Article from: morningnewsbeat.com
Bloomberg reports on how Mexico is becoming a hot market for online retailers.
“In June,” the story says, “Amazon.com Inc. began operating in Latin America’s second-largest economy — where online retail sales, excluding travel and event tickets, are seen growing 30 percent to $5.7 billion this year, according to eMarketer. While Web-based sales from Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB, El Puerto de Liverpool SAB and others represent less than 2 percent of all purchases, more than 15 million more Mexicans will gain Internet access by 2018, eMarketer said.
“As the middle class grows and has more access to consumer loans, retailers are starting to test modified delivery options, circumventing payment obstacles that had prevented them from offering online shopping. Customers without credit cards now have options to pay in cash at delivery or even pick up packages at local convenience stores … Millennials, people currently 15 to 34 years of age, are expected to swell the pool of digital buyers to 18 million next year from 14 million last year, according to Osbaldo Franco, a research analyst at eMarketer. Millennials already make up for more than half of Internet and smartphone users in Mexico, he said.”
At the same time, Bloomberg writes, “E-commerce is part of the strategy to double Wal-Mart de Mexico’s size in the next 10 years, Antonio Ocaranza, a Walmex spokesman, said in an interview. The company is currently leading online sales in the country, accounting for 2 percent of the total, according to Euromonitor data. Walmex gives consumers the option to place orders online and pay at stores to take advantage of exclusive Internet discounts.”
