Building a Tex-Mex aisle that sells: a guide for UAE retailers

Tex-Mex is one of the easiest world-food categories to grow, because shoppers rarely buy one item. A taco night needs shells or tortillas, a seasoning mix, a salsa, maybe beans, chips and a dip. When those products are scattered across the store, shoppers buy fewer of them. When they are together, the basket fills itself.

Build the block around the meal

Arrange the category the way people cook it, not the way the products are packed:

• Start with the meal kits. Taco, burrito and fajita kits are the easiest entry point for first-time buyers. Put them at eye level in the centre of the block.
• Tortillas and shells next to the kits. Regular buyers skip the kit and build their own, so give them flour, corn, multigrain and flavoured tortillas within reach.
• Seasoning mixes above or beside. Small, colourful packs work well on a narrow shelf or a clip strip.
• Salsas, beans and jalapeños to finish the meal. Kidney, black and refried beans and sliced jalapeños are the add-ons that lift basket value.

Give chips and dips a second home

Tortilla chips and dips sell as a snack as much as a meal. Keep them in the Tex-Mex block, but also place them near the crisps and soft drinks aisle, and on promotional ends for weekends and big sports nights. The same shopper who walks past the world-food aisle will pick up nacho chips and a cheese dip next to the drinks.

Make room for organic

Health-conscious shoppers are reading labels more closely. An organic line, from taco shells and tortillas to seasoning mixes, salsas and jalapeños, lets them buy into the category without compromise. Shelve organic alongside the regular range, not in a separate health aisle, so shoppers can compare and trade up.

Do not forget foodservice

Cafés, hotel buffets and casual restaurants use the same products: tortillas for wraps, taco shells for live stations, nacho chips and cheese dip for sharing plates. Larger and multi-pack formats make prep faster and keep cost per serving predictable.

Cantina Mexicana from Lifco Al Rawabi

We distribute the full Cantina Mexicana range in the UAE: taco and tortilla dinners, seven types of tortilla, chips, dips, seasoning mixes, beans and jalapeños, plus an organic range of taco shells, Tacotubs, mixes, salsas and dips. Our sales team can help you plan a block that fits your shelf space and your shoppers.