Retailers in Mexico Face Pressure to Unify In-Store and Mobile Journeys

Mexico is evolving into a mobile-first consumer market, a shift that presents opportunities for financial services and merchants to optimize cross-channel shopping.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “The 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index: Mexico Edition” revealed that as consumers increasingly use mobile devices for nearly half their purchases, they are demanding integrated digital journeys.

Mobile devices are now indispensable for Mexican shoppers, serving not just as tools for online purchases but also as integral components of in-store experiences.

The report found that 47% of Mexican shoppers used a mobile device for their most recent retail transaction whether online or in-store, a 17% increase since 2022.

While this figure places Mexico slightly below the global average of 48%, the country’s growth trajectory suggests it will soon align with global leaders like Brazil, where 61% of consumers made mobile-led purchases. This mobile-first trend is particularly pronounced among millennials (52%), Generation Z (48%), women (50%), and parents with children under their care (49%).

The Desire for Cross-Channel Shopping

This pervasive mobile engagement translates into a strong consumer appetite for cross-channel shopping, which allows seamless transitions between shopping channels, such as starting a purchase on a mobile app and completing it in-store.

The report revealed that 49% of Mexican shoppers have either used or expressed a desire to use cross-channel features at their last shopped merchant, surpassing the global average of 44%.

Bridging the Disconnect

However, 30% of these consumers wanted to use cross-channel features but found them unavailable, marking the second-highest unavailability rate among the eight countries surveyed. This highlights an unmet demand and opportunity for innovation.

For merchants, the message is that existing cross-channel offerings fall short of consumer expectations. The report found that 54% of Mexican merchants surveyed do not offer cross-channel shopping capabilities.

This reluctance stems from challenges like customer service complexities (33%), the difficulty of managing multiple sales channels (32%), customer engagement issues (31%) and technical integration hurdles (31%).

Mexican retailers cited these issues more frequently than the global average, reflecting a need for external support. The report revealed that 72% of Mexican merchants expressed concern that their existing payment infrastructure will not meet future needs, the highest rate globally.

Eliminating Some Frictions

Mexican shoppers frequently encounter payment-related friction, with 29% reporting issues during their latest online purchases.

The report found that 17% of shoppers experienced unexpected charges or errors, above the global average of 13%. In terms of checkout, Mexican consumers prefer third-party, one-click checkout options (30%) more than storing credentials directly with a merchant (29%). This preference is largely driven by concerns over data security and privacy (64%), worries about unexpected recurring charges (40%), and a lack of trust in merchants (29%) to safeguard payment information.

To build trust and streamline transactions, merchants must address these concerns and offer preferred, secure checkout options. The increasing adoption of biometric authentication, used by 23% of Mexican shoppers, over traditional username/password systems also signals a move toward more convenient and secure methods.

This landscape creates an opportunity for financial services and technology providers. By partnering with banks, card networks and other third-party solution providers, Mexican retailers can overcome these barriers. Such partnerships can deliver the necessary expertise and technology to streamline payment acceptance, implement secure one-click solutions, enhance data security, and facilitate seamless cross-channel and unified shopping experiences.