The growing preference of consumers to make their purchases online represents an opportunity for local companies and businesses, as well as those for export, which can be fully exploited during the year-end season.
According to a study by the Market Intelligence Unit of the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport), in 2021, 57% of North American consumers bought their New Year’s gifts online; 43% made their purchases before October; 25% before Thanksgiving, in November; and only 12%, in December.
“Christmas shopping has a huge impact on the economy, and in recent years we have seen an increase in the taste for doing it online. By 2022, for example, at least 80% of consumers plan to make their purchases on Amazon and at specific times where discounts are received, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Super Saturday, which is the last Saturday before Christmas. The products with the highest demand are clothing and accessories, electronics, toys, food, beverages and pets, among others”, commented Rafael Rivera, market analyst at Agexport.
the christmas market
Market opportunities exist in all industries and the Christmas season presents great potential for understanding consumption patterns. According to the study, in Latin America, food and beverages account for 17% of Christmas consumption; followed by clothing and toys with 15%; household items with 4.8%; perfumes and cosmetics with 3.8%.
In addition, he reports that Latinos are beginning to use online stores more and more for their year-end purchases, followed by department stores, clothing stores and, finally, supermarkets.
“There is a percentage of consumers who enjoy the sales, but probably do not have time to go looking for them and choose the days closest to the holidays. Having this information could make the difference between a product that reaches stores a month before the day of greatest consumption or a week later. Once you have valuable reflections on consumer behavior, it is necessary to respond with concrete actions that allow the merchant to take advantage of the opportunity presented,” added Rivera.
Today, the United States continues to be the main Christmas market in America, with a share of 59%, followed by countries such as Brazil (13%); Mexico (6%); and Peru, 1.6), which present great demand for seasonal products. “It is necessary to become familiar with what Christmas means in each of the target markets and not forget that traditional concepts can also be adapted to the needs of the market and, above all, of the consumer,” he emphasized.
local businesses
In addition to the trade opportunities for export at the end of the year, the local market also represents a window for business, since e-commerce growth has been observed in recent years.
According to Juan José Castillo, manager of Electronic Commerce of the Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce (CCG), the third Electronic Commerce Study concluded that 8 out of 10 people have made purchases online at some time, after the pandemic. In 2021, 73% of Guatemalans bought online, with a growth of 118% compared to 2020.
The study also showed that 4 out of 10 companies report a 10% to 20% increase in their online sales. In 2021 there were also 13,650 e-commerce stores, 52% more than in 2020, when 6,500 were counted, according to Castillo.
Increase in imports
The increase in commercial activity during the end of the year also occurs in terms of physical stores, which is reflected in the movement of merchandise. According to Carlos David Steiger, Logistics Competitiveness analyst at Agexport, containerized import cargo entering the Caribbean coast increased by 14%, and in the Pacific, by 19%.
According to statistics from the National Port Commission (CPN), as of August 2022, the Guatemalan port system had moved 8 million 508 thousand metric tons (MT) of containerized cargo, of which 2 million 734 thousand MT moved in Puerto Santo Tomás de Castile; 2 million 951 thousand MT in Puerto Barrios, and 2 million 823 thousand MT, in Puerto Quetzal.
In 2021, the containerized cargo mobilized by the national port system totaled 12 million 532 thousand MT, according to CPN records.
In this season, mainly products for consumption are mobilized, from the retail sector or retail trade. The merchandise that enters through the Pacific coast comes mainly from China and the United States. While those that come from Florida and some countries of the European Union, such as Spain and Germany, enter through the Caribbean, Steiger indicated.
