new HOT SALE date

Although online shopping had an explosion with the quarantine generated by the coronavirus, the Hot Sale -one of the biggest e-commerce events- was postponed from its initial date of May 11, 12 and 13 and moved to July 6, 7 and 8.

This change was due to the fact that it was impossible to sell when most of the trade and production were stopped and it is expected that for the new dates an important part of the economic activity is already underway.

“The date was decided together with the partners because it is a very particular situation that we are going through. Today e-commerce sells a lot and is just about right with deliveries because companies take time to put together the Logistics and in distributing, “he told iProfessional Gustavo Sambucetti, institutional director of the Argentine Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CACE), organizer of the Hot Sale.

“There are fewer people working, fewer shifts and reduced hours. But consumers understand these delays and also that online shopping is a good option, “added the manager.

The date of the seventh edition has already been informed to the partners that, depending on the item in question, they requested that it be brought closer or postponed further in time, according to their needs. Thus, while companies in the dress they were asking him to fast forward, those of travels and tourism they requested otherwise.

The sector textile It is one of the hardest hit by quarantine. There is no production and the sale barely moves on the web, because the adoption of the virtual window in this area is not yet massive. The activity operates at 30% in the best case, according to data from the industry. Hence the need to advance the date as much as possible.

Travel and tourism is on the opposite path. Undisputed protagonist of the successive editions of the Hot Sale, from 2014 onwards, he is now doubly tied hands: because the activity is virtually stopped in the world and because, locally, it is impossible to sell before September 1. What they offer in July will depend almost exclusively on the measures adopted at the political level for this sector.

Positive expectations

Beyond the fact that the macro and microeconomic situation is highly complex, the expectation is that the next Hot Sale will explode, even taking into account the different situations that citizens are going through: reduction of wages, deepening recession and breakdown of the payment chain.

“We believe that it will sell well. Firstly, because more companies are going to join in than those that had already registered in March and that had surpassed those of the 2019 edition at that point. It is possible that the reduction in wages could slow down a little, and that there will be little sale in tourism. But there will be more transactions, although later we will have to see what the average ticket value will be, “said Sambucetti.

Another item that is expected to work well in the July proposal is that of electronics that, even in these days, it is having a good sales behavior in the different online commerce sites. Although also, clarified the CACE director, his situation will be subject to the stock that manufacturers have at that time.

Electronic commerce was the option to which a large part of the citizens went through the quarantine

In 2019, the electronic commerce generated a turnover of $ 403,728 million, according to CACE data. This meant a growth of 76%, that is, it managed to beat inflation.

And of all that volume, the Hot Sale contributed a turnover of $ 8,512 million in the three days that the action lasted, 35.5% above the 2018 edition. Level that showed the economic difficulties that the Argentines were already going through.

New habits

Argentina, along with the rest of Latin America, was one of the countries that became most involved with Covid-19 in March. Already at that time, 55% of Argentines expressed concern about their progress, according to a Kantar report for Mercado Libre, a percentage that reached 60% of the population in Brazil and 53% in Chile and Colombia. This resulted in the incorporation of new consumption habits among citizens.

That report also showed which products were no longer in demand: footwear and clothing they were the first, followed by car accessories and thirdly, cell phones. In contrast, the highest initial demand was concentrated in the care products of the Health, how chinstraps, gel alcohol and thermometers.

Then it was the turn of cleaning, hygiene and food, until it was the turn of the products related to the sports activity at home. Evolution of a demand that was accompanying the successive extensions of social isolation.

Electronic commerce was the option that a large part of the public went to, who joined the sanitary measures and looked for alternatives to obtain supplies. Even with the logistics problems that, even today, are noticed in some categories, especially food.

Online sales of supermarkets during the first three weeks of quarantine grew 300% compared to the three weeks prior to the start of isolation. In the case of pharmacies, the increase was 60% and in the case of computers, 50%, according to CACE data.

“In the case of those retailers who have not yet made their leap towards digital channel, this new consumption trend is a great challenge, but at the same time a great opportunity, “he stressed. César Etchebarne, director of operations for South Napse, Dedicated to automation of processes retail.

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