Companies that offer their customers mobile and digital payment options, and also have cybersecurity mechanisms for fraud prevention, are the ones that will be able to take advantage of their position in this context of e-commerce boom.
The pandemic has considerably changed consumer habits, because of the quarantine decreed in the countries of the region, people prefer to spend more time at home, a phenomenon that forced companies to offer their customers online shopping options.
Within the framework of the fiscal adjustment being discussed in El Salvador in order to sign an agreement with the IMF, local authorities intend to apply VAT, ISR and other specific taxes to companies that sell their products and services online.
At the beginning of March, the Ministry of Finance informed that El Salvador is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to obtain a loan of approximately $1.3 billion.
In Costa Rica, most of the customers who make purchases through digital channels are young women, a good part of this group of people resides in San Jose and buy through social networks.
E-commerce has become important in all markets, especially since the declaration of emergency due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and the restrictions on the mobility of people imposed by Central American governments.
Accurately calculating freight costs and delivery times to make online sales profitable for companies are, in this context of the e-commerce rise, some of the most important challenges for the retail sector.
The changes in consumer habits reported in the context of the new commercial reality, which arose quickly as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and the restrictions imposed on mobility, have forced companies to transform the way they operate.
Once Cauca IV comes into force, Costa Rican consumers will be exempted from paying duties on Internet purchases made abroad by Costa Rican consumers that do not exceed $500.
The fourth version of the Central American Uniform Customs Code (Cauca IV) will take effect as of May 1 and according to Costa Rican authorities, the exoneration of duties will only apply to family shipments.
DÚ, a digital platform that allows passengers to make online purchases at the Juan Santamaria Airport, began operating on February 22 at the air terminal.
The new "marketplace" platform operates on the website www.dushop.cr and for the moment only offers products from Britt Café Bakery and Britt Shop Costa Rica, of Morpho Travel Retail.
In Costa Rica, Panama and Honduras, interest in e-commerce services rebounded in January 2021 and in El Salvador and Guatemala, the number of Internet searches associated with the topic has not reported significant variations in recent months.
Through a system that monitors in real time the changes in the interests and preferences of consumers in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project demand trends in the short and long term, for the different products, services, sectors and markets operating in the region.
In order to force companies to comply with the payment of taxes on sales made through electronic channels, as of June 2021 SAT will begin to use a digital platform that will analyze the information that appears on social networks.
The restrictions on mobility decreed during 2020 due to the outbreak of covid-19 and the change in consumption habits, boosted the growth of online sales in the Guatemalan market.
Mawi and Tenndo are recently created digital platforms that in the Costa Rican market will be dedicated to commercialize services and products of SMEs and independent professionals through the Internet.
Given the accelerated emergence of the new commercial reality and the change in people's consumption habits, online sales have gained ground, since due to the covid-19 outbreak consumers prefer to stay at home longer.
Investing in automatic learning systems to offer the most appropriate products for each consumer and to strengthen the relationship between customers and manufacturers, are strategies that could improve the income of online stores.
With the arrival of a new commercial reality, e-commerce passed from being the future of several businesses, to the present of companies dedicated to the commercialization of all types of products and services.
Lincoln Plaza began operating a virtual platform in which customers can purchase products that are sold in the physical stores that already operate in the property.
EPK, Uno Sports, Claire's, Totto, Xiami, Miniso, TOYS, Liberia Internacional, Opticas Munkel, Aldo Nero, Ibiza and GNC, are some of the stores that will offer their products through the new digital platform.
Due to restrictions on mobility, the increase in online shopping and changes in consumer habits, the volume of international and local package movements in Costa Rica is showing an upward trend.
Due to the spread of covid-19, Costa Rican authorities decided to restrict people's mobility and impose social distancing measures. These factors were determining factors for consumers to begin changing their purchasing habits.
When mobility restrictions were decreed due to the covid-19 outbreak, interest in e-commerce services rebounded in all Central American markets, but, in the last few weeks a decrease in the number of Internet searches associated with the topic has been reported.
Through a system that monitors in real time changes in consumer interests and preferences in Central American countries, developed by CentralAmericaData, it is possible to project short and long term demand trends for the different products, sectors and markets operating in the region.
Maintaining proper inventories to meet demand, having a robust logistics system and an electronic sales channel that protects your customers when they make a purchase, are part of the challenges that businesses face in this new reality.
With "Black Friday" and Christmas approaching, commercial establishments in the region are beginning to apply their sales and promotion strategies, with which they will try to recover part of their income.
When comparing July and October 2020, the number of consumers in the country who were exploring options to buy a Ford brand vehicle through the Internet increased 30%, and the number of people looking to buy a photographic lens decreased 29%.
CentralAmericaData's interactive platform, Consumer Insights, monitors in real time changes in consumer habits in all markets in the region and in other Latin American countries, with fundamental information to understand their behavior, new trends and anticipate eventual changes in their purchase patterns.