In order to streamline the processes of import and export of agricultural, livestock and hydrobiological inputs and products, the virtual platform VISAR online was enabled in Guatemala.
This tool is aimed at the productive sectors, importers of products of animal and vegetable origin, agricultural inputs and exporters of agricultural, livestock and hydrobiological products, which will now reduce time in their efforts with the use of cutting-edge technology, typical of the digital era, informed the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA).
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.
Keeping online inventories as close as possible to their customers through the strategic location of emerging distribution centers, micro-distribution centers and dark stores is currently one of the most important challenges for companies.
Due to the change in consumer habits, the restrictions imposed by the pandemic and the popularization of online commerce, companies are busy optimizing their distribution channels for Internet sales.
Small warehouses located in strategic locations that serve to quickly distribute the merchandise sold online, are the type of properties that in this context of new business reality have gained ground.
When analyzing the Guatemalan market, it is reported that one of the geographic regions in which the productive activity of this sector is increasing is composed of Villa Nueva, Villa Canales and San Miguel Petapa, municipalities of the department of Guatemala that are located south of the capital of the country. This area is a commercial node that has developed quickly in recent years.
Reducing delivery times of products sold through digital channels and maintaining different supply and distribution options to face scenarios of trade restrictions are some of the challenges that companies face in this new business reality.
In Central America during 2020, companies had to adjust quickly to the demands arising from the health crisis caused by the covid-19 outbreak, as restrictions on consumer mobility and face-to-face sales were continuous.
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.
Although sales are not expected to exceed those of the 2019 Christmas season, businesses expect revenues to be robust in the context of the pandemic, a situation that could be enhanced by the dynamism of digital channels.
The spread of covid-19 generated an economic crisis, which for most of 2020 significantly affected the commercial sector. Despite the fact that in the context of the new business reality and changing consumer habits, commercial establishments are still in the process of adapting, there is optimism among businesspeople regarding end-of-year sales.
español
6779
