History

From Spain to Colombia, José Carulla Vidal (1874 – 1954), reached his thirties with the intention of being an entrepreneur. The supermarket, which bears his last name became one of the most important in the country.

Luis Eduardo Yepes, Yepes, became one of the most prosperous merchants in the country. With his initials he gave name to the chain of stores LEY. The first store opened its doors in Barranquilla, on Calle del Progreso with Avenida San Blas.

On March 26th, don Gustavo Toro, opened the first Éxito of the country in a 4x4 m2 store located in Alhambra Street #47-07, in downtown Medellín. This first store was dedicated to the sale of scraps and some clothing, hence the textile busissness is part of the company.

On November 18th the Gran Cadena de Almacenes Colombianos CADENALCO S.A. was born. In cities such as Bogotá, Girardot, Ibagué, Neiva, Cali y Pereira the stores continued to outperform sales. In 1962 the first modern self-service store was opened

Vivero was born as a shirt´s factory, in the place near the former Vivero Municipal of Barranquilla. Decades later, transformed in a chain of stores, it offered customers everything they needed for the home, clothing and groceries.

On September 24th Éxito Foundation was established for the help and improvement of social, educational, civic, and cultural conditions. 20 years later, it strengthened its work focus in child nutrition. This is how Gen Zero is created: zero malnutrition.

The Company begins a process of shareholder opening and develops a growth and consolidation strategy to face the challenges of the incoming international competition.

Disco Uruguay is the company with which Grupo Casino is associated to create the first Géant in Motevideo. A year later, they take control of the Argentine group Libertad and begin their participation in Almacenes Éxito in Colombia.

In partnership with NormaNet, the virtual Éxito was created, an online sales system. Initially, only toy items were incorporated. At the end of 1999 manufactured products were included in the virtual store. Éxito was a pioneer of electronic commerce.

Casino acquires 25% of the shares of Almacenes Éxito and Almacenes Éxito obtain the majority shareholding of CADENALCO.

Almacenes Éxito y Cadenalco merge

The real estate business begins and Éxito Card is born

Casino obtains the majority shareholding of Almacenes Éxito, Almacenes Éxito acquires Carulla Vivero. In this way Almacenes Éxito carries out international issuance of shares through GDS. ÉXITO Travels starts operation.

Éxito Insurance is created as complementary business The storeroom Surtimax format is born. Éxito starts direct operation of its Service Stations.

Carulla company and Vivero S.A merge. ÉXITO Express format is born.

Almacenes Éxito acquires 100% of the shares of Spice Investments Mercosur. Company that owns the Disco, Devoto and Géant chains in Uruguay.

In 2012, the first shopping center of the VIVA brand is inaugurated. in Medellín and, in 2014, 46 stores of Super Inter, the fourth retail brand of the Company, began operating. In the same year, the initiative of the Éxito Foundation, Gen cero, is presented to the country to ensure that in 2030 no child under five in Colombia suffers from chronic malnutrition.

Aliados Surtimax” is born. Éxito Mobile goes on the market as mobile telephony. The international money transfer service begins.

In 2015, continuing with its internationalization plan, the company acquires voting control of Companhia Brasileira de Distribuição, the largest retailer in Brazil in the food, furniture and household appliances categories and the second in electronic commerce; with the brands Assaí, Extra and Pão de Açúcar, Ponto Frio, Casa Bahía, and one hundred percent (100%) of the shares of the Argentine company Libertad S.A., the leading food retailer in the Córdoba region. In this way, the company becomes a multilatin company and leader in retail in South America. The movie “Colombia Salvaje” is also released, the Logistics and Transportation Company (LTSA) starts operation, the Loyalty Program of Éxito and Carulla is restructured and the first version of the Month for Child Nutrition is held.

The cash and carry format is born and Surtimayorista, the first wholesale store of Grupo Éxito in Colombia, opens. Also the company and the Real Estate Fund of Colombia sign an investment agreement for the creation Viva Malls, specializing in the development and operation of commercial space in the country.

Carulla FreshMarket opens, a bet of differentiation of the premium brand of supermarkets. Puntos Colombia was born from the union of major brands for the creation of the most important loyalty program in Colombia.

Éxito WOW is born, the hypermarket of the future that combines the physical and virtual world. Opens Viva Envigado, the largest commercial and business complex in the country, which brought a new generation of shopping centers in the country, based on experience. Surtimayorista, the supply center in the corner, strengthens its presence in the country

The sale of the Group's indirect interest in Grupo Pão de Açúcar in Brazil is carried out, within the project of simplification of the corporate structure carried out by the parent company Casino, Guichard-Perrachon in Latin America, resulting in a new perimeter of consolidation of Grupo Éxito that covers Colombia, Uruguay and Argentina.

Carulla SmartMarket the first "smart commerce" laboratory in Colombia.

The transfer of shares between Companhia Brasileira de Distribuição ("GPA") and its Affiliates took place through a partial spin-off and a contribution in kind. As a result of these operations, GPA's direct shareholding in Éxito is 91.57%, and indirect shareholding, is 5% (through GPA2 Empreendimentos E Participacoes Ltd). 

Grupo Éxito offers to the Company's shareholders to buyback up to 15,238,095 shares which will be purchased proportionally to what each shareholder owns in the Company. As a result of the buyback of shares, GPA has a 91.52% shareholding.

In October 2022, the General Shareholders' Meeting approves an amendment to the Company's bylaws, consisting of reducing the nominal value of the Company's shares (Split), from a nominal unit value of COP $10.00 M.L. to COP 3.33 M.L. Likewise, the Board of Directors approves the process of dematerialization of the Company's shares, which is carried out with Depósito Centralizado de Valores S.A. (Deceval).

The project for the implementation of a Brazilian depositary receipt program, Brazilian Depositary Receipts Level II ("BDRs II"), and the modification of the depositary receipt program to American Depositary Receipts Level II ("ADRs II") was completed. As a result of the foregoing, GPA remains with a shareholding of approximately 13% in the Company, and Casino Guichard-Perrachon obtains a shareholding in Éxito, directly and indirectly, of approximately 47% of the voting stock of the Company.

Thus, Grupo Éxito's shares are registered in the United States and Brazilian markets, in addition to the Colombian stock market, being the only company in the country with participation in these three markets.