Brazil is the 4th largest internet market in the world, with 140 million internet users and 41.1 million digital buyers, according to eMarketer. The buyers’ profile, according to the latest Ebit’s Webshoppers report, shows that women slightly outnumber men when it comes to online shopping, representing 51.8% of e-consumers.
Brazil has a vast territory, but demand seems to be concentrated geographically in the south and southeast regions, with a 13.7% and 64.5% share respectively. With regards to income, it’s worth noting that 40% of online purchases are made by the lower income class D, with a monthly family income of under BRL 3,000 (aprox. $ 1000). Income classes C and D together represent 73% of Brazilian digital buyers.
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), for 54% of Brazilians, competitive prices are the main reason to buy online. Another important motivation is convenience, cited by 42% of the respondents. This can be justified by the huge distances in Brazil, which makes it difficult to have all products available within a reasonable radius, as well as traffic jams and lack of parking spaces in big commercial areas.
A survey held by Conecta last June, identified that Brazilian e-consumers tend to purchase a broad range of products digitally. For example, 50% of users older than 16 purchased products online from eight different product categories, ranging from appliances and clothes to shoes and books.
The survey also showed that none of these categories was evidently dominant, with each of the eight main ones being cited by 54% to 60% of the respondents. Other relevant product categories are pharmacy (42%), food delivery (42%), airline tickets (39%) and groceries (27%). Higher priced products, such as cars, also made it into the list. However, the category was mentioned by only 15% of the interviewees.