About 13 million Mexican households depend on the income of the so-called ‘neni economy’, says José Ignacio Martínez Cortés, researcher and professor at UNAM.
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March
22, 2021
4 min read
The term ‘neni’ emerged as a mockery of women who sell products through social networks to bring extra money home. However, these microentrepreneurs have many reasons to be proud. José Ignacio Martínez Cortés, coordinator of the Laboratory of Analysis in Commerce, Economy and Business of the UNAM , assured that the ‘neni economy’ generates sales of 9.5 million pesos a day in Mexico .
The professor explained that this commercial scheme has been part of the Mexican economy for a long time.
“This type of activity is known as ‘neni economy’ , because it is very common for customers and saleswomen to speak to each other in a more affectionate and close way, by using the word ‘babe’ or ‘neni’ when addressing each other. A study we did showed that it creates employment for three people , starting with a company that sells a certain product to an entrepreneur and this in turn offers it to someone else through catalogs or physically , this is how it works “ , explained.
According to the professor of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences , the COVID-19 pandemic increased the relevance of the ‘neni economy’ . So much so, that about 13 million Mexican households depend on the income from this type of business.
“There are people who are already professionalized and have been operating for a long time, but others have joined because they no longer had an income and the need led them to it,” said Martínez Cortés.
The nenis are supporting the local economy, if you want to use the term as a pejorative (as they did with the “struggling moms”), this time we all already know that the nenis are great pic.twitter.com/iAQO8m9IdS
– gloria nuño (@LaTiaDeLsPerros) February 20, 2021
The researcher added that the businesses of the ‘neni economy’ carry out the sale through digital platforms and the delivery takes place at an agreed point in the city. They do not have a fixed point of sale “so we sometimes see women in public transport carrying large packages of shoes, clothes or toys that are destined for their customers,” he explained.
“It is a self-employment to which they dedicate practically 24 hours a day, seven days a week , especially since the main way of offering merchandise in these times of pandemic is through digital platforms,” said the teacher.
Martínes Cortés commented that some ‘nenis’ offer their merchandise for fixed payments “just like a credit card does in a department store .” In this sector there are “young people who publicly or privately promote their products in order to finance their studies or provide an income for their family .”
He commented that most of these microentrepreneurs can hardly access bank loans or have the possibility of capitalizing to invest more in their business, since the profits are barely enough to keep up with their expenses.
According to data from the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI) , about 1.3 million women lost their jobs in the COVID-19 outbreak. For that reason many began to sell products to have extra money.