Groupon in Mexico

Many of you have probably heard of Groupon, a Chicago based company that is one of the fastest growing companies in the United States.  Groupon has recently entered the Mexican market and has been off to a great start.

Groupon takes local businesses, mainly restaurants and other service providers, and sends out an e-mail to its members who can take advantage of huge discounts by purchasing the offer of the day.  The offers are valid for a limited time and only a limited number are available.  For example, a meal at a local restaurant that costs $200 MXN might be on sale for $40 MXN.  Groupon is free to join. 

There are a number of Groupon competitors sprouting up in Mexico including Groupalia, Cuponzote, BuzzUrbano, and OferCity. 

I've personally used the service and think it is a great idea - and one that is sure to be around a long time in Mexico. 

Twitter Use in Mexico

Since Facebook saw such tremendous growth last year in Mexico, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at another player in social media.

Some Twitter facts:

-56% percent of Twitter users in Mexico are men, 44% are women (January 2010)

-As of August 2009, there were 32,000 Twitter accounts in Mexico, by January 2010 that number quadrupled!  As of July 2010, there almost 2 million accounts.

-49% of users connect via the web (others connect via TweetDeck, iPhone, Blackberry)

-Top four areas for Twitter activity: DF (Mexico City), Monterrey, Guadalajara and Puebla

-Women out-tweet men in Mexico (avg of 2.5 more messages per day)

-Top countries for conversations with Mexican twitter accounts:  Argentina, Spain, USA

-Tuesday is the top day for Twitter use in Mexico

*Info courtesy of Twitter in Mexico study by Mente Digital

I highly recommend using Twitter as a way to reach out to potential customers, mentors, friends, etc in Mexico.  The power of this social media tool is amazing.

Pink Women Only Taxis in Mexico City

A few years ago, women and children cars in the metro were introduced.  If you've ever been on the metro in Mexico City in rush hour, you'll know why they did this.  Women were constantly being harrassed, touched, and ogled in the mixed metro cars, so the government provided the women and children only cars as a way to make women feel safer.

They also implemented what are called "Athena" buses.  The buses look like normal city buses except they have pink writing on the side that say "Women and Children".

In September, Mexico City will roll out a fleet of pink taxis for women.  The taxis will charge the same fares as regular taxis, and a number of women taxistas are currently undergoing training to prepare for the launch. 

This is not a totally new concept, as pink taxis have been running in the state of Puebla for some time.  It will be interesting to see if this catches on and becomes the most popular transportation choice for women in Mexico City. 

Mexico City going green: Law prohibiting plastic bags in effect

As of today, Mexico City supermarkets will no longer be allowed to give away plastic bags. 

The law, proposed in 2009, took effect last night at midnight.  The Mexican plastics industry had been lobbying for ammendments to the law since last March, but none of them were passed.

Penalities for giving away non-biodegradable bags include jail time and heavy fines (up to $118,000 USD).  It remains to be seen how strictly this new law will be enforced. 

Manufacturing Coming Back to Mexico

Recently I've come across several articles that discuss how many American companies are bringing their manufacturing BACK to Mexico from Asia.  While many people considered China to be the lowest cost option for their manufacturing needs, China has now surpassed Mexico in terms of manufacturing affordability.

One of the great advantages that Mexico has over China when it comes to outsourcing is its proximity to the US.  Need an emergency shipment?  Your goods can be flown in within a couple of hours.  Another huge advantage are that the US and Mexico share the same time zones.  Most of Mexico is on Central time, which makes working with both coasts very easy.  When you are under tight deadlines, having to stay up late or wait an entire day for a response can break you.

SEP backtracks on banning junk food from Mexican schools

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how the SEP (Secretariat of Public Education ) had agreed to eliminate junk food from Mexico's schools.  This was seen as a positive step in the fight against childhood obesity and diabetes.  It seems as though the junk food giants have "convinced" the SEP and the SSA (Secretary of Health) to backtrack.

The original plan would pull cakes and fried foods, like potato chips, from schools starting at the beginning of the 2010 school year.  The Secterary of Health, Jose Angel Cordova, claims that the producers of such foods require more time to adjust to the new requirements and work on making their products healthier.  So, what will be pulled from schools when classes start up this fall?  All drinks with added sugar which include sodas, fruit juices, and nectars.  One of the immediate responses from the snack industry will be to change the sizes of their products.

Organic Market in Mexico

Did you know that 85% of Mexico's organic produce is exported to the United States and other countries?

Here are some interesting facts about Mexico's organic market:

-General public in Mexico does not understand the benefits or value of organic products yet

-A few years ago, organic farmers markets started popping up, mostly in southern states like Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz

-Mexico leads the world in export of organic coffee, honey, and agave syrup

-Sales of organic products in supermarkets and department stores grew 20% last year in Mexico

-Aserca and Sagarpa (Mexican govt agencies) are pushing for higher organic consumption in Mexico

-Mexican schools recently banned the sale of junk food
 
What will it take to increase consumption of organic food in Mexico?  Education, education, education!  Consumers need to be educated on the benefits of organic produce and other organic food.  Once they are educated as to the benefits of organic food, they will be more likely to try it.  Price is also a factor.  In a country where Coca-Cola is cheaper than bottled water, producers, government agencies, and retailers will have to work together to make organic food more accessibly priced. 
 
 

Mexican retailers moving away from junk food

According to ANTAD (Mexican association of retailers), retailers are moving away from junk food and offering consumers healthier snacks. This move comes as no surprise as Mexico is leading the world in obesity and has a rapidly increasing rate of diabetes.

In a recent article in El Universal, it was reported that Mexicans spend an estimated $1.93 billion pesos on soft drinks every year. That amounts to over 300 million 12 packs!!!
Soft drink companies in Mexico have not been hurt by the financial downturn, in fact, sales last year rose over 11%.

Mexico is behind the US and Europe in its move to offer healthier, more natural food items, but it won't be long before they catch up. One Mexican company has even developed a vending machine that sells cut up fruits and vegetables.