E-commerce activity has grown tenfold since 2000 in peso terms. Argentina has over 37 million internet users, the third highest percentage in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico. According to the Argentine Chamber of Information and Communications (CICOMRA), in 2022 Argentina had 26 million urban households with access to computers and 82 percent connected to the internet. Nine out of 10 people use a cell phone, and nine out of 10 use the internet. Network expansion is increasing the availability of WiFi connections in public and privately-owned spaces. The Argentine Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CACE) reports that 95 percent of connected Argentine adults (19 million people) have made online purchases at least once. E-commerce in Argentina experienced rapid growth of 87 percent in 2022. Seventy-eight percent of total sales were made by credit card.
Clothes and sporting products are the most popular products sold online in Argentina. But Argentines are also buying higher revenue generating products online including sound/image equipment, cellular phones, beverages, cleaning products, furniture, home goods, as well as entertainment, tourism, and travel services.
In 2022, one third of Argentine companies selling online opened or rented a special warehouse for their digital sales and recruited personnel for their ecommerce department. More than half of these companies stated that their sales online represent 30% of all their revenues.
Additionally, online sales outside of greater Buenos Aires continue to grow as the variety of available local products is more limited. Improved delivery services provide an important incentive for these sales. U.S. products and services are usually sold through the websites of local importers. Alternatively, popular e-commerce websites, such as MercadoLibre, are widely used, as are social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Whatsapp, and Instagram.
With consumer prefernces increasingly looking towards e-commerce for products and services, the sector in Argentina will continue to grow with players in the market likely to consolidate.