Mobile Shopping Rises in Mexico, Pressuring Merchants to Adapt

Nearly half of Mexican consumers now use mobile devices for their retail purchases, according to a new report from PYMNTS Intelligence, underscoring the country’s shift toward a mobile-first shopping experience.

The 2025 Global Digital Shopping Index: Mexico Edition reports that 47% of Mexican shoppers used a mobile device for their last retail transaction, whether online or in-store. That figure represents a 17% increase since 2022 and closely tracks the global average of 48%.

Mexico’s mobile engagement is highest among millennials (52%), Gen Z consumers (48%), women (50%), and parents (49%). The trend is contributing to a broader demand for cross-channel shopping, where consumers start purchases on one channel and finish on another, such as buying online and picking up in-store.

The report says that 49% of Mexican consumers either used or wanted to use cross-channel shopping at their most recent merchant interaction, surpassing the global average of 44%. However, 30% of those shoppers were unable to access these features, the second-highest unavailability rate among the eight countries surveyed.

Despite consumer demand, 54% of Mexican merchants do not offer cross-channel capabilities. The report attributes this to several challenges: customer service complexity (33%), managing multiple sales channels (32%), customer engagement (31%), and technical integration (31%). These hurdles were reported more frequently in Mexico than in other markets.

Concerns about payment infrastructure are also prominent. Seventy-two percent of Mexican merchants say their current systems may not support future needs, the highest level of concern globally.

Shoppers are also encountering payment friction. About 29% reported issues during their most recent online purchase. Seventeen percent also experienced unexpected charges or errors, above the global average of 13%.

Mexican consumers prefer third-party one-click checkout options (30%) slightly more than storing credentials with merchants (29%), mainly due to concerns around data security (64%), unexpected recurring charges (40%), and lack of trust in merchants (29%). The report found that 23% of Mexican shoppers use biometric authentication instead of passwords, indicating a growing preference for secure and efficient payment methods.

The findings point to an opportunity for financial institutions and technology providers to partner with Mexican retailers. By offering integrated payment systems, secure checkout options and support for cross-channel transactions, these collaborations could help retailers meet growing consumer expectations and reduce friction in the digital shopping journey.