Mexican chain of convenience stores
Oxxo (stylized as OXXO) is a Mexican chain of convenience stores and gas stations, with over 21,000 stores across Latin America, as well as in the United States and parts of Europe.[1] It is the largest chain of convenience stores in Latin America.[2] Its headquarters are in Monterrey, Nuevo León.[3]
It is wholly owned by the beverage company FEMSA (Fomento Económico Mexicano).
History
Oxxo was founded in Monterrey in 1976. In the first stores, the only products sold were beer, snacks, and cigarettes. The success of the stores was such that the project kept growing and Oxxo built new locations rapidly, becoming ubiquitous in Mexican cities and towns.
The first official Oxxo store was opened in 1979 in Monterrey. Oxxo stores then spread to Chihuahua, Hermosillo, and Nuevo Laredo. Throughout the eighties, Oxxo gained fame in the cities where it was established. In 1998, the 1,000th store was opened. On July 6, 2010, the opening of the 9,000th store, in Oaxaca, was announced.[4] With Mexico gradually liberalizing its oil and gas market since 2013, Oxxo has started to open gas stations as well. The first station opened in San Pedro Garza Garcia. In 2019, Oxxo Gas aimed to rebrand 49 additional stations, mostly in Monterrey, that were operating under the Pemex name.[5][6]
As of 2014, Oxxo was reported to have more than 15,000 stores across Mexico, making it the country's largest convenience store chain.[7] In the same year, a partnership between Oxxo and Amazon was announced, involving Amazon accepting Oxxo's prepaid debit cards as a payment method, and Amazon gift cards being sold at Oxxo stores.[7]
The drive-through coffeehouse chain Caffenio sells andatti coffee (usually only found in Oxxo stores throughout Mexico) as a partnership deal between Oxxo and Caffenio.[8]
International expansion
Oxxo first expanded overseas into Colombia when it opened its first store there in 2009.[9]
In February 2015, Oxxo opened its first convenience store in Lima, Peru.[10]
Oxxo acquired the Chilean convenience store chain Big John in mid-2016 and subsequently renamed all its stores to the Oxxo brand.[11]
In December 2020, the first Oxxo store in Brazil opened under FEMSA's joint venture with Brazilian energy company Raízen.[12]
