These ideas from Mexican university students want to transform the retail industry

May
19, 2021

5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

From healthy snacks made from dehydrated vegetables and fruits; Even paintings made with nopal, biodegradable detergents made with chicamol root, lamb burgers, gourmet tortillas and perfumes to reduce stress in cats, are the ideas that are being transformed into value-added products and, in the future, they seek become merchandise that you might find in a supermarket.

These are the proposals that were presented in the ANTAD Boosting your entrepreneurial idea contest, an initiative that seeks to guide young people who are trying to turn an idea into a marketable product, and in which I was fortunate to participate as a judge. On this occasion, I was surprised that projects were presented by students who were younger than usual, between 18 and 20 years old. The most important thing is that every day they are more concerned about causing a positive impact on their community, protecting the environment and above all, increasingly committed to creating products with greater added value.

For the first time in 12 years, the ANTAD Entrepreneur Challenge was transformed to adapt to the new normal and was carried out virtually. Previously, this contest sought to encourage young people with a product that was almost 100% developed. As a prize, young people won a place in Expo ANTAD, but this year, the National Association of Department Stores decided to support more incipient proposals and young people who in the future could compete in a later edition of the Challenge, explained Blanca Breña, Head of Relations with the Government of ANTAD.

The projects

There were 12 projects that reached the final stretch, eight of them in the Supermarkets category: Bofruver (dehydrated fruit and vegetable snack), Snacky’s (dehydrated vegetable snack), Sabicandy, Salzonas (chiltepin and garambullo sauce), Tortimex ( corn tortillas with flavors of pumpkin flower, beans, beets, etc.), Lamb Lab (lamb ham), Laamburger and Agabe. The rest under the General Goods category: Bondo, Aurum, Afiltap and Miawmigo (perfume for cats with relaxing effects).

^{Source: ANTAD}

The universities

The participating educational institutions were: Benemérita Universidad de Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes South Campus and North Campus, Southwest Guanajuato University, Tula-Tepeji Technological University and Tulancingo.

The winners

Supermarket Category

1. AgaBe . Water-soluble vegetable capsule containing agave-based sweetener, added with water-soluble vitamins.
2. Laamburger. Gourmet hamburgers based on lamb meat with three different presentations: Gaucho, Iberian and Greek.
3. Sabicandy. Aloe Vera sweet (jam type).

^{Source: ANTAD}

General merchandise

1. Bondo. Totally natural ecological liquid laundry detergent made from a root called chicamol that seeks to create new experiences with an approach and a connection with the environment.
2. Aurum. Natural paint made with nopal base.
3. Afiltap. 3 in 1 cutting board, (integrated board, knives and sharpeners).

^{Source: ANTAD}

Evaluation and awards

The justification of the project was qualified, that is, the need that is satisfied with the product; the presentation of the product, which must be ready to be marketed, packaging, quality; innovation and creativity (product novelty, Imagination); the approach to reality (real, functional products, ergonomics); valuing and caring for the environment; job creation and financial viability: costs, basic premises, financial analysis, three-year sales projections, marketing plan.

In recognition of the six winning teams will receive a diagnosis from the Design Promoter Center so that the products have more attractive elements for a buyer in the supermarket. In addition, Peoplean consulting will conduct a review of each of the winning projects so that they can have the correct variables for their future work plan.

The judge

I shared the table with representatives of retail chains and representatives of other institutions such as Manuel Álvarez, coordinator of Expo ANTAD; Guadalupe Mora from GS1 Mexico; Enrique Ponce, general director of the Design Promotion Center; Carlos Rojano, Chedraui’s own brand purchasing deputy director; Fernando Rubín from the Comex retail area; Sandra Fuentes, Deputy Director of Private Labels at La Comer; Daniel Ceijas from Grupo Sanborns; Enrique Espinoza, director of the Peoplean consultancy, and Ernesto Flores of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI). I consider the inclusion of a character like Ernesto to be a very good success, who shared among the contestants how important it is to take into account the issue of industrial property when transforming an idea into a product of value for the consumer.