Jüsto Closure Hits Mexican SMEs as Debts Remain Unpaid

One month after digital supermarket Jüsto abruptly ceased operations, suppliers in Mexico report significant outstanding debts. According to industry sources, more than 85% of the affected suppliers are local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that received no prior notice of the platform’s closure.

The startup, which operated as a delivery-only grocer for six years, announced its exit on Dec. 15, citing financial, operational, and strategic factors. The decision came roughly one year after the company secured a funding round aimed at consolidating its presence in the Mexican market, as previously reported by MBN. 

Impact on Local Suppliers

Suppliers including Todo Marisco, a fresh seafood distributor, and Wica Alimentos, a fresh pasta manufacturer, remain in a state of financial uncertainty. Other affected firms include Solhimex, a distributor of hygiene products, and Luaniü, a manufacturer of biodegradable feminine hygiene items.

Representatives from these companies described their commercial relationship with Jüsto as stable and timely prior to the shutdown. However, the sudden halt in operations has left many suppliers with invoices they now consider unlikely to be recovered.

Andrea Rodríguez Acosta, commercial director and co-founder, Todo Marisco, told El Economista that communication with the platform appeared normal as recently as Dec. 12. She  said the final purchase order was twice the company’s usual volume, which they attributed to seasonal demand. Rodríguez Acosta learned of Jüsto’s closure through a public notice on the platform’s website on Dec. 15, followed by an automated email later that day.

Communication Barriers and Operational Fallout

Israel Rodríguez, sales manager, Solhimex, described the exit as lacking transparency. Solhimex had supplied Jüsto for five years, producing eight private-label items that accounted for roughly 10% of the volume the company typically delivers to major retailers such as Walmart.

Suppliers say all direct communication channels with Jüsto’s leadership have been shut down. While emails are reportedly being opened, creditors receive no follow-up. Several former employees have already moved on to other companies, leaving suppliers without a clear point of contact to address outstanding debts.

Market Implications for the Startup Ecosystem

Retail analysts say the closure highlights broader risks within Mexico’s startup ecosystem. While public discussion has largely focused on Jüsto’s business model and past fundraising— including capital from General Atlantic and debt financing from HSBC— the consequences for its supply chain have received far less attention.

At its peak, Jüsto captured an estimated 3% to 5% of the market, operating in major cities such as Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Puebla, and Cuernavaca. The company expanded into Brazil and Peru in 2021, acquiring local player Freshmart in Peru. However, it announced the gradual shutdown of its Peruvian operations in November 2024 and its full exit from Brazil in December 2024.

Jüsto’s closure in Mexico comes nearly three years after another fast-grocery startup, Jokr, exited the country.