Latin America is one of the expansion markets with the lowest barrier to entry for many brands, thanks to a language shared across much of the region and a strong cultural affinity. It is also one of the fastest-growing ecommerce regions in the world, with markets like Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina in full expansion, and a consumer with a positive perception of international and European product. The lower linguistic friction reduces adaptation costs compared with other regions, though each country keeps its own particularities.
Expand Your Ecommerce
to Latin America
Latin America is one of the fastest-growing ecommerce regions in the world: hundreds of millions of digital consumers, double-digit growth year after year and a market with a strong affinity for international brands. Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Argentina are home to millions of buyers who value international and European product. But Latin America is not one market: logistics, payment methods, taxation and buying habits vary enormously from one country to another, and even the shared Spanish language changes from country to country.
At STRAT we help ecommerce brands expand to Latin America, integrating paid media, email marketing and Shopify under a strategy adapted to each country in the region.
Why it is worth selling in Latin America
Latin America offers a combination hard to find in other markets: a large share of the region shares a single language, Spanish, which lowers the barrier to entry, a cultural affinity that makes communication easier, and an ecommerce that grows double digits year after year. Mexico is already one of the largest ecommerce markets in the world, Brazil leads the region in volume, and countries like Colombia, Chile and Peru show accelerated growth. The Latin American consumer has a positive perception of international and European product, especially in fashion, beauty and food. For a brand with a differentiated product, it is an expansion with enormous potential and, across much of the region, less linguistic friction than other markets.
What you need to know to sell in Mexico, Colombia and the rest of Latin America
A shared language is an advantage across much of the region, but Latin America is not a single market, it is many different markets with their own rules. Selling successfully depends on understanding each country's particularities. These are the factors to master before and during the expansion.
Logistics, customs and tariffs
Logistics is one of the region's biggest challenges. Delivery times, international shipping costs and customs handling vary a lot between countries, and some have complex import processes or high tariffs. Defining the right logistics model (direct cross-border shipping, local storage or hybrid models) is decisive for offering competitive times and costs. In markets like Brazil or Argentina, customs requires special attention.
Local payment methods
It is one of the most critical and most ignored factors. In Latin America, the penetration of the international credit card is lower than in other regions, and cash payment and local methods carry an enormous weight. Solutions like OXXO in Mexico, PSE in Colombia, Boleto in Brazil or Mercado Pago across the whole region are expected by the consumer. Instalment payment (cuotas) is also a deeply rooted cultural practice. Offering the right local payment methods can multiply your conversion.
Taxation and taxes
Taxation varies by country and can be complex. Import taxes, local VAT, withholdings and thresholds change from one market to another, and some countries have especially demanding regimes. Tax planning by country from the start avoids surprises and lets you set competitive prices without eroding the margin.
Legal framework and consumer protection
Each country has its own ecommerce, consumer-protection, labelling and guarantee regulations. Some markets have strict rules on returns, buyer information or product registration. Adapting the operation and the policies to local regulation is necessary to operate without risk.
Cultural particularities by country
Even though a language is shared across much of the region, the Spanish of Mexico is not that of Argentina, and buying habits, cultural references and sensibilities vary. The communication, the creatives and the tone must adapt to each country, not apply a "neutral" Spanish that connects with no one. Understanding the differences between markets is what makes the brand feel close.
Channels and buying habits
Latin America is an intensely social and mobile region. Instagram, TikTok and Facebook have very high penetration, and WhatsApp is a first-order sales and customer-service channel, far more so than in other regions. The consumer researches, asks questions and buys through these channels. This shapes the paid media, service and retention strategy.
Why expand to Latin America with STRAT?
We are not a generalist agency that also dabbles in internationalisation. We work exclusively with ecommerce and have supported brands in their expansion to Latin America, with real knowledge of the differences between markets: we know that selling in Mexico is not the same as selling in Chile or Colombia, and that a shared language does not remove the need to adapt logistics, payments and communication to each country.
We apply that experience with a team officially certified by Meta, Google, Shopify, Klaviyo and Omnisend, integrating acquisition, retention and technology into a single strategy adapted to the region. We are also a Klaviyo Partner with coverage in Latin America. Every decision is made with business judgement and reported connected to the P&L.
How we help your brand
sell in Latin America
We apply to your Latin American expansion the three pillars that define an ecommerce's growth, adapted to each country's particularities. We do not manage isolated channels, we build a complete system of acquisition, retention and conversion designed for the region.
Paid Media for the Latin American market
Diseñamos y gestionamos campañas adaptadas a cada país de la región: segmentación por mercado, creatividades y mensajes adaptados a cada cultura local, y aprovechamiento del altísimo consumo de social de la región. Ajustamos la inversión a las particularidades de coste y competencia de cada país, considerando los costes logísticos y de operación.
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Email Marketing and Retention
Construimos el canal de retención con Klaviyo y Omnisend adaptado a Latinoamérica: flujos localizados por país, integración de WhatsApp como canal clave en la región, adaptación a las estacionalidades locales (como el Hot Sale en México o el CyberDay en Chile) y estrategias de recompra que maximizan el LTV. En un mercado de expansión, la retención es lo que rentabiliza la inversión en captar clientes nuevos.
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Shopify Development and CRO
Preparamos tu tienda Shopify para vender en Latinoamérica con Shopify Markets: gestión de monedas locales, configuración de los métodos de pago que el consumidor espera (OXXO, PSE, Mercado Pago, pago en cuotas), adaptación de la experiencia de compra a cada mercado y optimización de la conversión. Una tienda que no ofrece los medios de pago locales pierde la mayoría de las ventas, por muy buena que sea la campaña.
Read more→Our latest case studies
Do you want to expand your ecommerce to Latin America?
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A shared language lowers the barrier, but the Spanish of Mexico, Argentina, Colombia or Chile has differences, and buying habits, cultural references and sensibilities vary by country. On top of that, logistics, payment methods and taxation are completely different in each market. Using a “neutral” Spanish and a single operation for the whole region is one of the most common mistakes. The strategy is adapted country by country.
It is one of the most critical factors. The penetration of the international credit card is lower than in other regions, and local methods are essential: OXXO in Mexico, PSE in Colombia, Boleto in Brazil, Mercado Pago across the whole region, among others. Instalment payment (in cuotas) is also a deeply rooted cultural practice. Offering the right local payment methods is decisive for conversion.
Logistics is one of the region’s biggest challenges, with times, costs and customs processes that vary a lot between countries. Depending on the volume and the market, a direct cross-border shipping model, local storage or hybrid models may be worthwhile. Defining the right logistics model for each country is key to offering competitive times and costs, especially in markets with complex customs.
A much more important role than in other regions. In Latin America, WhatsApp is a first-order sales, customer-service and retention channel. Consumers ask, enquire and buy through it naturally. Integrating it into the communication and retention strategy, along with email, is key to connecting with the region’s consumer.
Yes, and it is usually advisable. Starting with one market (Mexico and Colombia are common entry points for their size and relative ease) lets you validate the expansion with controlled investment before scaling to the rest of the region. We define the entry country based on your product, your category and each market’s potential, and we expand progressively.