Largest Chilean retailer eyes major Colombian grocer

Largest Chilean retailer eyes major Colombian grocer In a development involving two major South American retailers, Cencosud SA, the largest retailer in Chile, offered Thursday to buy a 24.5 percent stake in Almacenes Exito SA, the largest supermarket chain in Colombia, for $275 million, according to Bloomberg News and other business news sources.
   Cencosud is reportedly interested in increasing its presence in Colombia to take advantage of a trend showing increased consumer spending within Colombia.
   'This shows Cencosud is interested in growing in the long term in Colombia, which is a very attractive market,' said Salvador Arenas, an analyst at Larrain Vial SA in Santiago, Chile, according to the Bloomberg report.