The 2026 FIFA World Cup, starting next June 11, has already caused a 140% annual increase in commercial property searches between January and February this year compared to the same period in 2025. However, rental prices have risen to 37 dollars per square meter, as is the case in Mexico City. "These changes are also driven by the World Cup theme and the regional economic dynamic. For those who see an opportunity in the anticipated increase in consumption for 2026, starting the search in the second half of 2025 is not an act of enthusiasm, but planning to find availability and negotiate with less pressure," explained Macías. The economist and urban planner also warned that rental prices for standard-sized spaces, that is, from 61 to 150 square meters, rent for up to 37 dollars in the case of Mexico City; in Monterrey, 23 dollars; and in Guadalajara 21 dollars on average, which confirms an upward trend of 15 to 20 percent in the last two years. Spaces measuring from 61 to 150 square meters represented 36 percent of scheduled visits in 2025; followed by those with an area of 21 to 60 square meters with 29 percent of visits. The decision to open a store in anticipation of the World Cup depends on mapping what will be in the foreground and what will be behind the operation as a product display, payment, food/product preparation, storage, restrooms, and people circulation, which consume meters and determine if a space works. "We are seeing a boom in much more compact formats than those sought before and this as a response to the issue of financial caution and changes in consumption habits on the part of users," said Macías. According to Getin, a Mexican Retail Analytics platform, factors such as the assortment, the value proposition on the sales floor, visual execution, and the in-store experience become decisive to attract consumers in a context of change. The annual report 'The evolution of traffic in retail 2025', prepared by the consultancy Getin, which analyzes consumer behavior in physical spaces based on several indicators, revealed that the attraction of stores to consumers plummeted 7.2 percent in shopping malls and 4.7 percent on the street. "The above explains that since the beginning of 2025, a downward trend was identified, which reflects that, although more people passed by the stores, the intention to enter them decreased," stated the report prepared by Getin. That's not all, of the people who did enter the different establishments, more people decided not to consume, in other words, the purchase conversion retreated 1 percent in shopping malls and 0.3 percent on the street in 2025, compared to 2024. In contrast, the average ticket increased 5.8 percent in malls and 5.2 percent on the street. This indicator showed an opposite behavior to the rest of the metrics, as the results reflect that consumers are willing to pay more for the product or service, even when other indicators show setbacks, according to the study. "That the physical store and the shopping mall have decreased, what it means to me is that people have no intention of entering the stores. In practical terms, the volume of 2025 was almost three times that of the previous year. "The closing of 2025 shows a rebound in the intention to open or prepare sales points, and part of that conversation already brings the 2026 World Cup to the radar. We are talking about 3 to 5 years where new consumption corridors will be created," concluded Vianey Macías. "Investors are looking for spaces for the topic of restaurants, cafeterias, and entertainment issues," stated Vianey Macías, Head of Market Research at Spot2.mx in an interview. According to the commercial real estate platform, which connects companies, brokers, and owners with commercial spaces, offices, and industrial warehouses in the country, the search for spaces has an upward trend since 2025. However, changes in consumer habits and greater care of their resources have caused a lower number of visits to physical stores of different formats, both in shopping malls and on the street. In the fourth quarter of last year, the real interest of people in finding a space in any of the main cities of the country, measured in scheduled visits to inspect the place, increased 103 percent in areas such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, according to the platform. In the annual accumulated, 2025 registered an increase of 188 percent in scheduled visits compared to 2024. "In the shopping center, what we are seeing is that it is simply becoming a topic of strolling and not so much of buying," detailed Anabell Trejo, CEO of Getin. For the Head of Market Research at Spot2.mx, Vianey Macías, the sporting event will be the turning point to consolidate new consumption corridors, thanks to the infrastructure being built. "What we will see is that all the services and infrastructure that is being carried out around the stadiums will be consolidated after that date."
