In Mexico, the effects of the pandemic led to the closure of 127 stores, affecting stores such as Best Buy, Sanborns, Inditex, Liverpool and Grupo Axo.

At the same time, electronic commerce was gaining ground and there was talk of trends and / or alternatives for the sector: omnichannel, pick and collect and dark stores.

The latter has been one of the most important in the country and that gained strength thanks to the pandemic, but will they prevail? Who is this model suitable for?

Dark stores are a model of hidden stores, that is, their operation is 100% through e-commerce and there is no space open to the public.

What started in 2009 in the UK with the Tesco store became popular and spread to other countries. In Mexico, the registration of the development of this type of space began in 2017, although the boom was registered precisely since 2020 due to its various benefits.

One of the main ones is the savings in equipment compared to what the physical store demands. The equipment in general and the lighting is simpler in the dark stores.

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Added to this is the null investment in redesign and adaptations of the store, since opening to the public physically implies investing in image, signs and articles in general for the sales floor.

These benefits imply more accessible rents, since for dark stores that can be located on a second floor without access to the street.

Another positive factor is security, since a dark store is less likely to be a victim of crime, while avoiding infections by not receiving people.

The proximity of the dark stores, which are located very close to where demand is generated, allows them to be supplied by the CEDIS on the outskirts of the city, that their goods, already close to the metropolis, reach the final consumer faster.

Together, these factors give dark stores flexibility, being ideal for both small and large companies. For example, during the pandemic a department store in Mexico enabled its sales floors as a dark store to continue selling to its customers while taking advantage of locations to arrive faster and at better costs.

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The future holds a combination of dark stores with their many and very attractive advantages, without forgetting the traditional retail store supported by omnichannel sales channels.

For companies whose portfolio can be offered via e-commerce at 100%, of course the main management of the dark store is a great option. In contrast, luxury brands depend on exposure and appreciation in its entirety in a physical way by the consumer.

In the opinion of Ilan Epelbaum, he is currently CEO of MBE Mexico, the pandemic was a permanent transformation where the adoption of the concept of dark stores was the best alternative to face the challenges of confinement.

From his point of view, it will continue to grow even in the post-pandemic world because the benefits for stores are many and consumers have become accustomed to the comforts of online shopping, but above all, to their purchases arriving in the shortest possible time. .

In Solili you can check industrial buildings in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara

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