Online retail activity across Latin America is expected to hit $215.31 billion this year, according to a report issued by consulting firm Endeavor in collaboration with e-commerce operator MercadoLibre. The analysis finds the region's e-commerce expansion outpaces the global market, growing at roughly 1.5 times the world average.
That growth, however, is unevenly distributed. The report notes that a small number of national markets dominate the region's online spending - Argentina, Brazil and Mexico together will account for nearly 85% of the region's e-commerce sales in 2025. This concentration underscores where most consumer activity and platform investment are focused.
Mobile commerce is the prevailing mode of purchase across the region. The study reports that 84% of online transactions are completed on smartphones, indicating a consumer base that primarily accesses digital stores via mobile devices rather than desktop platforms.
Despite rising sales, consumer loyalty to platforms is fragile. The research finds nearly half of shoppers would stop buying from a marketplace after a single bad experience. Delivery delays and difficulties with returns are cited among the common pain points that erode trust and prompt shoppers to switch platforms.
Price and policy transparency rank highly with consumers: roughly three-quarters of those surveyed described clarity around pricing and policies as very important. By contrast, fewer than one in three described personalization as very important. The report interprets this split as an indication that platforms may be allocating significant resources to personalization and recommendation systems while not sufficiently addressing operational basics such as fulfillment and returns.
Looking beyond marketplaces themselves, the study describes e-commerce platforms as only "the tip of the iceberg." It expects firms operating in the sector to expand into adjacent services, including payments, credit and logistics, as they seek additional revenue streams and deeper integration with customer needs.
The findings present a picture of a rapidly growing but still operationally sensitive market, where user experience on core functions - delivery, returns and clear pricing - appears to be a decisive factor in whether consumers remain loyal to a platform.