by Luis De Montes and Carlos Palma
Deregulation is coming to Mexico, and that means massive structural changes for fuel and convenience retailers. That change is an open opportunity for retailers who are prepared to match their strategies to new market realities.
Already, change is happening inside corporate planning departments. Global brands are moving in. Acquisitions are in the works. Established retailers are revising strategies to compete in the new landscape.
How do you know what makes sense to advance your company’s position? Should you buy or build? Invest or divest? What is your path forward in Mexico’s shifting markets?
1. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
Retailers entering Mexico’s markets should be asking
- What’s the current volume performance and volume potential of all sites in Mexico’s markets?
- Which individual sites or group of sites best fit your company’s market entry model?
- Which sites have the highest potential to grow volume, above current levels?
Retailers currently operating sites in Mexico should be asking
- How do I squeeze more volume out of my existing network of sites, while minimizing capital investment?
- If I want to grow my network through acquisition, which competitor sites would most benefit my network in added volume, while minimizing volume cannibalization?
- If a competitor (current or new) makes changes (new builds, rebrands, remodels, etc.) that affect my sites, what actions can I take to mitigate my losses?
2. GET THE FACTS.
Once you’ve identified the right questions, don’t guess at answers that will make or break your network’s success. Sound network strategy starts from objective market intelligence specific to the markets that matter to your success. Site-by-site data on competitors, customers and traffic reveals buying patterns and points to performance gaps.
Where should you focus? Kalibrate’s most recent market surveys in Greater Mexico City, Monterrey, León and Tijuana gives you some idea where competitive battles may heat up.
3. SET YOUR STRATEGY.
With a clear picture of the current landscape, you can map your goals and set specific strategies. The goal? Your maximum market effectiveness for Total Site Profitability.
Contact Kalibrate about Market Intelligence for your critical markets.
Read a case study about achieving market effectiveness in a deregulating market.