Previous economic crises forced companies in Latin America to reduce costs, but the COVID-19 pandemic compelled retailers to ramp up investment in ecommerce, embrace a digital-first agenda, and meet the growing demands of more technologically savvy consumers.

Mercado Libre is the clear winner in retail ecommerce sales. At $13.08 billion, the company’s sales were almost as much as the other six, which had combined sales of $13.27 billion in H1 2021.