E-commerce grew 29% last year

Brazilian e-commerce sales reached r $ 24.12 billion figure in 2012, an increase of 29% over the previous year, according to the Brazilian Association of Commerce (ABComm).
The sectors that registered higher growth were clothing, accessories, cosmetics and appliances.
"We can say that the results are combined with increased consumption on the internet and the entry of large international groups, like Amazon, which brought oxygen to the market," says Mauricio Salvador, President of ABComm, through note sent to the press yesterday.
The study also points out that nine million Brazilians made their first purchase online in 2012.
ABComm data take into account yet sales on websites called "market places", those as free market and Rakuten, and digital content business such as trade of e-books.
The expectation of ABComm to 2013 is high, driven by digital goods consumption, such as e-books, music and movies "on demand". "The growth in sales of tablets and smartphones helps even in this evolution," said Salvador.
The trend is that competitiveness continue increasing and that major retailers Brazilians inaugurem online stores this year, in addition to the investments of international players in the country, which should continue throughout the year. "The Brazilian consumer is more confident to buy over the internet. The younger generation now entering the labour market, already were born in times of internet ".