How to Enter the Mexican Market
Entry model, legal presence, import readiness, logistics and channels: the decisions that shape a Mexico launch, in the order they usually need to be made.
Read the insightKey takeaways
- Mexico retail eCommerce reached US$55.3 billion in 2025, growing 19.2% year on year (AMVO).
- AMVO estimates 77.2 million digital shoppers in Mexico in 2025, and most combine online and offline channels.
- Marketplaces, direct-to-consumer stores and omnichannel retailers all play a role.
- Selling well depends on local inventory, compliant imports, a localized catalog and disciplined operations.
Market size and growth
According to AMVO's 2026 Online Sales Study, retail eCommerce in Mexico reached US$55.3 billion in 2025, up 19.2% on 2024, and represented 17.7% of total retail sales [1]. The same study places Mexico eighth globally in retail eCommerce [1].
For an international brand, the implication is simple. Online channels are no longer a side channel in Mexico. For many consumer categories, they are a primary route to market.
Who is buying
AMVO estimates 77.2 million digital shoppers in Mexico in 2025, with millennials the leading segment [1]. The study also reports that 71% of shoppers combined physical and digital channels, and that fashion, prepared food and beauty and personal care led purchases [1].
Omnichannel behavior matters for brands. Consumers compare prices online, buy through several channels and expect consistent pricing, fast delivery and easy returns.
The main channel types
- Marketplaces: Mercado Libre, Amazon Mexico and Walmart Mexico's marketplace, among others. Immediate access to demand, with competitive pressure on price, reviews and delivery speed.
- Direct-to-consumer: your own store, typically on Shopify. Full brand control and customer data, but you have to generate your own traffic.
- Retailers' digital channels: omnichannel retailers selling online, through wholesale or vendor relationships.
- Social commerce: an emerging channel for some categories, usually alongside the others rather than instead of them.
Comparing the two largest marketplaces? See Amazon Mexico vs Mercado Libre.
The operations behind the storefront
International brands often approach Mexico eCommerce as a marketing project. In practice, the constraints are operational:
- Imports: products must be imported compliantly by a defined importer, with applicable standards such as Spanish labeling met.
- Local inventory: delivery expectations generally require stock held in Mexico, in a 3PL or marketplace fulfillment program.
- Catalog: listings need to be localized for Mexican shoppers, not simply translated.
- Pricing: prices must reflect the real landed cost, fees and advertising.
- Returns: AMVO reports that 22% of shoppers made at least one return during the year [1]. Returns processes need to be designed, not improvised.
How to approach the market
- Validate category demand and price positioning on the main channels.
- Build the landed-cost model and confirm import feasibility.
- Set up the fulfillment model: marketplace fulfillment, a 3PL or both.
- Launch with a focused catalog on the channel with the best fit.
- Stabilize operations, then expand channels and assortment.
PCG runs the commercial and operational sides of this together. See eCommerce & marketplaces.
Frequently asked questions
How big is eCommerce in Mexico?
According to AMVO's 2026 Online Sales Study, Mexico retail eCommerce reached US$55.3 billion in 2025, growing 19.2% compared with 2024 and representing 17.7% of total retail sales.
PCG Innovations
Mexico market entry and cross-border operations partner for international companies. This article is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Requirements change; confirm with qualified professionals and official sources.