Around 15% of consumers in Brazil purchase goods from online supermarkets, a new study by the Association of Supermarkets of Sao Paulo (Apas) and the Ibope Inteligência's Connection Panel has revealed.
The practice was found to be most common among young people aged between 16 and 24 years, with the Southeastern part of the country reporting the highest online order rate of 16%.
The study included more than 2,000 respondents, who were above the age of 16 and from different social classes and regions.
Other Findings
Top in the list of purchases were personal hygiene products (57%), utilities (50%), and cleaning products (46%).
A wide range of products and economical pricing were found to be motivating factors behind the increase in online purchases.
Demand For Food Items
Another study conducted by PwC has highlighted the growing demand for food items among Brazilian consumers in the e-commerce channel.
In 2016, only 6% of consumers said they planned to buy food online, this year the figure is expected to reach almost 25%.
Research conducted by the Brazilian Supermarket Association (ABRAS) indicates that the e-commerce channel grew 12% year-on-year in 2018, to R$ 53.4 billion (€12.2 billion).
The categories that registered the highest growth were perfumes, cosmetics, and health products, accounting for 15% of all orders.
Food and beverages accounted for 2.5% of orders.
Forecast
In 2019, the online sales channel is forecast to grow 15% to R$ 61 billion (€13.9 billion) in the country.
While Brazil is a leading market for online sales in Latin America, internet connection problems, sales concentration in the Southeast, logistical challenges, issues related to infrastructure, taxes, and costs are affecting the growth of e-commerce in Brazil.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
