The document reviews various retail establishments in Mexico, highlighting their unique offerings, environments, and customer interactions. Cielito Querido Café stands out for its modern takes on traditional Mexican drinks, while Alfarería San Francisco is noted for its quality pottery despite a poor retail environment. Other stores like La Casa de Santa Claus and Sanborns reflect the importance of tradition and customer experience in a competitive market, whereas Bodega Aurrera Express and Mixup face challenges from pricing and format adaptability.

1. Observation Lab
Cuauhtémoc Rivera Loaiza
criveramx@gmail.com

2. Cielito Querido Café
Mexican Coffee Shop Chain

3. Cielito Querido Café
This is a coffee shop that tries to lure
their customers with nostalgia, great
products and competitive prices.
They are competing against Starbucks
and other we& established chains with
a very novel approach: they se&
updated traditional mexican coffee
drinks. The stuff that your grandma
would make, but in a modern setting.
They carry, for instance, café de o&a,
pan dulce, chocolate, and horchata (a&
traditional drinks and pastries).

4. Environment
They use a palette based on black,
white and baby blue. The typography is
pretty eclectic, but they use “old-fashion”
fonts, mostly. They have won several
prices for the design of the stores.
The locale that I went had high
ceilings, mostly open spaces, and the
lighting was good. The place looks
pretty cool, and so is the people that go
there. The ambience is more hip than a
Starbucks, for sure. The cash register is
a& the way to the back and they have
there items for sale (coffee mugs, cups,
etc.).

5. Personnel
They were very They didn’t try to
attentive, and were confuse me with milk
certainly in tune with options, nor try to push
what you expect now any promotions. They
+om coffee shop were very nice.
personnel: young, cool,
minimalist uniform.

6. Products
They se& only mexican beans. That, I
liked a lot. Also, the cup sizes are in
Spanish and do make sense! (Chico/sma&,
Mediano/medium, Grande/large).
They have a large selection of drinks,
mostly coffee drinks but also teas and
aguas +escas. Prices are very reasonable,
and are displayed next to the item.
They carry the usual merchandise with
the store logo, but also, this is very cool,
metal items. Like the cups shown in the
photo. They used to be in every mexican
home.
They also se& coffee to grind at home.

7. Final Observations
In recent years, we mexican consumers have seen an avalanche of coffee shop options,
but Cielito Querido is rea&y a breath of +esh air. Not only have they innovated with
their graphic design, but the drink selection is pretty awesome.
They provide an inviting environment that nurtures conversation, in a very cool
space.
I do hope they spread even further and become a success story in the retail space here
and abroad.

8. Alfarería San Francisco
Hand cra-s

9. Alfarería San Francisco
This is a very good example of
outstanding products sold in a
terrible setting. The opportunities,
are immense.
This workshop is in the outskirts of
my city. The town is ca&ed Capula,
and is dedicated to the production of
pottery. They a& carry a particular
design in the decoration, a sma&
flower.
The shop/workshop is owned by a
couple of artists, who have won some
prizes for their work.

10. Environment
The store is not on the main street,
and is kind of hard to find. They are
known outside their town, and that’s
why we went looking for them.
They barely have any lighting inside,
and there’s not an apparent
a-erthought in the way everything is
displayed. Every piece is a sma& piece
of art, but it’s very hard to browse
them.
The store is cold, and humid. Sme&s of
clay (which I liked). The floor is
cement.

11. Environment
The items are displayed wherever
there’s a space. They se& something,
they put another one in that place
instead; regardless of the type of item.
The artist have their workshop in
the same store, and do not have any
additional employees.
They only se& their products in the
shop, and occasiona&y in some fairs.

12. Products
They are divine. They are made with
such care, such precision, that is
amazing that they aren’t more widely
known. If they were displayed in a
different setting you would definitely
pay a much higher price.
The prices are very low. Mostly
because competition +om China has
terribly eroded their profits.
They’ve tried to diversify their
offerings (new designs, new colors),
but it’s been rea&y tough.

13. Customers
Typical customers nowadays are
mostly urban persons, that look a-er
decoration pieces. Utilitarian products
are not been sold that much
They go a-er special pieces, mostly for
decor
Unfortunately, they sti& bargain
heavily, and the artists are forced to
give away their products at ridiculous
prices.

14. Final Observations
It’s heart-wrenching to see the store
in this condition. The products are
outstanding, but they are very hard to
get.
The owners are in desperate need of
support and advice +om different
instances, governmental and private.
The opportunities are huge, and I do
believe their products deserve a better
way of being sold.

15. La Casa de Santa Claus

16. La Casa de Santa Claus
This is a store that is open only in the
last quarter of the year, and se&s
Christmas decorations
It’s located in another sma& town
close to my city, ca&ed Tlalpujahua.
The town itself is pretty terrific:
mining town, up i the mountains,
surrounded by forest....it does look
christmasy!
The main draw to the Casa de Santa
Claus is the tradition and scale of the
store. It’s comprises several stories.

17. Environment.
The store is lit with the Xmas
decorations, mostly, and the music is
a& Xmas a& the time, which rea&y
sets you in the mood...even if it’s just
October!
I went there on a Saturday, and
there was a good number of customers.
The items are displayed by categories:
ornaments, trees, figurines, etc.
The main draw are the Xmas tree
decorations made of glass. They are
artisanal, and made in town.

18. Products
The mouth-blown glass decorations
are fantastic. They have them in
different shapes, sizes and colors, and
the prices are mostly reasonable.
I’d say that 70% of the products
displayed are made in town, and the
rest (plastic trees, light series, and
plastic stuff) are foreign (mainly
chinese).
They emphasize the origin of their
more prominent items for sale.

19. Products
In general, the quality of their
products seems good (and word of
mouth is positive)
There’s personnel readily available,
and looked like everyone is related.
Personnel wasn’t uniformed, and
dressed casua&y. They didn’t try to be
pushy and were very helpful.
Customers to the store were mostly
families when I was there.

20. The Restaurant :)
On the roof they have a great
addition to the store: a restaurant. It
faces the main church and you can
have a 360 degree view.
The food is pretty good, home made,
traditional mexican food. You can
enter through the store or straight
+om the street.
I found it to be very convenient, since
a-er browsing and hopefu&y buying
their products, you can take a break
and perhaps buy some more
a-erwards.

21. Final Observations
When being besieged by industrial
competition +om the East, your best
weapon can be to stick to tradition
and aim to a more sensitive customer.
Nothing in the store seems cheaply
made: a& is acknowledge to be made
by hand (except the plasticky stuff, of
course), and in a careful way
When you take something +om here,
you do carry the whole experience of
the town and the magical Casa de
Santa Claus.

22. Sanborns

23. Sanborns
This mexican institution is a
combination of lifestyle store,
drugstore, bookstore, restaurant and
bar.
They aim for the middle to upper
classes of mexican society, and are
ubiquitous in urban spaces.
Sanborns has established itself as the
most traditional retail shop in the
country. They are currently
expanding their presence in Central
America

24. Environment
They have we& defined sections:
retail, restaurant and bar.
Lighting is warm, security is
electronica&y omnipresent, and
personnel is uniformed.
They do have very we& appointed
displays, and sme&s nice. The feel of
the store is pretty comfortable

25. Personnel
They are very attentive, and appear
to be mostly in their 30’s
You can te& there’s not a big rotation
of personnel, since they seem to have
been working there for long.
Their uniforms are suits in the retail
space, and in the restaurant the
waitresses have this funny looking
dress. I don’t particularly like it, but
you immediately associate it with
Sanborns

26. Products
They do have their own brand of
products, mostly chocolates and
candies, and they se& it evoking
tradition. Mexican upper class
traditions.
The food is not particularly
outstanding, is more convenient than
anything. They do, however, have a
star dish: Enchiladas Suizas, which
are a very comforting dish and a
mexican staple (only find in
Sanborns).

27. Customers
Mostly middle class
Prices aren’t cheap, nor outrageous, but it’s definitely not for the price conscious
They have become the main book distributors in Mexico, so they do also attract an
inte&ectual crowd as we&.
The stores are located in ma&s or in high traffic streets, and are o-en a oasis in the
urban chaos.

28. Final Observations
This chain has a very we& defined niche, and have no direct competition
They know the mexican customer pretty we&, and have grown along with the
changing generations and progressing tastes.
I think, though, that they should improve their restaurant and bar services, since they
seem pretty outdated in both decor and products

29. Bodega Aurrera Express

30. Bodega Aurrera Express
This is the sma&est retail format
+om W almart Mexico.
It’s located in highly dense urban
environments, of lower classes.
It carries mostly groceries in a
warehouse setting.
They are of recent creation, and are
rapidly expanding,

31. Environment
We&, it’s pretty sparse. It’s definitely
not aimed for comfortability, but
convenience.
They carry most stuff that you need
in an “emergency”, when you can’t
make it a& the way to the
supermarket. You can’t stay that much
in there, you don’t go there to browse.
You go to get a particular thing and
leave.
They have few employees, and rely in
video cameras to provide security
inside. There’s a police man in the exit.

32. Products

33. Products
Household items, mainly.
At very low prices.
Again, aimed to the less
wealthy classes in
Mexico
They usua&y have one or
two On Sale bins, and
one seasonal bin (xmas,
día de muertos, etc.).

34. Final Observations
This retail format has lots of opportunities in my country, as more and more urban
Mexican society becomes
I do expect that their offerings and product display wi& become more sophisticated as
people become wealthier (they are walmart, a-er a&, and they do know how to adapt).
One thing, though, they must be regulated, since they are cannibalizing traditional
mom and pops stores in the neighborhoods. Traditional stores cannot compete price
wise with them

35. Mixup

36. Mixup
Mixup is the main music retailer in
Mexico, and have been since the mid
90’s
They have presence in most ma&s in
Mexico, and though their focus was
in music, they have leaned more and
more to dvd’s and bluray.
They also se& LPs, some electronics,
and have a Ticketmaster counter

38. Environment
They have rows a-er rows of media,
ordered by performer or genre
Music is loud, and mostly upbeat,
though they have an isolated area for
classical music.
Decor is also loud with stuff hanging
+om the ceiling and displays
everywhere. Lighting is more on the
warm side.
They want you to browse as much as
you can, and the format a&ows you to
do just that

39. Environment
Although the lightning is warm, the Due to the immersiveness of media
store feels cool. Probably is because of shopping, it is expected that you spend
the meta&ic touches everywhere (only a lot of time there, and Mixup does a
the classical music section has wooden good job on that +ont: shelves are we&
shelves). spaced, music is upbeat, but not too
loud and the displays are we& stocked.
Security in the store is a combination
of electronic measures and police men
on the exit

40. Products
At the beginning they used to se&
mostly music, but due to piracy and
changing shopping habits, they have
turned more into a video store.
They s

41. Personnel
Mostly in their thirties, They are mostly helpful,
always on the move. not intrusive.
Always ordering the
They do not have an
media that customers
opinion, but do know
have moved.
where what you’re
They are uniformed, looking for is.
with a navy and ye&ow
polo shirt, and khakis.

42. Products
We&, they are THE source for your Although they announce their digital
media cravings in this country. If they services (music shopping, mp3s, etc),
don’t have it, you should probably go there’s no specialized section to service
straight to Amazon. that! The personnel doesn’t offer help
on that.
Prices are ok in national made items,
and super pricey in imported stuff. They prominently display their on
sale products, in the second row of the
The selection is good, though I believe store, forcing you to get in to the store,
they should get rid of their CD bins and browse beyond the bins.
(they occupy a lot of space and few
customers seem to wander there) Cash registers are always slow. They
need more counters.

43. Customers
Mostly individuals, you I’ve noticed that most
don’t see families customers browse the
shopping there entire store; they begin in
the far le- and go
Ages vary +om teenagers
through a& the bins
to people in their sixties
trying to find something
(mostly on the movie
special.
sections)

44. Final Observations
In order to survive Mixup has to Using their already good
acknowledge and embrace in+astructure, I would recommend
wholeheartedly streamed media setting up facilities that would
encourage the customer to buy media
Although I appreciate the availability +om their online store, by providing
of recorded media, the future is in non browsing displays to preview their
tangible media. Mixup seems to not offerings
notice that, and therefore they might
go the way of the dodo.