Starting in September, Hugo App will offer companies in the region an online store service, which will include a website, logistics, electronic invoicing and inventory management.
The new tool of the application of Salvadoran origin will be called Hugo Business, platform that will begin to operate from September 1st in Guatemala, and in the case of El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Dominican Republic, will begin in October.
Placing the most essential products on the website, establishing partnerships with specialized companies to ensure the shipping and delivery of orders on time, are some of the tips for companies to develop e-commerce in the new business reality.
How to reach customers, implement or enhance the digital sales channel in this context of health crisis, are some of the issues that reveal today to many Central American companies.
Restrictions on the movement of people test the ability of companies to survive, since in the new business reality it is not enough to have a website to market products, as customers demand effective sales and delivery systems.
In early April, when Guatemala was just beginning its quarantine due to the covid-19 outbreak and the government began banning the movement of people after 4 p.m., some customers reported that the online sales systems of the country's large fast food restaurant chains collapsed in the face of increased demand.
Less impulsive and more reasoned purchasing decisions and the search for product and supplier information on the Internet and social networks are some of the characteristics of consumers in the new business environment.
Given the spread of covid-19, health authorities in Central American countries have been forced to restrict the mobility of people and have chosen to close most commercial establishments.
Personal care items, vehicle accessories, food and beverages are some of the products most demanded by consumers, who have migrated to digital platforms to make their purchases.
In the current scenario of confinement due to the health crisis in the region, consumers have disappeared from physical stores and have migrated to digital platforms to buy their products.
While the health emergency lasts in El Salvador, online purchases made by individuals from U.S. companies, which do not exceed $200, will not pay taxes.
In response to the outbreak of covid-19 in the country, the Law on Facilitation of Online Purchases was issued, which allows for the promotion and facilitation of the import of goods or merchandise of a non-commercial nature, i.e.
In a situation where consumers are less and less willing to spend their time on the move, and where they value the convenience businesses provide when shopping, digital supermarkets are beginning to gain market in the region.
New companies that have emerged as supermarkets that do not have physical sales areas and are operated entirely online have found acceptance in some Central American countries.
Changes in consumer preferences, which increasingly value ease, convenience and time savings in their purchases, are forcing companies to strengthen their online marketing channels to stay in competition.
Several companies that have not developed their digital marketing channels in time have gone bankrupt because of the growing competition represented by online sales.
The preference for electronic financial transactions increases everyday, but the trend is to migrate to contactless payments, which will allow consumers to make their purchases 10 times faster than the traditional way.
Specialists in the subject explain that unlike the payment methods that until now are the most used in the region, contactless payments simply consist of holding a card in a payment reader to proceed with the transaction.
Starting in August, Correos de Costa Rica will implement a web portal called "Marketplace", which will be focused on marketing products of micro, small and medium enterprises.
The new portal will offer the functionalities of online payments, delivery logistics through the Pymexpress service, in addition to allowing companies to implement marketing campaigns, as well as the generation and use of QR codes.
In Costa Rica, 36% of grocery stores and retail outlets have card payment systems, and on average they sell 27% more than those that do not have the service.
The data, which was collected between April and July of this year and is part of a study conducted by Fundes, shows that 44% of these types of businesses have bank accounts and 83% of establishments have an internet connection.
The telecommunications company Tigo has received legal backing to operate as the first provider of an electronic money service in El Salvador.
The company announced that due to compliance with the requirements required by local law, the Superintendency of the Financial System authorized the operation in the Salvadoran market in accordance with the regulations issued by the Central Reserve Bank.
With the aim of strengthening the legal framework for electronic commerce and facilitating the management of certifications, the Electronic Commerce Association was created in Guatemala.
The new chamber will be able to affiliate all types of companies, and its main purposes are strengthening entrepreneurship, specialized training through certifications, and the promotion of rules and legal regulations for the sector.
In 2017, the amount of electronic payment services provided totaled $40.510 billion, which represented about three times the value of Nicaraguan GDP.
In 2017 the value of transactions increased by 15.6% with respect to 2016, behavior explained mainly by a greater dynamism in the operations of the Automated Clearing House (ACH), as these grew by 198%, while BCN operations did so by 7.8%.