Shopping in foreign sites will move R $7.5 billion

São Paulo-shopping in foreign sites (the so-called cross border e-commerce) must grow at higher rates this year, driven by Brazilian search for lower prices and a more controlled setting the exchange rate. The projection of the Brazilian Association of Commerce (Abcomm) is that the Bill R $7.5 billion in consolidated (or US $ $2.5 billion).
Last year, according to data of the entity, the virtual shopping platform out of Brazil moved R $7.1 billion ($ $2.3 billion). The value represented 16% of the total revenues of the Brazilian e-commerce, R $44 billion. If the prediction, the amount will register this year advance of 7% in reais and 8.7% in dollars.
The President of the Association, Mauricio Salvador, remember that purchases in foreign sites showing significant growth came from 2012 to 2015, but lost a bit of strength last year, when the advance was of 4% (see chart). "From 2012 to 2015 cross border purchases had a very strong growth. With the dollar, triggered fierce crisis and high unemployment they decelerate in 2016, "he says. For this year, he believes that the start mode to resume a bit of pace seen in previous years.
The Ebit, company specializing in market research on e-commerce, does not yet have an estimate for the performance of the year. The company President, Pedro Guasti, says, however, that the trend is that the more controlled setting of the dollar benefit from shopping. "As the dollar was more under control this year, it certainly stimulated the market," he says.
Apart from economic factors, the main aspect that takes Brazilians to buy on sites from abroad are the lower prices of the products. Research credit protection service (SPC Brazil) and the National Confederation of Merchants Leaders (CNDL) shows that the lower values were cited by 76 percent of Brazilians as the main advantage of consuming on platforms outside the Country. Other aspects pointed to were the ability to find products that are not available in Brazil (53%) and the variety of items (48%).
The price difference is striking, according to Guasti, the Ebit. "In some categories, like clothing, the values become 80% smaller. For the price that you would buy a play in Brazil you can buy four international sites, "he says. He complements that, in time of crisis, the factor is a major attraction for the Brazilians, who end up with points like the extensive period of delivery and the possibility of the item being held by the IRS. The distinction between prices is such that compensates for the potential tax expenditures.
Despite the scenario, the study of SPC Brazil showed that there is a concern of the Brazilian with the deadline and the possibility of the product will not be given or withheld by the IRS. The risks appear as major disadvantages to consumers and stimulate, according to the CEO of Ebit, which Brazilians buy products with low average ticket. "There is also the possibility of exchanges or refund. This stimulates the purchase of cheaper products: Accessories for smartphones and tablets, for example, "he says.
The average ticket, according to Abcomm, should turn this year around £ $196, just above the value registered last year, when the average spending of Brazilians in foreign sites was about R $180. The President of the entity also points out that the average ticket less due to the fear that the product is not delivered. "Because of this, the consumer does not risk with more expensive items," he says.
Inverse path
If the Brazilian shopping websites abroad have grown in recent years, the reverse path is still uncommon in Brazil. Sites are rare or national brands that sell products to other countries through trade, despite the work that has been done by market forces to stimulate this type of practice.
"The cross border e-commerce is a two-way street, but it is still little used by our market," sums up the President of the Brazilian Society of retail and consumption (SBVC), Eduardo Earth. According to him, the main factor that inhibits the Brazilian retailers is ignorance. The theme of the cross border sale started being discussed recently in the industry, and many brands still have a misperception, second Earth, that the process is complex to be implementing. "Companies think that is something complicated, but there are simple ways to have cross border". He says global marketplaces, like Alibaba and Amazon, are an interesting outlet for Brazilian brands sell abroad, since they offer all logistics structure and a support on regulatory issues.
The difficulty of offering products at a competitive price is another aspect that hinders the growth of the practice among Brazilian stores. Just limiting factor also cross border sales only to a few specific categories. "It's an opportunity for exclusive brands that make Brazilian success out there and they could conquer new markets by the virtual retail," says Land.
The lack of Brazilian brands leveraging the possibility of cross border e-commerce makes the practice to become a competitor for national stores, without generating a positive contribution to the sector. The President of Abcomm, Salvador, States that the purchase of Brazilian foreign sites impacts the national commerce. "When the consumer buys a product outside, he ends up leaving the purchase of a national store," he points out.
The topic, however, still does not generate much concern among the members of the entity, not justifying that the Association take any measure. "Despite being a competition, we see between members that there is a complaint or concern in relation to the impact."
Guasti, Ebit, considering that the competition is still very restricted for some categories of products, generating a significant loss for large retail stores. "The assortment in international purchase is low-value products. So the competition is more with non-professional sellers than with structured stores ", says the Executive.