E-commerce in Argentina New Entrants and Disruptors Analysis¶
New Entrants and Disruptors¶
Based on the provided value chain analysis and associated reports for the Argentinian e-commerce market in 2024 and 2025, the landscape is characterized less by the emergence of completely new major players challenging the dominance of entities like Mercado Libre across the entire value chain, and more by disruptive forces and specialized players innovating or enabling participation within specific steps. While the provided text does not detail major new entrants who have significantly reshaped the market since 2024, it highlights ongoing developments and types of players that are acting as disruptors or enabling disruption within the established value chain structure.
Key disruptive forces or players enabling disruption identified in the text include:
- Platform Providers Enabling SMEs and Individuals: Companies like Tiendanube and VTEX, while not necessarily new in 2024-2025, continue to play a crucial role in disrupting the traditional model of requiring significant technical expertise or relying solely on large marketplaces to sell online. By offering accessible Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) e-commerce solutions, they lower the barrier to entry for a vast number of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and individual entrepreneurs. [Value Chain Analysis] Mercado Shops, an offering from the dominant player Mercado Libre, also contributes to this trend by providing tools for sellers to create their own stores. [Value Chain Analysis] This enables a more fragmented and diverse online retail landscape beyond the major marketplaces and large retailers' own sites.
- Fintech Innovation and Digital Wallets: The increasing adoption and functionality of digital wallets such as Mercado Pago (expanding beyond the Mercado Libre platform) and MODO (an initiative by Argentinian banks) are disrupting traditional payment methods like cash on delivery and even dominating credit card usage in some contexts. [Value Chain Analysis] These platforms offer faster, more convenient, and often integrated payment experiences, influencing customer behavior and challenging traditional financial institutions' roles in online transactions. [Global vs Local Outlook Analysis]
- Specialized Logistics and Last-Mile Solutions: The persistent challenge of logistics, particularly last-mile delivery, has spurred innovation and the emergence of specialized players or collaborations. The joint venture between TASA Logística and Geopost creating DPD Argentina is highlighted as a move to strengthen professionalized last-mile delivery for e-commerce. [Market Players Analysis, Strategic Priorities and Investments Analysis] Other specialized delivery companies also contribute to disrupting traditional postal services and in-house logistics by offering faster or more tailored e-commerce delivery solutions. [Value Chain Analysis] These efforts aim to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the customer delivery experience, directly impacting the Logistics & Fulfillment step.
- Social Commerce: While a segment rather than a single player, the rise of social commerce – leveraging social media platforms for direct sales and customer interaction – represents a disruptive channel, particularly for smaller businesses and individuals. [Value Chain Analysis] It bypasses traditional e-commerce platforms for initial discovery and interaction, offering a more informal and direct selling approach.
- Niche Technology Providers: The mention of AlephCRM as a new startup automating the value chain with a focus on customer relationships suggests potential disruption in the Customer Service & Post-Sale step. [Market Players Analysis] Such specialized technology providers can offer more efficient or innovative ways for businesses to manage customer interactions, feedback, and loyalty, challenging traditional in-house or basic platform-provided CRM solutions.
These players and forces are not necessarily "new entrants" in the sense of entirely novel companies appearing in 2024-2025 to compete directly with the largest incumbents across the board. Instead, they represent significant trends and specialized efforts that are altering the operational dynamics, competitive landscape, and accessibility of the e-commerce value chain in Argentina by innovating within specific segments or enabling a broader range of participants.
Table of the impact of these new players and disruptive forces¶
| Disruptor/Disruptive Force | Value Chain Step Primarily Impacted | Description of Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Providers (Tiendanube, VTEX, etc.) | Online Platform/Marketplace, Customer Acquisition & Engagement | Lowers technical barrier to entry for SMEs/individuals, increasing the number and diversity of online sellers. Enables direct-to-consumer models for brands. Impacts competition by increasing seller options. [Value Chain Analysis, Strategic Priorities] |
| Fintech & Digital Wallets (Mercado Pago, MODO) | Payment Processing, Customer Acquisition & Engagement (convenience) | Disrupts traditional payment methods, increases transaction speed and convenience, potentially improves financial inclusion. Impacts transaction fees and fraud prevention methods. [Value Chain Analysis, Global vs Local Outlook] |
| Specialized Logistics (DPD Argentina, shipnow) | Logistics & Fulfillment, Customer Service & Post-Sale (delivery experience) | Addresses bottlenecks in last-mile delivery, improves speed, reliability, and potentially cost-effectiveness. Impacts customer satisfaction and operational efficiency for sellers. [Value Chain Analysis, Strategic Priorities] |
| Social Commerce | Online Platform/Marketplace, Customer Acquisition & Engagement | Provides an alternative, often informal, channel for product discovery and sales, bypassing traditional platforms for some transactions. Enables direct interaction with customers. [Value Chain Analysis] |
| Niche Technology (e.g., AlephCRM) | Customer Service & Post-Sale, Customer Acquisition & Engagement (CRM) | Offers specialized tools to automate or improve customer relationship management, potentially enhancing service quality and efficiency in post-sale interactions. [Market Players Analysis] |
References¶
Mercado Libre Argentina. https://www.mercadolibre.com.ar/ Todo sobre el e-commerce en Argentina y su potencial de crecimiento - Tienda Nube. https://www.tiendanube.com/blog/ecommerce-argentina/ Panorama eCommerce 2025: el sector se prepara para dar un nuevo salto durante el próximo Hot Sale - Integración Empresaria. https://integracionempresaria.com/e-commerce/panorama-ecommerce-2025-el-sector-se-prepara-para-dar-un-nuevo-salto-durante-el-proximo-hot-sale/ E-commerce en la Argentina: diez años de crecimiento consecutivo y récord de facturación. https://www.infobae.com/tendencias/2025/02/21/e-commerce-en-la-argentina-diez-anos-de-crecimiento-consecutivo-y-record-de-facturacion/ Country Profile: The Guide to Ecommerce in Argentina - ClearSale. https://www.clear.sale/blog/guide-to-ecommerce-in-argentina AlephCRM, la nueva startup argentina para automatizar la cadena de valor | Canal.la. https://canal.la/alephcrm-la-nueva-startup-argentina-para-automatizar-la-cadena-de-valor/ CACE | Estadísticas - Cámara Argentina de Comercio Electrónico. https://www.cace.org.ar/estadisticas Las 18 mejores plataformas de venta online en Argentina - Tienda Nube. https://www.tiendanube.com/blog/mejores-plataformas-ecommerce-argentina/ Plataformas de ecommerce en latam - Gelpi. https://gelpi.net/plataformas-ecommerce-latam/ Crece el eCommerce en Argentina: qué rubros lo impulsan y cuáles son los principales desafíos - Bloomberg Línea. https://www.bloomberglinea.com/2024/08/29/crece-el-ecommerce-en-argentina-que-rubros-lo-impulsan-y-cuales-son-los-principales-desafios/ Geopost and Tasa Logística announce the creation of DPD Argentina. https://www.geopost.com/en/press-release/geopost-and-tasa-logistica-announce-creation-dpd-argentina/ Récord del e-commerce: creció 181% en 2024 y superó la inflación - OPI Santa Cruz. https://www.opisantacruz.com.ar/2025/02/11/record-del-e-commerce-crecio-181-en-2024-y-supero-la-inflacion/ Describir la cadena de valor del E-commerce en la República Argentina. https://repositorio.utdt.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/6166195f-369f-4ac7-bf5c-9429e4c027b7/content Crecen las compras online en Argentina en el primer semestre de 2024. https://ilatinam.com/compras-online-argentina-primer-semestre-2024/ La Guía de ecommerce en Argentina - ClearSale. https://www.clear.sale/blog/es/guia-de-ecommerce-en-argentina VTEX sigue potenciando el ecommerce en Argentina - Inversor Latam. https://www.inversorlatam.com/2019/03/22/vtex-sigue-potenciando-el-ecommerce-en-argentina/