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4. Hola Amigos

LUBBOCK, Texas United Supermarkets has positioned its new Amigos banner to be a destination for Hispanics and other consumers alike. We want this to be more than a traditional ethnic store, Juan Enchinton, business development manager of innovation for United's international stores division, told SN. We want to be a destination for everyone. Initial results from the first unit prove it's achieving

LUBBOCK, Texas — United Supermarkets has positioned its new Amigos banner to be a destination for Hispanics and other consumers alike.

“We want this to be more than a traditional ethnic store,” Juan Enchinton, business development manager of innovation for United's international stores division, told SN. “We want to be a destination for everyone.”

Initial results from the first unit prove it's achieving just that.

“We've found that some of our mainstream guests are coming in more frequently because they now have more options,” Enchinton noted.

United's first Amigos store opened in late 2007 in a remodeled United store in Plainview, Texas. The second Amigos store is slated to open this month in Lubbock, while a third is scheduled to open in Amarillo in 2009.

One way the store caters to both Hispanics and non-Hispanic consumers is by making meal solutions a priority. For instance, now that menudo (tripe soup) season is here, Amigos cross-merchandises several items, including menudo bowls, in the meat department, where fresh tripe is sold.

Likewise, Amigos has a host of specialty perimeter departments, including a carnicería, a full-service meat counter where guests can request specific cuts of meat; a tortillería, where fresh corn and flour tortillas are made; and a panadería (bakery).