construction-supplies business. Its stores serve household renovation, building and maintenance projects with products such as tools, hardware, materials, garden goods and home-related equipment. The business became a major regional platform through the combination of Falabella and Sodimac activities and later expansion into Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Uruguay.
Supermarkets and hypermarkets · 2002
Tottus
Tottus is Falabella's food and everyday-needs retail format. It operates supermarkets and hypermarkets selling groceries, fresh food and household consumables. The first Tottus supermarket opened in Lima in 2002, after which the format became part of the group's multi-format retail portfolio.
Shopping centers · 1990
Mallplaza
Mallplaza develops and operates shopping centers that bring together retail stores, food, services and entertainment. Its first shopping center, Mallplaza Vespucio, opened in Chile in 1990. The platform later expanded into Colombia and Peru and provides physical infrastructure for the group's retail ecosystem as well as third-party tenants.
Consumer finance and payment cards · 1980
CMR
CMR is Falabella's consumer-finance and credit-card platform. Introduced in 1980, it links payment services and customer financing with the group's retail operations. The platform later developed partnerships with Visa in Chile and Peru and with MasterCard in other regional markets, according to the supplied reference material.
Banking · 1998
Banco Falabella
Banco Falabella is the group's banking business. It was established in Chile in 1998 after the acquisition of a license from ING Bank Chile and subsequently expanded to Peru and Colombia. The bank complements CMR and the group's retail formats by providing financial services to consumers.
Travel services · 1997
Viajes Falabella
Viajes Falabella is a travel-services business created as part of the group's expansion beyond merchandise retail. It was established in 1997 alongside Seguros Falabella.
Insurance brokerage · 1997
Seguros Falabella
Seguros Falabella was created in 1997 as an insurance-brokerage activity within the group's broader financial-services portfolio.
Home improvement
Falabella home-improvement retail
Falabella’s home-improvement activities serve construction, renovation, repair, maintenance, and furnishing projects. The category includes products and supplies for the home and related improvement work. It broadens the group beyond discretionary department-store shopping by addressing larger planned purchases and practical household requirements.
Supermarket retail
Falabella supermarkets
The supermarket business addresses grocery, household, and other frequently purchased consumer needs. This format complements department stores and home-improvement operations by providing recurring shopping occasions. The available reference material does not specify the current banner structure, store network, or assortment by country.
Digital commerce
Falabella e-commerce
Falabella’s official online storefront presents a broad selection including fashion, electronics, footwear, decoration, furniture, pets, sports, baby products, and other merchandise. The digital channel extends the brand’s general-merchandise proposition beyond physical stores and supports an omnichannel shopping model. Product availability, fulfillment, and services may differ by market.
Brand decisions
2021
Withdrawal from ArgentinaStrategyBackground
After operating in Argentina since the 1990s, Falabella reconsidered its regional footprint.
Action taken
The group exited Argentina.
Aftermath
Argentina was no longer identified as one of the group's operating markets in the supplied reference material.
2018
Peruvian department-store naming consolidationStrategyBackground
The group was aligning its department-store identity across its markets.
Action taken
The Peruvian Saga Falabella name was shortened to Falabella.
Aftermath
The Peruvian operation used the same core Falabella name as the group's department stores in other countries.
2016
Partnership with Soriana in MexicoStrategyBackground
Falabella sought a local partnership to enter Mexico with home-improvement and financial-services activities.
Action taken
Falabella and Soriana signed final agreements to jointly develop Sodimac and CMR-related businesses in Mexico.
Aftermath
The partnership was followed by the issuance of a Falabella-Soriana credit card and Falabella's acquisition of a 50 percent interest in Servicios Financieros Soriana in 2017.
2014
Sodimac acquisition of MaestroM&ABackground
Sodimac was expanding its home-improvement presence in Peru.
Action taken
Sodimac acquired the Maestro home-improvement chain in Peru.
Aftermath
The acquisition strengthened Falabella's Peruvian home-improvement portfolio.
2013
Acquisition of a controlling interest in DicicoM&ABackground
Falabella sought to expand its regional home-improvement operations into Brazil.
Action taken
S.A.C.I. Falabella acquired 50.1 percent of the Brazilian home-improvement chain Dicico.
Aftermath
The transaction marked Falabella's entry into Brazil and added a local home-improvement platform to the group.
2002
Launch of Tottus supermarket formatProduct launchBackground
Falabella was extending its retail portfolio beyond department stores and home improvement into food and everyday-consumer retail.
Action taken
The group opened its first Tottus supermarket in Lima, Peru.
Aftermath
Tottus became the group's supermarket and hypermarket brand.
Recent events
- 2021
Falabella exits Argentina[1]
Other
Falabella withdrew from the Argentine market after operating there since the 1990s.
- 2013
Falabella enters Brazil through Dicico acquisition[1]
M&A
The group entered Brazil by acquiring a 50.1 percent interest in the Dicico home-improvement chain.
- 1996
Falabella begins public trading in Santiago[1]
Other
S.A.C.I. Falabella became a publicly traded company, with its shares beginning to trade on the Santiago Stock Exchange.
Falabella group advances omnichannel and digital-retail integration[4]
Other
Falabella S.A. has reported initiatives linking its department-store, e-commerce, logistics, loyalty, and financial-services activities. These efforts are intended to improve the customer journey across stores and digital channels and to strengthen the group's regional retail platform.
Sources4 sources
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