In an economic environment of global uncertainty, geopolitical pressures and an internal slowdown, access to reliable information has become the main strategic asset for the wholesale channel in Mexico, said Rolando Contreras , partner and director of the Grocery Division of ISCAM .

During his presentation at GS1 Mexico ‘s Business Factory , the specialist posed an analogy: operating without data in the sector is like “being in an unknown city, without language and without tools to make decisions” .

In that sense, he pointed out that two decades ago the wholesale sector in Mexico faced precisely that scenario: a market with high potential, but without the visibility or intelligence to measure it.

“If you don’t have information, you can hardly survive,” he stressed.

Contreras explained that the evolution of the wholesale channel has been closely linked to the generation of market intelligence. 

Today, the channel not only has aggregated data, but also detailed transactional information that allows us to understand who is buying, how they are buying, and what trends are prevailing. This has been key to consolidating wholesale as a pillar of consumption in Mexico .

Currently, the channel represents about 1.5% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) , distributes about 80% of the goods  that arrive at the corner store and serves more than 600,000 traditional points of sale.

A channel that didn’t disappear, but transformed

Contrary to predictions from decades ago, when its disappearance was anticipated in the face of large stores, wholesale not only survived, but adapted .

Among its main transformations are the evolution towards formats such as cash & carry , greater proximity to the end customer, integration with marketplaces and e-commerce and diversification of self-service points of sale.

“Today, wholesalers are stepping out of their comfort zone to become more competitive and reduce logistical and security risks,” he explained.

The executive warned that the current environment is marked by trade tensions led by the United States, restrictive monetary policies to contain inflation, and reduced liquidity and economic slowdown.

For Mexico, this translates into an estimated growth of just 3.3% by 2026 , a drop in investment stemming from political and trade uncertainty, a decrease in remittances, and weak consumer confidence.

Furthermore, factors such as insecurity and regulatory changes continue to affect investment decisions.

Despite the environment, consumption, which represents about 60% of GDP, remains resilient, although with significant changes.

Consumers are shifting towards cheaper products , prioritizing essential goods, and decreasing the frequency of purchases, but increasing the volume per visit.

In 2025, the wholesale channel registered a growth of 3.7% in value and barely 0.5% in volume , reflecting a market driven more by price than by real demand.

By 2026, ISCAM projected a growth of 4.3% , driven mainly by inflation, exchange rate stability, events such as the World Cup and the strength of the traditional channel.

However, Contreras emphasized that it will be a “defensive” year, with significant risks such as insecurity, weakening remittances, logistical pressure, and high dependence on external factors.

“Consumption will remain, but it will be more cautious. We won’t see aggressive expansion, but rather a market that seeks to sustain itself,” he stressed.

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With unprecedented growth in space, participation and reach, the twelfth edition of Business Factory 2026 , organized by GS1 Mexico , was inaugurated as the largest edition in its history, consolidating itself as a platform for linking small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large commercial chains in the region.

During the opening ceremony, Juan Carlos Molina , CEO of GS1 Mexico, highlighted the evolution of the event in recent years, going from a space of just 200 square meters to a venue of more than seven thousand square meters , with the participation of 42 commercial chains and thousands of companies.

“Today we are receiving between three and four thousand SMEs participating in business meetings so that their products have a real opportunity in retail,” he stated.

The executive emphasized that this edition reflects the transformation of commerce towards an omnichannel and unified environment, where physical stores, marketplaces and new forms of digital sales such as social networks coexist.

For his part, Jorge Garces, president of GS1 Mexico, described the event as ” the cradle of entrepreneurial dreams ,” bringing together small and medium-sized manufacturers with large buyers in an environment that facilitates market access.

“Each microenterprise represents a family’s dream. Fábrica de Negocios seeks to turn those dreams into commercial realities,” he said.

Furthermore, he highlighted that the event already transcends borders, with the participation of international companies, which positions this platform as a bridge to new markets.

Santiago Nieto Castillo , director general of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) , contextualized the event within a global environment marked by trade tensions and protectionist trends, particularly in the United States.

Given this scenario, he stressed the importance of strengthening innovation and industrial property as drivers of economic growth.

“SMEs generate around 35% of innovation in Mexico, and we must increase that percentage by protecting intellectual property,” he noted.

He also highlighted recent actions such as operations against piracy and regulatory advances to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in the country.

From the Ministry of Economy , Andrea Genoveva Solano Rendón , Head of the Regulations, Competitiveness and Competition Unit, emphasized that spaces like Business Factory are key to boosting business competitiveness.

“This meeting strengthens the integration of companies into broader value chains and fosters their development based on quality, innovation and digitalization,” he explained.

He also announced that the government is working on new regulations for e-commerce, with the aim of creating clearer conditions for both consumers and businesses.

Records and ecosystem expansion

In a press conference, the organizers reported that this edition broke all records with nine thousand registrations, around four thousand five hundred business appointments, participation of 42 commercial chains, and presence of international companies.

Furthermore, it was highlighted that GS1 Mexico, as a non-profit organization, seeks to promote the professionalization of SMEs, from the adoption of barcodes to their integration into formal marketing chains.

One of the central themes of the event is the adoption of new technologies, such as 2D codes , which will allow for providing more information to the consumer and improving product traceability.

Digital tools, training, and mentoring are also being promoted so that SMEs can compete on equal terms with large manufacturers.

With more than a decade of evolution, Fábrica de Negocios positions itself as a space where innovation, training and real business opportunities converge.

“We turn ideas into sales, talent into results, and vision into growth,” Molina summarized.

In an increasingly complex economic environment, the event reaffirms its role as a catalyst for business development in Mexico, encouraging SMEs to conquer both the national and international markets.

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During the conference Transform your supply chain with Artificial Intelligence and maximize your profitability , within the framework of the 11th edition of  GS1 Mexico ‘s  Business Factory , Alejandro Mendoza , Country Manager at Myappsoftware and Criptonube, stressed that AI allows for the automation of processes, better planning of demand and optimization of delivery routes, which translates into cost reduction and greater competitiveness .

“Imagine having perfectly aligned inventory, efficient delivery routes, and fully automated processes. All of this is possible today thanks to Artificial Intelligence,” Mendoza said.

However, he cautioned that for these solutions to work properly, clean, organized, and accessible data is essential.

“If we feed AI incomplete or disorganized information, the results won’t be reliable,” he explained.

Among the main benefits of implementing AI in the supply chain, Mendoza highlighted that this technology allows for optimizing inventories and reducing waste.

By more accurately understanding demand, companies can adjust their inventory levels and avoid both excess and shortages.

He also emphasized that AI improves demand planning . By anticipating consumer trends, organizations can prepare ahead of time to meet sales peaks, minimize logistics costs, and ensure product availability.

Another benefit is the ability to design smart routes that consider variables such as weather, distance, product perishability, and vehicle logistical capacity. This translates into more efficient deliveries and reduced travel times.

Mendoza explained that AI enables predictive maintenance for equipment and vehicles by monitoring sensors and data in real time to anticipate failures and prevent operational interruptions.

He also highlighted that companies can use Artificial Intelligence to simulate critical scenarios and make strategic decisions in advance. For example, they can anticipate the impact of supplier delays, changes in demand, or cost adjustments, and react promptly.

AI also facilitates dynamic inventory adjustment , allowing companies to automatically adjust their stock levels based on projected demand and market conditions, helping to improve profitability and operational efficiency.

Mendoza emphasized that companies can begin incorporating AI into small, non-critical processes to build trust in the technology and gradually scale its use.

For his part, Carlos Witrado , Partner Development Manager at AWS , highlighted that Amazon technologies, such as the cloud, AI, and virtual contact centers, are already part of the daily lives of millions of companies, although often in an invisible way.

“We’ve all shopped on Amazon and experienced those fast and efficient deliveries. That’s possible thanks to our technologies. Our goal now is to democratize these tools so that small and medium-sized businesses can also access them ,” he explained.

Witrado highlighted that AWS is investing $5 billion in Mexico to build new data centers , which will expand access to high-level technology services for companies of all sizes.

The specialist emphasized that one of the key elements in adopting Artificial Intelligence is data security.

“People often upload biometric data to applications without knowing who is receiving it or how it will be used. We need to be very careful and ensure our technologies protect this information,” he warned.

Witrado also explained that cloud services allow microenterprises to operate with world-class technologies without major investments.

“Today, it’s possible for an SME to have a smart, automated contact center in less than a day , without the need for expensive infrastructure and with a flexible payment model,” he emphasized.

Examples such as AI-powered image generation for product catalogs, personalized website recommendations, and automated logistics processes are just some of the applications that AWS is already facilitating through technology partners like Criptonube.

“ Artificial intelligence isn’t just for large corporations. It’s accessible to everyone. The important thing is to understand what each company needs, adapt the technology to its processes, and start with small projects to generate value from day one,” he noted.

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With more than seven thousand attendees and six thousand business meetings between suppliers and major retail chains and digital platforms, GS1 Mexico inaugurated the 11th edition of Fábrica de Negocio , considered the most important retail incubator in Latin America.

The event, which has established itself as a key meeting point for the professionalization and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) , brought together representatives from the public and private sectors and business organizations, reinforcing the commitment to innovation, collaboration, and digital transformation.

Juan Carlos Molina , general manager of GS1 Mexico, emphasized that this event is already the most important for the GS1 community and for SMEs seeking to integrate into large retail chains.

“Today we begin a new decade. The Business Factory has grown alongside SMEs and retailers in Mexico. We started with eight retail chains and today we have 39, which fills us with pride,” he emphasized.

He also emphasized that this event not only generates millions in business opportunities, but also opens the door to success stories that strengthen the Mexican business ecosystem.

GS1 Mexico highlighted the importance of this event as a strategic space for closing deals with retail chains, training, and establishing connections with partners who can strengthen the operations of participating companies.

Jorge Garcés , president of GS1 Mexico, emphasized that SMEs are the driving force of the Mexican economy, representing more than half of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generating a significant portion of formal employment.

“Every business meeting is an opportunity to transform the future of these companies and their families. Business Factory is the space where the gears begin to connect to move the country’s economy forward,” he said.

In his participation, Octavio de la Torre , president of the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (Concanaco-Servytur) , highlighted that Mexican companies face a complex economic environment, with high costs, inflation and labor reforms that require dialogue.

In this regard, he called for simplifying regulations to facilitate formalization and allow SMEs to be more competitive.

“Today we celebrate the signing of an agreement with GS1 Mexico to promote traceability, competitiveness, and visibility of products made in Mexico. The future is no longer optional; we need to transform our companies and our country with a collaborative vision,” he stated.

Manola Zabalza , head of the Mexico City Economic Development Secretariat , highlighted the importance of the barcode as a symbol of international collaboration that has allowed for the standardization of commercial processes globally.

“Today we celebrate the collaboration that has made a Mexican product recognized and marketed worldwide,” he said.

For her part, Lizzeth Pacheco , head of the Promotion and Support Sector for New Ideas at the Ministry of Economy , reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem through the Made in Mexico distinction , which seeks to provide greater visibility, training and financing to national SMEs and startups .

“Fábrica de Negocio is much more than a trade fair; it’s a partnership factory and the meeting point where industry, technology, and innovation come together to build what’s next,” he emphasized.

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GS1 Mexico presented the second edition of the Business Factory (FDN) Supply Chain , which will take place on September 24 and 25, an event that aims to strengthen small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by linking them in a supply chain   that meets their needs.

SMEs are an important sector in Mexico, representing around 94% of the country’s establishments , according to the 2019 Economic Census of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) , and they contribute on average 50% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP); however, it is also a weak sector that statistically only survives the first three years after its opening.

Given this scenario, GS1 Mexico seeks to promote and professionalize SMEs given the need to seek opportunities at each step of the supply chain, from purchasing raw materials to invoicing.

“The important thing is that we can make different supply chain options available to these SMEs, seeking the opportunity for them to have better prices,” said Alejandro Trejo, Director of Associate Development at GS1 Mexico.

He explained that the percentage of expenditure that an SME allocates to its supply chain amounts to approximately 22%, while the percentage of expenditure of a large company is only 8%.

Juan Carlos Molina, general manager of GS1 Mexico, explained that this is due to the fact that large manufacturers have solved the issue of logistics costs due to their volumes , which is why FDN seeks to bring suppliers closer to SMEs with the costs of large manufacturers.

Juan Carlos Uribe, coordinator and leader of Supply Chain at GS1 Mexico, explained that the event covers every step of the chain, from raw materials, warehouse and suppliers, transportation, customers, communication, technology and innovation.

“It is SMEs for SMEs, if the SME does not understand what the error is, we want our showroom to be able to guide it and find tailor-made solutions,” he said.

Evelyn Ramírez, Supply Chain Sector Engagement Leader at GS1 Mexico, added that this is not limited to the event, as GS1 Mexico has support projects to support them from a global standard throughout the chain.

Following the success of the first edition, in which 540 attendees and 51 exhibitors participated in one day of the event, this year GS1 Mexico is upping the ante with an additional day of the event that will include conferences, exhibitors and business meetings; it is therefore expected to have up to 700 attendees .

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Supply chains, mainly in the cold chain , must be thoroughly verified so that there is no error, disruption, or, where appropriate, that the products arrive in poor condition, according to Hilda López, senior head of Commercial & Demand planning at Fair .

Within the framework of Fábrica de Negocio , organized by GS1 México , at the conference The importance of the cold chain and last mile in small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) , the specialist highlighted the importance of the cold chain and its risks in people’s health.

“We must guarantee that our products, from production, storage, until we deliver them, are safe to consume, to use or for their intended purpose,” he said.

In this sense, he mentioned that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) , in the world at least 600 million people a year suffer from food-related diseases , in addition to there being around 200 types of diseases that can be caused by food. transmitted through food.

In addition, he stressed that the temperature must be controlled at each step of its supply chain , from raw materials, processing, distribution in each link, storage and the consumer himself is also part of this chain and must know how to manage it correctly. or know which products are safe to consume.

Thus, he assured that within the cold chain there is a “cushion” of time so that it does not break completely, so “ 20 minutes is the most we can have a product outside without damaging this chain ,” he assured.

“Something we don’t pay much attention to in supply chains is that once a product is thawed, it can’t be frozen again,” he added.

For this reason, he explained to SMEs that there are different standards and certifications that help carry out the cold chain successfully, for example, NOM 251 .

This standard dictates, for example, a temperature standard at which a product must be maintained, mainly so that this temperature is not modified at each step of the chain, so in refrigerated products it must be between 0 to 4°C ( exceptions up to 7 °C); while in frozen it must be -18°C or lower.

In addition, Hilda López shared a list of good practices in the last mile that Jüsto uses to share with its transportation suppliers, in which not exposing the product outside its temperature prevails.

Likewise, it recommends some points for transportation in the vehicle, for example, keeping doors closed, the use of thermographs, good air circulation, etc.

In addition, the Jüsto board highlighted that it is vital to train and raise awareness among all actors in the chain about the importance of temperature and how not to break it.

“It is very important that all the people who work with us know the importance of the cold chain,” said Hilda López.

For this reason, he mentioned that at Jüsto they work with many SMEs and help professionalize them in this area, including providing them with technology to verify that the cold chain is maintained at all times.

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This Monday the tenth edition of Fábrica de Negocio was inaugurated , an event that GS1 México holds with the aim of enhancing the opportunities of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to reach supplier companies, retail , self-service, wholesalers, convenience stores, departmental and marketplaces , through linkage and training.

During the inauguration, Jorge Garcés, president of GS1 México, highlighted the importance of linking companies , but also motivating collaboration and use of technology to boost the business of SMEs.

“In this period we have seen thousands of entrepreneurs and SMEs flourish, helping them transform their dreams into tangible commercial realities. We celebrate not only a 10-year trajectory, but also the history of 17 thousand SMEs and entrepreneurs who have found in Fábrica de Negocio a bridge to the conquest of physical retail and digital points of sale,” he said.

In addition, the manager highlighted that in this period more than 16,600 business appointments have been made with the main stores and retailers in the country.

In addition, Fadlala Akabani Hneide, Secretary of Economic Development of Mexico City, highlighted the importance that SMEs have for the economy of the city and the country , which is why it is necessary to promote them and integrate them into the value chains.

“We cannot stop taking advantage of the economic opportunity that Mexico has. We have economic stability, a strong peso, a phenomenon that with relocation is reaching Mexico, there is an important reinvestment and the challenge is how to incorporate SMEs into the value chains. We have to close the digital inequality gaps of companies and prevent SMEs from being left out, incorporating them into the digital era so that they are not left out of the market,” he noted.

Likewise, he highlighted that with the digital revolution  it is necessary to integrate and train Mexican SMEs, since support is required among all actors, chambers, associations, authorities and companies like GS1.

Juan Carlos Molina, general director of GS1 Mexico, pointed out that GS1 seeks to professionalize SMEs so that they achieve their business objectives, through this type of events, networking and training.

“In Fábrica de Negocio we materialize our commitment to professionalize the products and operations of SMEs that wish to be suppliers to the large retailers, wholesalers and marketplaces that operate in the country, as well as facilitate their adaptation to the omnichannel environment and digital transformation in the that unfold day by day,” he assured.

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From June 24 to 27, GS1 Mexico will hold the 10th edition of Fábrica de Negocio 2024, an event that encourages small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) to reach the sales floor, bringing them closer to various commercial chains.

Juan Carlos Molina, general director of GS1 Mexico explained that the pandemic changed not only the purchasing habit, but also the selling habit , however, the need for a product to be on the shelf to be sold and moved was also emphasized. in a better way.

He added that in a context in which SMEs die daily, it is required that they continue training and professionalizing on standards and sales, especially in the supply chain, as well as greater support and encouragement for these businesses.

“Part of GS1’s work is to promote and professionalize SMEs, we have learned how SMEs and small business owners work, to know what they need to be able to reach their goal. “We have more and more participating chains, which leads us to have more success stories with SMEs,” said Alejandro Trejo, Director of Associate Development at GS1 Mexico.

Throughout these 10 years, Fábrica de Negocio has hosted 30,100, that is, 17,000 companies , and according to Juan Carlos Molina, at least 800 products have been brought to the shelf.

The objective of Fábrica de Negocio is that ventures such as Calzado Playamar, which came to HEB and Mi Tienda del Ahorro , or Ferso Industrias, which began marketing in Súper Kompras , have more SMEs on the shelf.

For her part, Paola Cabrera, Marketing and Communication manager, assured that Fábrica de Negocio seeks to help SMEs so that their product reaches the shelf of a commercial chain and thus be able to support their entrepreneurship through conferences and business appointments. .

“We want SMEs that still do not have a finished product, that do not know how to put it, that do not know everything behind it, to have that knowledge and to be able to bring a product or service to fruition,” he said.

Likewise, he assured that it is important to train SMEs to be able to sell to commercial chains and to be able to evaluate what type of stores they are ready to sell to.

In this sense, this year the event will have the participation of 36 commercial chains and marketplaces, as well as 23 conferences and four master classes.

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