| The company operates supermarkets, self service retail warehouses and a chain of California restaurants. CCM is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, operates one of the leading retailing groups in Mexico and has a chain of family-style restaurants. In addition, the company owns 50% interests in two joint ventures: the Price Club Mexico joint venture with Price/Costco Inc. of the United States, which operates a chain of warehouse clubs in Mexico,a nd the Auchan joint venture with Auchan of France to develop further the hypermarket format in Mexico. The company's retail operations sell a wide variety food items, including basic groceries and perishables,a nd non-food items, which include general merchandise and clothing, with food items representing 71.5% of the company;s total sales in the first six months of 1996. At June 30, 1996, the company had 145 stores operating under five retailing formats with a total selling area of approximately 9.0 million square feet, concentrated primarily in the Mexico City metropolitan area and the central Mexico region, including Guadalajara. |