With gross sales of R$20.9 billion in 2008 and market share of 13.2%, Grupo Pão de Açúcar is one of the leading food retailers in Brazil. Founded in 1948, the Company ended 2008 with 70,600 employees, 597 stores distributed in 14 Brazilian states and the Federal District, with total sales area of 1.4 million square meters, and a logistics infrastructure consisting
of 18 distribution centers located in seven states.

The multiformat structure of the stores, with an equal share of supermarket and hypermarket models, is a significant competitive advantage for the Group, whose sales and operational strategies are tailored to different consumer profiles and regions.

The Company’s control is shared with the Casino Group, the second largest retailer in France. The strategic alliance formed in 1999 enables the exchange of information and know-how, in addition to synergies in important areas such as global sourcing and exclusive brands.

The Group also has a partnership with the Sendas chain in Rio de Janeiro, which resulted in the creation of Sendas Distribuidora in 2003. In 2004, it partnered with Banco Itaú to create FIC – Financeira Itaú CBD, which offers financial products and services in its stores. Since 2007, it controls the joint-venture with the Assai wholesale chain in São Paulo.

The Company’s shares have been listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (Bovespa) since 1995 and the New York Stock Exchange since 1997 (ADR level III). The Company is a part of Level 1 of Corporate Governance and has been included in the IGC index, which comprises companies with differentiated corporate governance practices, the IBX-50 which comprises the 50 most liquid companies traded on the Bovespa, and the Ibovespa, the most important indicator of share performance in Brazil’s stock markets.