Z-Tech (an arm of AB InBev) teamed up with McFadyen Digital to launch MiMercado, a mobile-friendly online marketplace that helps small shops and local retailers buy from major consumer goods brands. Built for everyday users—not tech experts—the platform makes ordering easier, faster, and more accessible in areas that are often overlooked by big distributors.
Client
AB InBev Helped Corner Stores Thrive with a Smarter Way to Shop
Website
https://www.ab-inbev.com/
Company Summary
Z-Tech is the innovation arm of AB InBev, focused on helping small and mid-sized businesses succeed with better tools. From neighborhood stores to corner bars, they build simple, practical tech that helps local businesses save money, work more efficiently, and get access to the products they need. Much of their work supports modernizing local commerce in places like Brazil and Mexico.
Challenge
Across Central and South America, small shops often rely on traditional wholesalers—leading to high prices, limited options, and a lot of extra work. Z-Tech wanted to change that with MiMercado, a mobile-friendly marketplace built to give shop owners more control and better deals. But to compete with massive supply hubs like Mexico City’s CEDA, they needed a platform that worked on low-bandwidth connections, felt easy to use, and could grow across different regions without becoming complicated or costly to run.
Solution
Z-Tech partnered with McFadyen Digital to turn their vision into a practical, scalable solution. They began by defining clear goals—what growth should look like, how success would be measured, and how the experience should feel for both new and returning users. McFadyen also mapped out the full customer journey and built a plan to support content, outreach, and ongoing performance tracking.
To ensure the platform could grow with demand, McFadyen evaluated where things stood and outlined key areas to improve. The final marketplace was built using Adobe Magento and Mirakl, wrapped in a mobile-first design that loads quickly—even with slower internet. The result feels more like an app than a website, making it easy for shop owners to browse and order, even if they’re new to digital tools.
Business Impact
Local shops quickly started using the platform—many for the first time. The mobile-friendly design worked well even with slow internet, and the setup makes it easy for Z-Tech to expand without a major overhaul. It also gives AB InBev a simple way to offer both their own products and those from other brands in one easy-to-use shopping experience.
"As much as we had researched and were tracking metrics, learning what levers control what outcomes... it's changed how we grow our marketplaces."
Luiz Gondim
Chief Technology Officer, Z-Tech
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