In an increasingly competitive, dynamic, and digital market, retail has become one of the most relevant sectors for the Latin American economy.
From large multinational chains to small local businesses, retail encompasses a wide variety of formats, channels, and strategies that directly impact the daily lives of millions of consumers.
But what are the real advantages of retail? What benefits does this model offer to both companies and consumers? What is e-retail, what defines retail in Latin America, and what role does system integration play today in enabling efficient operations and frictionless growth?
In this article, we’ll help you understand why retail remains a key economic driver in the region—and how Weavee can become your strategic ally for scalable growth.
Retail (or retail commerce) refers to the sale of goods or services directly to the end consumer, through physical stores, digital channels, or a combination of both. In other words, it's the last link in the supply chain and the direct point of contact with customers.
The advantages of the retail model are numerous:
Retail in Latin America has unique traits that set it apart from other markets:
Large international chains coexist with an extensive network of SMEs and local businesses. This diversity creates a broad ecosystem, but also brings challenges in terms of standardization and technological integration.
The region leads global e-commerce growth, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 11% between 2024 and 2028. In countries like Mexico and Brazil, e-commerce accounts for more than 50% of total retail growth.
With a penetration rate of 72% in 2023 and a projected 85% by 2028, mobile devices are the main digital access channel—driving the development of m-commerce and mobile POS systems.
87% of retail executives in the region consider omnichannel to remain their main strategy. Consumers expect a seamless experience across both physical and digital channels.
Following a 25% loss in purchasing power since 2020, consumers place greater importance on price, promotions, and flexible payment options. This pushes retailers to be more agile, efficient, and competitive.
While many large companies are moving toward modern tech architectures, a significant portion of the sector—especially SMEs—still operates with legacy, on-premise systems or lacks real integration across platforms.
What is e-retail and what are its advantages?
E-retail (electronic retail) refers to the sale of goods or services directly to end consumers through digital channels such as online stores, marketplaces, mobile apps, and social media.
Its main advantages include:
From the consumer’s perspective, retail—especially e-retail—offers:
Latin American consumers are increasingly connected, informed, and demanding. Companies that fail to properly integrate their systems won’t be able to deliver the level of experience today’s shoppers expect.
In a context of digital growth, operational efficiency pressures, and high competition, system integration in retail is no longer optional—it’s essential.
This means seamlessly and in real-time connecting the business’s core systems:
When these systems are not integrated:
System integration allows you to automate processes, unify data, respond to the market faster, cut costs, and improve the omnichannel experience. In short, it’s the technological foundation for scaling a retail business sustainably.
Weavee is an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) designed to connect technology systems in complex and heterogeneous environments, like the Latin American retail sector.
With Weavee, you can:
In short, Weavee turns fragmented tech architecture into a connected, efficient ecosystem ready for growth.
Retail in Latin America offers enormous advantages for both businesses and consumers. Its dynamism, adaptability, and economic significance make it a key sector in the region.
However, it also faces complex challenges: technological fragmentation, pressure to offer omnichannel experiences, rising consumer expectations, and global competition. System integration is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity.
Companies that successfully integrate their ERP, POS, e-commerce, and CRM systems are able to:
Weavee offers a fast, robust, and customized solution so you can connect all your retail systems and scale your business sustainably.
Ready to eliminate friction and accelerate your retail growth?
Explore Weavee’s integration solutions for retail.