Why 2026 is the Perfect Year for a Global Marketplace Strategy
As 2025 ends, it’s time to plan your 2026 strategy to boost sales and drive growth. Expanding into Latin America presents a major opportunity for U.S. businesses. With ecommerce rising, a global marketplace strategy focused on this region can unlock new revenue streams. It will also help your business reach millions of potential customers.
Key insights
- In 2025, Latin America’s retail ecommerce sales reached $191.25 billion, growing at a rate 1.5 times faster than the global average.
- Focus on Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, the leaders of Latin America’s digital economy.
- To capture 90% of the Latin America market, U.S. sellers need to operate across 15-20 different marketplaces. No single platform dominates.
- Mobile commerce is on the rise: With over 80% mobile penetration.
Continue reading to discover the key steps and strategies that will help you successfully expand your business into LATAM and tap into its growing ecommerce potential.
Why Now is the Right Time for U.S. Sellers to Explore a Global Marketplace Strategy in 2026
Latin America’s retail ecommerce market grew significantly in 2025, reaching $191.25 billion. This was a 12.2% increase from the previous year. The growth rate is 1.5 times faster than the global average. It was driven by easing inflation, stronger wage growth, and steady employment. These factors supported sustained consumer spending across the region.
As a result, Latin America is now the world’s fastest-growing retail ecommerce market. The region has held this position since 2021 and is expected to continue leading through 2027. Key markets such as Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico are at the forefront, accounting for 84.5% of regional retail ecommerce sales in 2025. Ecommerce penetration is set to deepen further, with online sales expected to surpass 10% of total retail in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay by 2029, according to EMarketer.
For U.S. sellers, expanding into Latin America with a well-executed global marketplace strategy presents a unique opportunity. It allows you to reach a rapidly growing, tech-savvy consumer base. This unlocks significant growth potential in a region with huge demand for cross-border ecommerce.
Key Latin America Markets to Target for Your 2026 Strategy
In 2025, Mexico emerged as one of the most dynamic ecommerce markets in Latin America. Retail ecommerce surpassed 17.7% of total sales, even outpacing the U.S. for the first time. By 2029, Mexico is set to exceed 20% ecommerce penetration. As a result, it will solidify its position as a leading digital retail economy in the region.
Brazil showed resilience despite economic pressures, with retail ecommerce sales increasing by 45.9% to $113.86 billion by 2029. Rising competition from different platforms has made Brazil’s ecommerce landscape incredibly dynamic, and the market is expected to maintain strong double-digit growth through 2027.
Argentina, after a year of hyperinflation, is showing strong recovery signs, with retail ecommerce sales expected to jump 58.2%—1.6 times faster than inflation. Despite the risks of political and economic volatility, Argentina remains a market to watch closely as it rebounds with real gains in 2025 and beyond.
Additionally, Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay are becoming increasingly important as ecommerce continues to expand across Latin America, offering growing opportunities for U.S. sellers in 2026.
Key Global Marketplaces to Be Present in 2026
One of the most important aspects of a successful global marketplace strategy in 2026 is understanding the fragmentation of ecommerce in Latin America. Unlike the U.S., where Amazon dominates a significant portion of the market, Latin America’s ecommerce landscape is diverse, with multiple platforms leading in different countries.
For U.S. sellers looking to maximize their reach, it’s crucial not to focus on just one platform. To capture 90% of the market, sellers typically need to operate across 15-20 different marketplaces in LATAM, each with its own consumer base, preferences, and market share.
For example:
- Mercado Libre leads in countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico, making it a must-have for businesses expanding to LATAM.
- Amazon has a strong presence, particularly in Brazil, but it is just one piece of the puzzle.
- Walmart, Coppel, and Carrefour are also key players in Mexico and Brazil, and each has its own unique customer base.
By diversifying across multiple marketplaces in each country, you can tap into a much larger audience, increasing your chances of capturing potential sales. Focusing on just one marketplace in LATAM means missing out on a significant portion of the market’s potential.
Optimizing Your Global Marketplace Presence in Latin America
Once you’ve established your presence across multiple international marketplaces in LATAM, it’s essential to fine-tune your strategy to maximize sales and visibility. Here are the key steps to optimize your approach:
- Tailor Your Product Listings: Ensure that product descriptions, images, and titles are localized for each country. Highlight the features that resonate most with local consumers, and use language and currency that is familiar to them.
- Implement Local Marketing Strategies: Leverage local trends, holidays, and shopping events to create targeted promotions. Customizing your marketing to regional preferences will increase engagement and sales.
- Offer Flexible Payment Options: Many consumers in LATAM prefer to pay in installments. Offering payment in installments will make your products more accessible to a broader audience.
- Ensure Fast and Reliable Shipping: Logistics are a major factor in the purchasing decision. Work with reliable shipping partners and ensure delivery times are as competitive as possible for Latin America markets.
- Monitor Performance and Adjust: Continuously track your performance across different marketplaces and countries. Adjust your listings, prices, and promotions based on consumer behavior and sales data to optimize your results.
By refining your strategy within each marketplace, you can ensure that your global marketplace strategy is not just about getting started, but about thriving in the Latin America market.
The Future of Global Marketplaces in Latin America: Why 2026 is a Crucial Year for Expansion
In 2026, Latin America will continue to be a crucial market for international marketplaces. The region is seeing rapid growth, with 78% of ecommerce sales in LATAM coming from marketplaces. This share is expected to keep rising, making platforms like Mercado Libre, Amazon, and Walmart central to expansion strategies for U.S. sellers looking to tap into the Latin American market. The growing reliance on these marketplaces underscores their importance as the dominant sales channel in the region.
As demand for international products continues to surge, more and more LATAM marketplaces are embracing cross-border commerce, opening their doors to international sellers and brands. This shift is driven by the increasing desire for products not available locally, creating a significant opportunity for U.S. businesses to meet this demand and grow their presence in the region.
Mobile commerce is another key factor in Latin America’s ecommerce boom. With a mobile penetration rate exceeding 80%, the region is embracing m-commerce at an unprecedented rate. In Brazil alone, there are over 260 million mobile phones, and with more affordable data plans becoming available, mobile shopping is expected to grow even further. Marketplaces in LATAM are optimizing their platforms for mobile users, making it essential for businesses to have a mobile-friendly presence to stay competitive.
Additionally, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is starting to play a key role in streamlining cross-border sales and marketplace operations. From automating product listings to optimizing pricing and inventory, AI is helping businesses scale quickly and efficiently across global platforms, offering U.S. sellers the tools needed to compete and succeed in the growing Latin America market.
Start Your Global Marketplace Expansion in less than 48 hours
Ready to tap into the vast opportunities Latin America has to offer for your cross-border business in 2026? nocnoc is here to help you expand your products into the top ecommerce markets in the region. With our solution, you can access over 20 leading online marketplaces across Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay, all from one platform.
The best part? You don’t have to worry about any of the complexities. At nocnoc, we offer an all-in-one solution to streamline your expansion. From international shipping and cancelations, to translations, listing optimization, customer support, regulations, taxes, and marketing campaigns, we handle it all. All you need to do is focus on your business—we take care of the rest.
What are you waiting for? Start your expansion to Latin America today with nocnoc, and watch your sales grow like never before!
FAQs: Common Questions About Expanding Your Business to Latin America
The most important marketplaces in Latin America include Mercado Libre (the region’s largest), Amazon, Walmart, and Coppel. Other growing platforms like Carrefour and Falabella also offer significant opportunities. For a more detailed list of top marketplaces in LATAM, click here.
Selling in Latin America presents unique logistical challenges, such as last-mile delivery issues, customs delays, and inconsistent addresses, particularly in rural areas. These factors can result in longer delivery times, higher costs, and increased risk of delays. Additionally, import procedures can take up to 8.5 days on average, and some countries have strict customs regulations that can cause further complications.
At nocnoc, we simplify these challenges. Through our integrations with 17track and UPS, we manage logistics efficiently, from international shipping to tracking and delivery. This ensures you won’t have to worry about the complexities of cross-border shipping, allowing you to focus on growing your business in LATAM.
At nocnoc, we offer various integration options so you can choose the one that best fits your needs. You can integrate your U.S. business with Latin American marketplaces through Shopify, Seller Cloud, GoFlow, SFTP, or directly via our Seller Center. This flexibility allows you to manage your listings, orders, and inventory seamlessly across multiple platforms. If you want to learn more about integrating with Shopify, click here for detailed information.
Common mistakes include selling on only one marketplace in a highly fragmented region, ignoring paid ads and promotions, skipping key local ecommerce events, not optimizing for mobile-first consumers, and failing to adapt pricing, content, and strategy to local market behavior. Avoiding these pitfalls is essential to protect visibility, conversions, and long-term growth in LATAM. Want to know more? Click here for additional insights.
Effective marketing in LATAM requires localization of both your product listings and your marketing strategy. This includes adapting your content for language preferences, using region-specific promotions, and participating in local shopping events like Buen Fin or Hot Sale. Understanding cultural nuances and leveraging social media trends in each country will help you connect with consumers and drive sales.
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