QCOSTARICA – With Black Friday, Cyber Monday, as well as the approaching Christmas season, choosing where to buy gifts becomes a momentous decision.
And the offer between physical stores, national virtual platforms and international online stores that offer the option of importing products presents a range of options for consumers, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, which is why it is crucial to carefully consider each variable when making a decision.
Regardless of the option chosen, it is important not to leave purchases to the last minute, since this could have consequences that can range from purchasing products at higher prices, to longer delivery times due to demand that prevents having the item on the desired date, as well as out of stock, according to experts.
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After the Coronavirus pandemic, virtual and physical commerce have found a point of convergence, adopting the strengths of each to compete for more customers, considering that by 2025 it is estimated that the growth of buyers through electronic means will be 20% in Latin America, according to data from Statista.com, a German online platform that specializes in data gathering and visualization.
“In a context in which physical commerce has come back, one of the most important challenges for businesses is to integrate both ways of selling. For there to be an experience that translates into true differentiating value, the use of new technologies is the mechanism not only to integrate both realities, but also to capture the attention of increasingly demanding consumers,” says Jair Cuervo, director of the Center for SAP Excellence for Latin America and the Caribbean.
This is how local distribution channels have taken advantage of the benefits of digitalization, adding added values such as the possibility of delivery in less time and national guarantees.
Online stores that import products have an advantage due to the fact that customers can obtain recently released products from abroad that aren’t available in Costa Rica, which is a major plus.
“Thanks to Christmas, many companies have the opportunity to make themselves known and create a brand reputation for future peaks in online shopping. However, these (peak) dates also represent challenges in aspects such as digitalization and technology, to provide greater agility, flexibility, profitability, productivity and effectiveness,” explains Sebastián Sack, vice president of the company Noventiq Latin America.
According to the experts
“Buying from a local e-commerce has many benefits such as shorter delivery times by having the inventory already nationalized in the country, instead of risking the package having problems at customs. Also the guarantee and local reputation, the latter important as it is easier to find out if the business is reliable, versus a foreign one,” Roberto Jiménez of Unimart, a virtual product store with local stock.
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“Another important fact is the transparency in the price, given that the one published must be the final one with taxes, no surprises, with additional costs that may arise when bringing an item from abroad; without forgetting that local commerce generates jobs and promotes economic growth in the community,” added Jiménez.
Alejandro Lopez of CostaRicaYa.com (product import platform): “Among the advantages are that, from the comfort of your home or office, you can search and select the desired item among millions of available options, with accurate information on each product and delivery time. All our products have a full 30-day warranty covering defects in performance and quality, as well as the option to return it within seven days of the delivery date in case the product is not to your liking.”
From Andrea Gonzalez of Samsung Costa Rica: “Choosing Samsung is the best option for our customers, because when they purchase our products locally they benefit from robust guarantees adapted to provide complete satisfaction and efficient support, close to home.”
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From, Huawei Costa Rica, Laura Quiros said: “For many years, we have proven as a brand that what customers like is immediate gratification, therefore, sometimes waiting is not their greatest desire. In the coming times, many consumers even prefer to wait one or two weeks in the local market to obtain the product they like at a better price and immediately.”
Technologies as e-commerce enhancers
In the context of a convergence between the physical and virtual world, companies known for traditionally offering in-person shopping experiences have integrated some of these emerging innovations to increase their sales.
Augmented reality: One of the uses of these tools is that they can make it easier for users to virtually try and view some products, such as clothing or even furniture and makeup, an immersive experience that can even reduce physical visits to stores to try a product.
Artificial intelligence: Based on these processes, e-commerce can implement chatbots, as automated tools that answer buyers’ questions, technology that is based on the identification of patterns to send predetermined responses to the most common queries.
Cloud Computing: This is used to store and manage data, run applications, open emails and execute the actions corresponding to the operation of a company without the need for a physical connection to the office, allowing the sales force and clients to access the information necessary to operate efficiently. immediate from any point.
Furthermore, in the local market, brands provide warranty conditions that can sometimes even be improved.
Also, when buying locally, the conditions of the final product can also be personally checked by the buyer and avoid the risk of a product arriving damaged and having to subsequently proceed with a claim, which in the end will delay the purchase.
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