The digital supermarket channel in Mexico is experiencing a structural paradox . On the one hand, figures show sustained growth in e-commerce and increasing consumer adoption; on the other, several of the most ambitious 100% digital supermarket projects have ended in abrupt closures , resulting in millions of dollars in losses and profound impacts on employees, suppliers, and logistics operators. The market is growing, but the business models are not sustainable. 

According to the Mexican Online Sales Association (AMVO) , the market value of online retail sales   in Mexico reached 789.7 billion pesos in 2024 , representing an annual growth of 20 percent. Within this sector,  pure players  (digitally born companies) grew by 28 percent, while  brick-and-click models  (physical chains with an online channel) advanced by 18 percent. Collectively, the online channel now accounts for 15.8% of total retail sales in the country. 

In the specific case of supermarkets, the penetration is even clearer: 84% of digital shoppers in Mexico purchased supermarket products online during 2024, representing a 20% increase compared to 2023, according to AMVO data. The consumer exists. The demand does too . 

Even the projections reinforce this optimism. The Mexico Online Grocery Market Forecast & Analysis 2025–2033 report estimates that the online grocery market could grow from $11.5 billion in 2024 to over $60 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent. Given these figures, the question becomes unavoidable: if the market is growing, if consumers are adopting it, and if the potential is real, why have so many online supermarkets failed?

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El cargo The mirage of the digital superstore apareció primero en T21.

“It’s Jüsto to continue for Mexico. Very soon, back in your home,” is the message that Jüsto , the Mexican online supermarket startup, displays on its website. This comes after Grupo Omni announced the acquisition of Jüsto USA and its reopening , just weeks after the company ceased operations on December 15, 2015 .

With the backing of investors such as General Atlantic and FEMSA , along with other funds already present in Jüsto, and after validation by HSBC , the operation was able to be completed and give way to the resumption of the service, which does not yet have a specific date.

Jüsto’s rise was closely linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, a period in which the demand for home-delivered essential goods skyrocketed. With a model that eliminated physical stores and intermediaries, the platform focused on selling and delivering groceries directly to consumers using proprietary technology, micro-fulfillment, and intelligent inventory management systems.

Since its founding in 2019, Jüsto has raised over $300 million in venture capital , with rounds led by some of the world’s most sophisticated funds. These include a Series B round of approximately $152 million , led by General Atlantic; a Series C round of $70 million , which combined equity and debt; a Series A round of $65 million ; and previous seed rounds.

However, on December 15, 2025, the company announced the definitive cessation of operations , citing a combination of financial, operational, and strategic factors. “We have made the difficult decision to cease operations of Jüsto ,” the company stated at the time, thanking customers, producers, and collaborators for having trusted in a model that promised to transform the supermarket shopping experience.

Beyond the financial analysis, the Jüsto case exposed deep tensions in the logistics operation and in the relationship with suppliers and operators .

A former employee in the operations area told T21 that the closure also reflected accumulated internal challenges , from an organizational culture with little focus on talent development to inventory management that never managed to stabilize.

“Despite the investment in technology, out-of-stock products and losses remained high. There were weeks with losses of up to 700,000 pesos due to mismanagement,” explained the source, who added that the waste was considered a tolerable cost since it came from investment capital.

The impact extended to suppliers. Andrea Rodríguez , commercial director of Todo Marisco , recounted on her social media that the company was an active supplier to Jüsto, fulfilling agreements, absorbing discounts, and participating in promotions. However, at the time of the closure announcement, there were outstanding invoices , no prior communication, and since then, no operational contact channel has been established.

“ There’s talk about the business model, but little about the real impact on the supply chain . The supplier is usually the last one considered,” Rodríguez warned, emphasizing that behind the collapse there are companies, people, and concrete consequences.

The discontent was also expressed from the last-mile logistics sector . Óscar Barrera , founder of MOVE , criticized on social media the way suppliers who sustained daily operations were treated.

Barrera stated that, days before the closure, Jüsto requested more units due to supposedly high demand , later attributing it to a “system error,” while internally, employee layoffs were already underway. He even claimed that investors had been visiting the distribution center a week before the closure.

“Running away while leaving millions in debt is neither strategy nor bad luck,” he wrote, questioning the founder hero narrative and pointing to the direct impact on drivers and operators, some of whom faced shifts of up to 16 hours a day.

In this context, Grupo Omni’s acquisition of Jüsto and the announcement of its reopening mark a new chapter for the brand. The challenge will not only be to resume operations, but also to rebuild trust with suppliers, logistics providers, and consumers , as well as to rethink a model that proved to be highly capital-intensive and complex to implement in the region.

The Jüsto case offers clear lessons for the ecosystem: technology does not replace a solid logistics operation , talent management is critical, and accelerated growth without profitability has obvious limits.

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El cargo Omni Group buys Jüsto and announces its reopening after the collapse of the online supermarket apareció primero en T21.

The  Consumer Confidence Indicator (ICC)  in Mexico stood at  46.3 points in February 2025, which meant a decrease of  0.3 points per month , according to information from the  National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) , published this Monday.

These figures show that consumer confidence fell again in the second month of this year, linking four months of decline , which shows a decline in the general perception of families about their economic situation and that of Mexico.

The Inegi report also noted that, in its annual comparison and with figures adjusted for seasonality, the ICC registered an annual drop of 0.8 points .

“In its interior, monthly declines were observed in the components that evaluate the current and expected economic situation of household members, as well as in those related to the current and future economic situation of the country. In contrast, the indicator that captures the current possibility of household members to make purchases of durable goods registered a monthly increase,” the organization indicated.

During February 2025, the indicator that measures consumers’ perception of the country’s economic situation today compared to 12 months ago decreased by 0.9 points .

Meanwhile, the component relating to the country’s expected economic condition in one year compared to the current one decreased by 0.4 points .

As for the current economic situation of household members compared to what they had 12 months ago, it fell by 0.2 percent .

In turn, the indicator that measures the expected economic situation of household members within 12 months, compared to the current one, also showed a decrease of 0.1 points .

The only item that increased was the current economic situation of household members compared to 12 months ago, for purchasing furniture, television, washing machine, and other household appliances, which increased by 0.6 points , Inegi said in its report.

The January slope, the new United States administration, headed by Donald Trump , and the uncertainty generated by the threat of 25% tariffs on various Mexican products, which remains latent although it was paused until April 2 for goods that are within the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) , have influenced the decline in consumer confidence during February.

According to a report by the financial institution Banamex , lower domestic consumption in the coming months could be one of the consequences of the tariff measure that the new government of our northern neighbor is seeking to impose on Mexico, which would aim to be inflationary .

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El cargo Consumer confidence in Mexico falls in February; it is a four-month decline apareció primero en T21.

In January 2025, the  Consumer Confidence Indicator (ICC) in Mexico stood at 46.7 points , which meant a decrease of  0.3 points per month , according to information from the  National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .

The figures show that consumer confidence fell again in the first month of this year, as the indicator recorded three consecutive months of declines .

The Inegi report indicated that, in its annual comparison and with figures adjusted for seasonality, the ICC registered an annual drop of 0.4 points .

“Monthly reductions were observed in the components that capture the expected economic situation of household members, the current and future economic situation of the country, as well as in the component related to the current possibility of household members to make purchases of durable goods. The indicator corresponding to the current economic situation of the household showed a monthly increase,” the agency indicated.

During January 2025, the indicator that measures consumers’ perception of the country’s economic situation today compared to 12 months ago decreased by 0.2 points .

Meanwhile, the component relating to the  country’s expected economic condition in one year compared to the current one decreased by 0.9 points . In turn, the indicator that measures the expected economic situation of household members in 12 months, compared to the current one, also showed a decrease of 0.6 points .

The only category that saw an increase was the current economic situation of household members compared to 12 months ago, with 0.3 points , Inegi said in its report.

The political environment in the United States, which seeks to impose a protectionist economy by charging tariffs on partner countries of the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) , as well as the January slope, are some of the factors that have influenced the decrease in consumer confidence.

According to a report by the financial institution Banamex , the tariff measure that the new government of our northern neighbor is seeking to impose on Mexico would aim to be inflationary , which could lead to lower domestic consumption in the coming months, if it comes into effect.

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El cargo January downturn hits consumer confidence; indicator has been on a downward trend for three months apareció primero en T21.