Yucatán merchants pressured by low‑price Chinese stores and tourism slowdown

Chinese low‑price stores, often called “tiendas chinas,” are eroding sales of local stationery and school‑supply shops in Yucatán. José Enrique Molina Casares, president of the Cámara Nacional de Comercio, Servicios y Turismo (Canaco Servytur) Mérida, said the cheap prices have swayed thousands of families during the back‑to‑school season, threatening formal retailers. Canaco estimates back‑to‑school spending could exceed 1.2 billion pesos and will host a back‑to‑school fair with discounts and consumer‑rights advice.

In Tulum, roughly 70 businesses have shut in recent months as the tourism slowdown reduces visitor numbers and high rents squeeze margins. Sergio Canto Contreras, municipal director of Fiscalización, said the closures stem from economic factors, not municipal regulations, and many owners hope to reopen when tourism rebounds. Officials are urging lower rental rates and stronger promotion of domestic tourism to revive the local economy.