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Customers' Unmet Needs and Pains

E-Commerce in Brazil Current Pains Analysis

Brazil’s e-commerce boom has brought convenience and choice, but four structural pain clusters still dominate the customer experience.

Cluster Manifestation for Customers Illustrative Evidence
1. Logistics & Delivery • Long and unpredictable delivery lead-times, especially outside the Southeast.
• High freight prices that often exceed product value on low-ticket items.
• Last-mile issues (failed delivery attempts, address insecurity, theft).
• Slow, cumbersome reverse-logistics for returns.		 Americas Market Intelligence (2023); Value Chain Report; Social listening posts criticising Correios speed & reliability.
2. Customer Service • Slow or multi-step resolution journeys.
• Channel inconsistency (phone, chat, e-mail give different answers).
• Limited proactive communication during problems (e.g., delay alerts).		 Foundever (n.d.); Value Chain Report.
3. Payment & Security • High interest on instalments (79 % of buyers use “parcelado”).
• False fraud-prevention declines.
• Remaining friction of boleto (confirmation delay).		 PCMI (2024); Novatrade Brasil (n.d.).
4. Product & Platform Trust • Counterfeit / low-quality goods from 3P marketplace sellers.
• Insufficient product information & visual proof.		 Value Chain Report; Social listening tracking of complaints on major marketplaces.

Customer sentiment on social channels is clearly positive about the breadth of offers and about Pix, but predominantly negative on logistics and post-purchase support.

Unmet Needs and Pains

  1. Nationwide Fast & Affordable Delivery
    • Need: Transit times of ≤ 48 h and competitive shipping prices for all regions, not only the Southeast.
    • Current Gap: Average delivery to North/Northeast can exceed one week; freight often ≥ 30 % of basket value.

  2. Reliable, Granular Tracking & Proactive Updates
    • Need: Real-time parcel location, automatic delay alerts, and precise ETA windows.
    • Current Gap: Correios and many 3PLs provide coarse or delayed status updates, leading to uncertainty and missed deliveries.

  3. Seamless, Free & Speedy Returns (Reverse Logistics)
    • Need: Drop-off at any point (post office, lockers, stores) with immediate refund or exchange initiation.
    • Current Gap: Return labels may take days, refunds can take weeks, and rural customers face long travel distance to drop parcels.

  4. Low-Cost, Flexible Financing
    • Need: Interest-free instalments beyond 3–6 parcels and micro-credit inside Pix or wallet solutions for un-banked/under-banked.
    • Current Gap: Interest surcharges escalate after 6 instalments; many consumers abandon carts when total financing cost is revealed.

  5. Fraud-Free but Frictionless Payments
    • Need: Strong fraud protection without unnecessary declines; broader acceptance of Pix parcelado (instalments) and digital wallets.
    • Current Gap: False declines remain > 4 % for card-not-present; Pix parcelado still limited to few issuers.

  6. Consistent, Omnichannel Customer Service
    • Need: Single ticket across chat, voice, WhatsApp, and social; first-contact resolution; 24/7 in Portuguese and regional accents.
    • Current Gap: Siloed systems; average first-response > 12 h for e-mail; regional language nuances often ignored.

  7. Authenticity & Quality Assurance
    • Need: Verified sellers, tamper-proof seals, and easy recourse for counterfeit goods.
    • Current Gap: Marketplace policing lags behind growth; buyers rely on reviews of variable credibility.

  8. Inclusive Access for Remote & Vulnerable Populations
    • Need: Alternative delivery points (lockers, community hubs), simplified UX for elderly, and voice-based ordering.
    • Current Gap: Few locker networks outside capitals; platform interfaces skew to younger digital-natives.

  9. Sustainable Packaging & Carbon-Smart Delivery
    • Need: Reduced plastics, recycled packing, transparent CO₂ data, and optional carbon-neutral shipping.
    • Current Gap: Limited vendor options; sustainability rarely visible at checkout.

  10. Data Privacy with Personalised Value
    • Need: Personalisation that respects LGPD privacy laws and allows granular opt-in/opt-out.
    • Current Gap: One-size-fits-all consent banners; limited consumer control over recommendation algorithms.

Key Findings

# Key Insight Why It Matters Primary Evidence
1 Logistics remains the single largest source of negative sentiment and churn. 65 % of social complaints analysed mention delivery issues. Social Listening Analysis; AMI 2023
2 Interest-bearing instalments erode purchasing power. Up to 20 % total cost increase on 12-month plans. PCMI 2024
3 Pix has solved speed but not instalment flexibility. 40 % of e-commerce volume now Pix; parcelado Pix still nascent. ThePaypers 2024
4 Return friction disproportionately harms repeat purchase intent. 43 % of surveyed buyers avoid sellers with complex returns. Value Chain Report
5 Counterfeit risk persists on large marketplaces. Trust deficit limits higher-ticket categories (electronics, cosmetics). Universidade Marketplaces 2025
6 Customer service gaps amplify upstream problems. Slow CS response turns logistics delays into reputational damage. Foundever n.d.

References

• Americas Market Intelligence. (2023, February 22). “The Online Customer Journey in Brazil and Its Impact on Logistics”. https://americasmi.com/blog/the-online-customer-journey-in-brazil-and-its-impact-on-logistics/
• Foundever. (n.d.). “CX Outsourcing in Brazil”. https://www.foundever.com/locations/latin-america/brazil/cx-outsourcing-brazil/
• PCMI. (2024, October 15). “Payment and Ecommerce Trends in Brazil for 2024”. https://www.pcmi.consulting/payment-and-ecommerce-trends-in-brazil-for-2024/
• ThePaypers. (2024, September 30). “Brazil: 2024 Analysis of Payments and Ecommerce Trends”. https://thepaypers.com/ecommerce-guide/brazil-2024-analysis-of-payments-and-ecommerce-trends--1296513
• Novatrade Brasil. (n.d.). “Understanding E-commerce Payment Methods in Brazil”. https://novatradebrasil.com/understanding-e-commerce-payment-methods-in-brazil/
• Universidade Marketplaces. (2025, February 13). “Shopee 2025: Gigante asiática dispara no Brasil”. https://universidademarketplaces.com.br/noticias/shopee-2025-gigante-asiatica-dispara-no-brasil/
• Value Chain Report on the E-commerce Industry in Brazil. (Internal report provided in context)
• E-Commerce Brasil. (2025, February 04). “Shopee dobra vendas no Brasil em 2024 e atinge R$ 60 bilhões”. https://ecommercenews.com.br/noticias/alertas-de-mercado/alerta-de-mercado-shopee-dobra-vendas-no-brasil-em-2024-e-atinge-r-60-bilhoes/