Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry (IMCC) has maintained awareness campaigns towards the population with which it seeks to bring more people to these businesses to support the shopkeepers and the more than 3 million families that depend on these.
With the arrival of the pandemic and the limitation of physical contact, as a way to prevent COVID-19, consumers began to change their consumption habits and many migrated to the digital plane. This issue posed new challenges for small merchants who have grocery stores, small businesses or miscellaneous stores in Mexico, since their earnings derive from physical purchases.
It is estimated that in the country there are 1,200,000 little shops that support more than three million Mexican families, positioning the corner shops as the soul of Mexico, because beyond a place of purchase, they represent closeness and familiarity with the colonies.
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGO), just in 2020 just over 1 million micro, small and medium establishments disappeared due to the effects of COVID-19, but small businesses have shown themselves, with a lot of effort and sacrifice, resilient as the health emergency has progressed and they have not stopped, because the operation of their businesses is essential for their environments to continue functioning.
Although many companies are aware of the panorama that the small merchants in the corner stores are going through, the reality is that few are able to generate a positive impact on the Mexican population and on these small businesses. In this context, the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry (IMCC) has worked and is committed to maintaining the safety of the clotheslines and their families, as well as to reactivate its economy during the contingency through credits, donations and training to the small businesses that have seen their economy at risk.
The actions to support have been many, but the one that has gained more relevance in recent days is the ‘Let’s talk about the value of our little stores’ campaign, with which the IMCC, made up of eight bottlers, seeks to bring more people closer to these businesses to work together and support the shopkeepers and their families.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPkdt4Ssdmw
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the IMCC has invested more than 5,000 million pesos in the maintenance and improvement of the shops and more than 190 thousand credits to reactivate its economy, in addition to more than 500 thousand health protection equipment, and training for 180 thousand women to empower them in their development as female entrepreneurs, since 6 out of 10 women are in charge of a small store.
They also supported more than thousands of businesses with protective equipment for COVID-19 with the delivery of reopening kits; providing antibacterial gel, face masks, signage screens and wallets – made from the recycling of one million PET bottles in conjunction with PetStar, the largest food grade PET recycling plant in the world that is part of the IMCC -, with so that merchants continue with their activities, serve their customers and suppliers in safe spaces. Helping to protect their health and that of their families.
For more than 90 years, the IMCC has supported the owners of thousands of small stores. Currently, the IMCC for the love of Mexico continues to accompany and promote the clotheslines of the colonies, today it collaborates with more than 850 thousand stores and businesses that continue to strengthen their operations with the help of the company, it is planned that thousands of families will continue to improve their and their quality of life. The effort made so far through the ‘Let’s talk about the value of our little shops’ campaign has resulted in great success stories for small businesses and their families. For Ana Leticia Moreno, Owner of Miscelnea Daniel in Querétaro, it meant the following:
“Getting ahead in the pandemic has been difficult, Coca Cola has supported us with newer coolers and that gives us an impact on the light. With the maintenance of the facade, already from afar, it is seen that it is a store, although it was difficult it gives us satisfaction never to have left our clients ”.
To keep the doors of the corner stores open and continue serving the communities, the IMCC has joined forces with various support such as the investment of 5 million pesos to improve the businesses of these small merchants. Eloína Orozco and Mario Alonso Duran, owners of Miscelanea la 3 in Querétaro, share their experience with this support:
“For me, being a shopkeeper means being part of my neighborhood and my clients. Coca Cola has us supported with credits, with them we have been able to get ahead is a way that we help us and our clients, and that is done from the heart. “
Coca-Cola has put its resources at the service of the corner stores, because it recognizes the importance of the identity nuclei of the communities and of buying in this direct sales format to support the work of millions of families. Thus, under the motto: “Let’s do this together”, the IMCC will continue to visit the clotheslines of the Mexican colonies. We invite you, the reader, to join this Coca-Cola campaign and shop at its little corner store.