Wal-Mart, Sam's Club Opens on schedule

Although Thanksgiving is not a traditional holiday in Mexico, as it is in the United States, the crowd that turned out for the opening of Wal-Mart's SuperCenter and Sam's Club certainly made the day LOOK like a holiday. In fact, we'd guess that many retail centers in the US would have been envious of the nearly full parking lot as both stores opened, one day ahead of schedule. Also included in the complex is a VIPs restaurant (casual dining, somewhat akin to Applebee's or Denny's). Additional stores are apparently planned for the future in a large space between the Sam's and Wal-Mart. It appeared that, on opening day, November 27, the entire population of La Paz made the trip to the center, located just past the Welcome Arch and Whale's Tail that greets visitors arriving from the airport. Watching the loaded carts carrying everything from groceries to big screen televisions leaving both stores, our bet is that the day was a resounding success for the center.