Grupo Elektra

The origins of Grupo Elektra date back to 1950, when entrepreneur Hugo Salinas Price launched a small appliance store in Monterrey, Nuevo León. Although the company initially specialized in radio equipment, over time it added other products to its catalog, such as furniture, televisions, and home accessories, enabling it to establish new locations across the country.

Initially, Elektra served only wholesalers; however, as this model declined, Salinas Price shifted the company's focus to retail and credit sales. In the mid-1980s, he passed the management of the company to his son, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, who assumed the role of president in 1987. After achieving international expansion, the company made its debut on the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores, in Spanish) in 1993.

That same year, the company acquired the state-owned Mexican broadcaster known as Imevisión, which later became TV Azteca. Six years later, the company acquired a 94.3% share in the Salinas y Rocha store chain, and in 2002, founded Banco Azteca, a financial institution aimed at serving segments of the population underserved by traditional banks.

In 2004, the company launched Seguros Azteca and entered the motorcycle market with the introduction of the Italika brand. In early 2012, the group announced that it had reached an agreement to acquire the non-bank lender Advance America (now known as Purpose Financial) to expand its operations in the United States. Also in 2012, Punto Casa de Bolsa, an investment institution focused on small and medium-sized enterprises, began operations.

On 27 December 2024, shareholders approved the delisting of Grupo Elektra from the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), transitioning into a private company. This decision was approved by over 95% of its shareholders during an extraordinary meeting held on the same day. The company stated that this move was part of a strategy to strengthen its financial, digital, and international capabilities while maximizing its real value.

As part of the delisting process, Grupo Elektra appointed a new Board of Directors, with Pedro Padilla Longoria as Chairman and Gabriel Alfonso Roqueñí Rello as CEO.

Commercial Division

Elektra Stores

Elektra is the Grupo Azteca’s most significant retail format, with over 1,200 points of contact across Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. It offers a range of products, including household appliances, consumer electronics, computer systems, mobile phones and furniture. These products primarily target the C and D+ population segments, representing middle- and lower-income groups. According to company data, Elektra sells, on average, 1 in every 4 televisions, 1 in every 5 refrigerators, and 7 out of every 10 motorcycles in Mexico.

Italika

Italika is Grupo Elektra’s motorcycle brand, focused on urban and work-related mobility. This motorcycle brand was launched in November 2004 in partnership with South Korean manufacturer Hyosung. In 2008, Italika opened an assembly plant in Toluca, State of Mexico, and by 2011, had already sold one million units in the country. By 2014, the brand had successfully sold two million motorcycles. According to Forbes magazine, Italika "is marketed in 1,000 Elektra stores and 2,500 third-party points of sale".

Italika maintained leadership in the Mexican motorcycle market, with over 50% market share, consolidating its position as the country’s top-selling motorcycle brand.

Salinas y Rocha

Salinas y Rocha is a retail chain founded in 1906 by Benjamín Salas Westrup and acquired by the Group in 1999 through an auction. Unlike Elektra stores, Salinas y Rocha’s products target the C+ and C socioeconomic segments.