Bimbo led the ranking of the top food and beverage companies in Mexico in 2020, measured by net revenues, according to a Statista analysis.

Then followed, in descending order: Coca-Cola FEMSA, Arca Continental, Sigma Alimentos, Gruma, Grupo Modelo AB-InBev, PepsiCo Alimentos, Grupo Lala, Heineken Mexico and Nestlé Mexico.

In general, Mexico has a broad base of food and beverage companies that benefit from a domestic market of more than 120 million inhabitants and the proximity of other foreign markets, especially North America.

Mexico also benefits from varied climates and soils that allow for large fruit and vegetable production and has a competitive labor force and a network of 23 regional trade agreements (this places it as the seventh economy with the most free trade agreements globally, considering the European Union and the European Free Trade Association -EFTA- as joint participants).

In terms of distribution channels, according to the Asociación Nacional de Tiendas de Autoservicio y Departamentales (ANTAD), there are 31 supermarket chains with 3,284 stores.

In addition, there are 2,507 department stores (clothing, furniture) and 40,599 specialty stores (pharmacies, hardware) that carry food products throughout Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Commerce highlights that more than 56% of the Mexican retail market is covered by traditional commerce (family stores, public and open-air markets) that normally only distribute local products.

Also ANTAD reported that retail sales in supermarkets grew steadily by approximately 7.7 percent per year (2020).

Beverage companies

Mexico is the second largest export market for U.S. agricultural and related products and remains a strong and consistent partner, representing one of the largest consumer markets in the world for U.S. products.

According to the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI), there are 216,685 economic units that include offices, manufacturing plants and distribution centers under the industry classification of «food and beverage manufacturing and processing.»

In the second half of 2021, 1.96 million people worked in this sector, of which 50.1% were women.

Mexico is the second largest export market for U.S. agricultural and related products and remains a strong and consistent partner, representing one of the largest consumer markets in the world for U.S. products.

Overall, Mexico’s largest trading partner by far is the United States, which imports 80% of all Mexican exports and provides Mexico with 50% of its total imports.