B2C E-Commerce has benefitted from the growth of the middle class in Brazil, but consumers from lower income groups also have begun to be comfortable shopping online. There were over 40 million online shoppers in Brazil in H1 2013, with the number expected to top half a hundred millions by the end of 2013.
The B2C E-Commerce market grew by a two-digit percentage in 2012, with higher growth expected in 2013, to reach a small two-digit number in EUR billion. Internet penetration encourages further growth of E-Commerce; over half of the population is expected to be covered by Internet access by the end of this year. Price comparison websites were popular among internet users, with the highest ranking site having more visitors than the sites of top retailers.
The leading product category among purchasers in Brazilian B2C E-Commerce in 2012 was household appliances, however, in the first half of this year fashion and accessories went to the forefront in sales.
Among the noticeable trends on the growing B2C E-Commerce market in Brazil are M-Commerce and cross-border shopping. In the first half 2013, the mobile channel almost tripled its share on total B2C E-Commerce sales, and the penetration of smartphones and tablets continues. Moreover, cross-border online shopping was popular in Brazil.
The most purchased product categories in cross-border B2C E-Commerce in 12 months to July 2013 were computer hardware and personal electronics; the most popular countries to shop from were the USA and China. Regarding delivery options, over half of the B2C E-Commerce orders placed in 2012 were with free delivery. Of the payment methods, credit card was the most used, followed by Boleto Bancario, a local interbank payment system.
Brazil based merchants such as online marketplace MercadoLibre, B2W digital with several E-Commerce platforms and Buscape, a price comparison website, had strong positions on the B2C E-Commerce market. These local players were increasingly challenged by international companies, such as Wal-Mart and EBay, which were attracted by the market potential, especially in anticipation of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
As the B2C E-Commerce industry has become more significant, the Brazilian government saw the need to update its regulations: since May 2013, online shops in the country are obliged to provide a registration number and full contact details for the customers’ convenience. Even though the rules for E-Commerce have changed and there are logistics and payment challenges to overcome, merchants and consumers both are increasingly comfortable with online retail sales.
