3 things that are different about e-commerce in Argentina

This blog post was updated on 23 August 2024.

Argentina is an attractive prospect to many businesses looking to expand internationally, and there are several reasons why.

Argentina has the third-largest economy in Latin America, behind Brazil and Mexico.

Furthermore, 89% of Argentinians currently buy online, and this figure is expected to rise even further in the future.

Here are three things about e-commerce in Argentina you need to be aware of if you want to succeed in the country.

1. The most popular e-commerce websites in Argentina

The most well-known global e-commerce websites, Amazon and eBay, are not so popular in Argentina. Instead, the most popular e-commerce marketplace in Argentina is Mercado Libre. Frávega comes in second place, followed by Carrefour and Amazon. If you want to sell your items on an online marketplace, Mercado Libre should therefore be your first choice when targeting Argentina. Mercado Libre has a similar setup to Amazon, where brands can create their own online shop and sell items through the platform.

2. “Hot Sale”

In an attempt to encourage e-commerce uptake in Argentina, the country’s government has launched an initiative called Hot Sale. Hot Sale takes place every year and promotes discounts and offers on various items when they are bought online during May. This has significantly helped the rise of e-commerce in the country. Make sure you tap into this seasonality when selling your products and coming up with your marketing materials.

3. Free delivery

The main drivers of online purchases are key indicators as to what Argentinian users value most when making their online purchasing decisions, giving you an opportunity to understand what is best to highlight in your marketing collateral and calls-to-action, so that you can convert leads into customers. Free delivery is the top driver of online purchasing behaviour in Argentina, with 59% saying this would encourage them to buy. This is followed by next-day delivery with 44% and a simple online checkout process with 40%.

Want to learn more?

I hope this blog post has given you a useful introduction to e-commerce in Argentina. For more in-depth information, read the full-length guide! The guide covers:

the current digital landscape in the country, including internet penetration rates
the typical Argentinian internet user, including their demographics and online activities
device usage breakdowns and internet speeds in Argentina
search engine marketing in Argentina
how to localise your website for Argentina
social media marketing in Argentina
the local culture and language in Argentina
e-commerce in Argentina

Carmen Cisneros

Carmen has worked in different vendor management positions since the beginning of her career, after finishing her studies in Translation and Interpreting at the University Jaume I in Spain. She prides herself on her pro-activity and helpfulness working with freelancers and translation agencies from all over the world. She helps to grow and manage Webcertain's database of suppliers as a Resources Administrator. Carmen is originally from Spain, and has been living in the UK for a year.

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