Restaurants and other food service facilities have the same purchasing options as

independent food stores, and of course the franchises have options similar to the supermarket

chains.

 A new and growing trend for small and medium-sized food businesses in some areas is

to buy from warehouse stores; such as Club Aurrera, the Mexican version of Sam's Club.

These facilities handle frozen and chilled products, hams, frozen foods, and some dairy items.

Club Aurrera had five stores in Mexico in mid 1993 and intends to have 40 by 1996. This self

service option will underprice some of the traditional restaurant supply sources. If the U.S.

experience is any indication, some small grocery outlets may find Club Aurrera cheaper than

traditional sources for those items Club Aurrera carries.


 EXPORTS

EXPORTS FROM MEXICO

 Many types of perishable products from Mexico are exported, about 90 percent of which

goes to the United States. These include winter vegetables, bananas and other tropical fruit,

frozen vegetables, frozen concentrated orange juice, cut flowers, limes, melons. The majority

of these exports come from the most modem sectors of the relevant industries. The difficulties

in handling the export transactions deter many sellers. Many others are constrained by the

market requirements in the United States. The standardization, packaging, and volume

requirements of an exporter require a sophisticated, well-managed firm. Firms that have

difficulties in one or more of these areas generally prefer the more familiar and less demanding

domestic market. In general the smaller the firm, the greater the impact of the legal, language,

and marketing barriers.