Heineken Expands Six Stores Amid OXXO Competition

Heineken's convenience stores, branded as Six, are gearing up for expansion in Mexico with a new packaging plant in Yucatan, intensifying competition with market leader OXXO. With over 17,000 stores nationwide, Six offers a variety of products including snacks, juices, soft drinks, and Heineken beer.

Guillaume Duverdier, CEO of Heineken, outlined the company's growth strategy focusing on three key areas: expanding Six stores, manufacturing returnable glass at the Meoqui packaging plant, and constructing a new plant in Yucatán with an investment of MX$8.7 billion over the next three years.

Although the Yucatan plant is currently in the design stage and awaiting necessary permits, construction has not yet begun. However, it is expected to be operational within two to three years, marking Heineken's eighth brewery in Mexico.

Following the expiration of the exclusivity agreement between OXXO and Heineken five years ago and FEMSA’s divestment of its Heineken shares last year, valued at €3.3 billion, the brewery announced plans to expand the geographical presence of its Six stores.

In 2023, Six concluded with 17,000 physical stores in the country, and for 2024, the company aims to open 1,000 stores annually, a figure comparable to OXXO's expansion rate. To achieve this, Six stores are embarking on an ambitious project through both company-owned and franchised units.

Despite Heineken's chain of stores and FEMSA's sale of its stake in the brewery, beverages such as Tecate, Bohemia, Sol, and other brands from Heineken's portfolio remain absent from OXXO's refrigerators.