Wish Local is helping long-established retail businesses create strategic new income streams in dozens of countries. In the case of Miguel Angel Santos, owner of Zona Face in Acayucan, Mexico, partnering with Wish Local has reenergized his entrepreneurial spirit, breathing new life into his ten-year-old convenience store.
Inspired by a social media advertisement, Santos quickly joined Wish Local in July 2019. “I consider myself an entrepreneur, and I thought this was a great opportunity to try something new. I was interested in working with a big company as it could drive foot traffic to my store.” Santos’s prediction proved accurate. Since activating his inventory, he noticed a 40% increase in foot traffic.
This uptick in new customers has been a lucrative boon. Zona Face now has gained approximately 40 new regulars, all thanks to Wish. This referral network works both ways. By promoting his store’s referral code on Facebook and Whatsapp, Santos has enjoyed earning extra cash by turning his neighbors on to Wish.
Much to Santos’s delight, promoting Zona Face’s Wish Local partnership is a family affair. He explains, “I set time on Saturdays to hand out Wish Local flyers. I like to do it with my children, and we bond together. We walk around the main busy street near our business.” It’s not just the kids who are getting extra attention. Santos continues, “Occasionally, I have older customers, and they are interested in the products I display but do not know how to order them.” Santos takes the time to help customers use their phones to download the app, adding, “I like helping others; it makes me happy.”
The staff at Zona Face have mastered the logistics of being a Pickup Now location. Their successful storage method revolves around having two storage containers, one for available inventory, and one for pending pickups. Santos sees every customer as a potential Wish referral and loves the hustle. “Sometimes, the customer is a current [Wish] user, and when that happens, I tell them to give it to a relative who may be new to Wish.”
Six months into the partnership, Santos is pleased with social and financial benefits. When asked to reflect on his experience so far, he says, “The best benefit from this has been that it brought something new to my business. I am not somebody that likes to do a good job and stop. I want to keep progressing and growing, as I like to keep my business successful.”