The violence that swept across several regions of Mexico this week impacted Oxxo, the country’s largest c-store chain. The Monterey, Mexico-based convenience retailer has made headlines for the past year for its expansion in the U.S., but its 240-store footprint in the states pales in comparison to its network of over 24,000 locations in its home country.
In a statement to C-Store Dive, a spokesperson for FEMSA, Oxxo’s parent company, said that the company registered over 200 incidents at its c-stores and fueling stations since the violence began on Sunday. They added that the incidents are being addressed in coordination with state and federal authorities, and that while no customers were injured, “employees who were affected are receiving appropriate care.”
“Our priority is the safety and well-being of our employees and customers,” FEMSA’s spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that once the violence began, FEMSA “immediately activated” its security protocols, which included "preventative closures” in different states across Mexico. FEMSA began re-opening locations on Monday as conditions allowed and is monitoring the situation closely, the spokesperson said.
“We reaffirm our commitment to the safety of our employees, customers, and the communities where we operate." FEMSA’s spokesperson added.
During FEMSA’s fourth-quarter and full-year earnings call on Wednesday, CEO José Antonio Fernández Garza said the company closed up to 6,000 stores for one day once the violence began. Since then, about 90% of those locations have reopened, and only about 300 across Mexico remain closed. He said he expects most of those locations to be up and running “in a week or so.”
“We have protocols in place that have made my team very proud of how we were able to respond and have no incident on customers, and some minor injuries on employees that are out of danger,” he said.
According to a report from Mexico News Daily, about 81 Oxxo stores in Jalisco were set on fire, and attacks occurred at roughly 60 others in Guanajuato, Irapuato, León and San Francisco del Rincón. The report also noted violence hit Oxxo stores in several other areas across Mexico.
