Preference for regular and discount formats
The supermarket landscape in Mexico is shaped by four major companies: Walmart de México, Organización Soriana, Grupo Commercial Chedraui, and Grupo La Comer. Accounting for the various needs and shopping habits of the population, these corporations are present in different formats, with discount, premium, and regular supermarkets available for consumers. Overall, Mexican shoppers tend to prefer the regular and discount formats. According to January 2021 data, Walmart and Bodega Aurrerá - Walmart de México’s classic and low-cost brands - were the most popular Mexican supermarket chains on twitter. In terms of sales, it is also Walmart who leads the market. The American company is followed by its Mexican competitor Organización Soriana, whose most common format “Soriana Hiper” is one of the company’s regular brands.
Healthy food and low-prices
Whether a person makes its purchase in Walmart, Soriana, Chedraui, or La Comer, the typical Mexican buyer is characterized by certain attributes and shopping habits. According to 2020 estimates, the average consumer in Mexico went grocery shopping 3.3 times a month during lockdown, compared to 3.6 visits before the COVID-19 pandemic. As for preferences and profile, according to a 2019 survey, the typical supermarket shopper lives with his or her family, is the person in charge of buying food for the household, and appreciates special offers and buying healthy food when paying for groceries. The fact that affordability greatly influences customer satisfaction when grocery shopping is possibly related to a large share of Mexicans' per capita’ expenditure being devoted to food and beverages.
