12 • November / December 2026• abasto.com Special PLMA insert FIVE COUNTRIES, ONE QUESTION: HOW CAN WE BECOME BETTER RETAILERS BY 2027? come to work? In a supermarket, em- ployees aren’t just behind the customer experience. They are part of the expe- rience. Task for 2027: better tra- in, listen to, and recognize our teams. It’s not enough to get them to show up. Let’s make it worthwhile; our store managers bear the greatest responsibility. CHILE: OUR PHYSICAL STORE IS NOW THE PREMIER RETAIL MEDIA PLATFORM Chile is at the forefront of retail media in Latin Ame- rica. Its sophistication is impressive, but, as in the United States, it seems we’re looking too much at screens and not enough at our aisles. A study by dunnhumby found that in-store displays were the most influential retail media format among U.S. consumers, surpas- sing online ads and perso- nalized recommendations. For Hispanic supermar- kets, this is a huge oppor- tunity. Brands want to reach our consumers. We already have them in our aisles, making decisions. Goal for 2027: Explore how screens, tastings, di- gital signage, promotions, and experiences can bring the store to life and allow brands to influence and measure conversion. PERU: PROTECT WITHOUT INTIMIDATING In Peru, I spoke at the launch of the country’s first major shrinkage study. The global statistic on in-store losses is alarming: $4 trillion. Technology is advancing in hardware, analytics, and applied artificial inte- lligence. But the challen- ge I posed to the Peruvian industry was: how does the honest customer feel when faced with all that technology? We can protect mer- chandise so much that we end up telling the custo- mer, “I don’t trust you.” Task for 2027: Invest in better control systems, but evaluate them on two criteria: how much they reduce our losses and how much they contribute to a safe, pleasant experience. Let’s protect inventory without making custo- mers feel watched or lo- sing trust. We toured Carrefour in Madrid with Spanish retail experts and retail executives from Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia. • Continues on page 14 BY RAMÓN PORTILLA, FOUNDER OF HUMANX INSIGHTS AND EXPERT IN HUMANISTIC LEADERSHIP 2 026 was a year of many kilometers. I had the opportunity to speak about retail and the human experience in Spain, Chile, Peru, Mexi- co, and the United States. These included conferen- ces, conversations with leaders, projects, and many store visits, where I witnessed innovation and saw how our employees serve customers. The markets are diffe- rent, but I was surprised by how similar some of their challenges are. That’s why, instead of predictions for 2027, I’m sharing five things I learned and, above all, what those of us who serve Hispanic consumers in the United States can do with them. SPAIN: MAKING COMING TO WORK WORTHWHILE Spain faces a major absen- teeism problem. During the second quarter of 2026, absenteeism accounted for 7.2% of agreed-upon wor- king hours, and more than 1.6 million people missed work every day. The problem, also evident elsewhere in the world, is a symptom of weaknesses in employee retention and en- gagement. I was left with a question: What can we do to make our employees want to