What type of products are sold in the US but not in Mexico?

Question

and something that Mexicans want. Please be serious. I have to do a marketing paper.

Answer 1

Well, I'm mexican answering from México. I've been several times in USA, shopping or touristing. We can find the SAME products here in México or in the USA, thanks to the NAFTA.

In my opinion, you should do your marketing paper not in products we can not find here, but in products we like or need and you can have it cheaper in the USA than here.

Answer 2

There are LOTS of things that are not particularly easy (or cheap) to get in Mexico, so for your paper I will give you one example - vitamins and other diet supplements are virtually unheard of here. Another item which is somewhat similar is dental floss - yes it can be had, but you can only get a single brand (when you can find it) and it costs 4 times as much as in the US. The best way to research this is to find an online forum with a large ex-pat community from the US. They can tell you all about the changes they've had to make in their habits and preferences in order to live in Mexico.

Answer 3

Well, for one I'd like to have 1 decent maltshake. In spanish, milkshake and maltshake mean the exact same word. Mexicans don't understand the concept that a real maltshake requires an ingredient called malt. So in a nutshell, I always drink maltshakes like crazy when I go to the states because who knows when I'll enjoy one again. :(

Some sodas are very hard to find even in Mexico City. Dr. Pepper can still be obtainable if you look hard enough, but I've rarely seen Yellow Mellow, Mr. Pibb, Mountain Dew or Root Beer sold here no matter how hard I look.

If you're into microwave dinners, they are hard to find in Mexico City because even the wealthier people here don't eat them.

Oh, and you'll also have a hard time finding meat jerky sticks. They sell something called Pepperami here which is probably the closest thing you'll ever get.

As for the suggs of other people, I agree. Why not make an article about why in the h**l are DVD's so d**n expensive in Mexico? No wonder people buy 1 dollar bootlegs!!! Most people can't afford a legit 40 dollar Godfather DVD (that only costs 15 dollars in the US...).

Answer 4

The first thing you need to do is narrow down your question!  In all reality, you can find ANYTHING somewhere in Mexico.  It's just that it may not be there at that moment, or the same brand, or in the place you are living.  (I've lived here three years as an expat and know that sometimes it is just a matter of time before the product for which you are searching just "turns up"!)

Products available in Mexico can vary widely depending upon where you are living.  What I can purchase here in Torreon is significantly different than what one might be able to find in a tiny town perched high in the Sierras.  

And "what Mexicans want" will again vary from economic group to economic group and from region to region.   Here in Torreon, the wealthier Mexicans have been thrilled to get three Starbuck's locations!  That would not be at all important to the impoverished people living here.  

My best suggestion is to pick ONE region, ONE economic level, and ONE product group and then do some investigation online, checking Mexican online websites to see what they carry and at what price point.  You will also need to do signifcant investigation into the demographics and cultural/social desires of that specific target audience.

I have listed a few links on marketing research in Mexico below.  Reading through those may give you a better sense of what you need to ask yourself before you continue your work on this paper.

Answer 5

As others have said, it depends on the region. Close to the US border most products are available. It seems that home building products are needed by Mexican builders as evidenced by the number of Baja license plates at the Chula Vista Home Depot. Price is also a consideration, some locals go across the border to buy paper products (Huggies) which are higher in the region. Mexico is a highly civilized country, there are few goods and services that cannot be had here...although I can't find chocolate chips for  my cookies...Big deal.