Balko, Grupo Dislub Ecuador showcase Latin American retail excellence at NACS Show 2025
Published on: Nov 3, 2025
Advertorial
Grupo Balko recaps its joint presentation with Grupo Dislub Ecuador, exploring how Latin American design, culture, and innovation are shaping the future of fuel retail.
While it’s impossible to fully convey the experience of our presentation at the NACS Show, this summary brings together several of the key ideas we aimed to share:
- Owning forms, colors, and proportions to build a distinctive brand identity.
- Using architecture and design as the foundation for brand image.
- Focusing on what consumers need rather than simply on what they want.
- Adapting project scales to suit different levels of investment.
- Achieving strong cost-benefit results in investment metrics.
The talk explored the unique mindset and cultural characteristics of Latin American retail compared to other regions. This difference is reflected in the nature of the projects developed across the region, strongly influenced by the energy matrices of countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile; contexts that differ greatly from those in developed markets. The session also highlighted how this distinct perspective enables Latin American companies to compete with much larger players globally.
The panel explored the unique mindset and cultural characteristics of Latin American retail compared to other regions. This difference is visible in how projects are conceived and executed, deeply influenced by the energy matrices of countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile—contexts that differ greatly from those in developed markets. The session highlighted how this distinct perspective enables Latin American companies to compete “hand in hand” with larger players on the global stage.
David Freidzon, from Grupo Dislub Ecuador, shared insights into how the success of their network lies in creating more than just a place to refuel. Their goal is to offer a customer experience that encourages people to stay longer, thereby increasing sales. This is achieved through striking architecture and a diverse, high-quality service offering. Convenience stores, he noted, are key in this equation, providing a space where customers can relax and enjoy the moment.
Ernesto Sister from Balko shared his technical perspective on developing a consistent brand image across an entire network, drawing on the success stories of AXION energy in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, as well as Dislub Ecuador in Brazil. He also underscored the importance of designing projects that can flexibly adapt to various investment levels.
Finally, Enrique Chardon highlighted the role of design in ensuring a brand’s lasting impression, comparing it to timeless architectural works such as the pyramids or the Colosseum, structures that endure and become icons. He explained how a company can claim ownership of a color, a shape, or an angle as a distinctive feature that sets it apart from competitors.
