For three days, Quito was the epicenter of the e-commerce industry in the region with the realization of the E-commerce Day, from July 5 to 7. National, regional and global companies shared experiences, results and expectations from this ever-growing ecosystem that includes new tools, such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and other innovations. Leonardo Ottati, president of the Ecuadorian Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CECE), comments on the results of this meeting and the projections of an industry that does not stop growing and developing.

Why and for whom are events like E-commerce Day Ecuador important?

It’s an industry event for the industry, it’s an offering that tells the offering what’s the best practice, what’s been done well, what mistakes have I learned from, what are the readings that I have on each of the industries that I have. This year was also successful, more than 1,200 people participated, and more than 4,000 connected on the lineand the companies that shared were outstanding and speakers also. It’s an industry that has no ego and is willing to share its experiences and that’s what makes us strong.

What was the industry pitch at the event?

We propose a VAT-free digital day that has been successful in Colombia and that must be an event where private companies and the state work together. That was one of the proposals that was made, and we have permission to start working with the controlling entities and with all private companies so that we can make it happen this year.

The E-Commerce Institute and the Ecuadorian Chamber of Electronic Commerce have come together to present the new edition of E-Commerce Day

How have companies developed their communication channels? e-commerce recent years?

Every day there are more and more domestic offers, it is extremely clear to businessmen that the consumer today demands a very well-planned and very professional digital channel because he is a very demanding consumer. The result is that there is a dynamic in the market that is reflected in more transactions, more local and international companies participating in the market and obviously more buyers and more companies offering what is known as support services and everything related to logistics.

How much has the industry grown and how much does the channel represent? on the line in the company’s total sales?

The growth of transactions and the amount of money already exceeds 20%, this is the estimate that was made last year, we are close to 25% and this would mean that by the end of the year we would conclude with an amount greater than $5000 million in annual sales through the channel. Today, we understand that across verticals, there are companies whose channel represents 1% or 2%, and in other cases it represents 35% or 40%, and in others, such as service companies, it can reach up to 75% of your billing.

After the pandemic and the return to face-to-face, what are the new challenges for the industry?

The challenge is how to combine the digital with the physical, the digital is highly dependent on the physical and vice versa. Products do not magically reach the hands of consumers, they arrive through a logistics process, a quarter mile. There is a lot of technology, there are a lot of physical channels and it is necessary to understand how the channels are starting to integrate, but what is clear to us is that the consumer today has a very interesting digital option, which does not mean that they are not going back to the physical channel, but increasingly they have the available digital channel that they use satisfies them and has its own added value, which is extraordinary for the economy.

What are the latest trends that companies should consider to strengthen their presence on the line?

The most important thing is the consumer experience, every option that is made must be focused on the user: artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, these are the things that are under attack today and we are discovering how to apply them for digital channels. Another no less important thing is that there is a tendency to have as many digital channels as possible for consumers… and the most important thing is to listen to our consumers and always think of them so that they have the best possible experience and want to repeat the transaction on the line with us and also to recommend us.

Why is Ecuador attractive to multinational companies that offer consulting services and digital commerce platforms to companies?

What role does artificial intelligence play in new trends? e-commerce and in the expansion of the ecosystem retail digital?

Artificial intelligence is based on the topic of data interpretation. This will definitely revolutionize everything, not only the digital industry but overall intelligent decision-making, everything that has to do with the ability to better understand our consumers or better segment them. AI is the democratization of knowledge, we need to start applying it in the best way because the big benefit will be supply and demand. In the case of keyword optimization, which is a very important issue for all of us in e-commerce, through artificial intelligence instead of an analysis that could take two weeks, we now do it through encourage.

What are the industry projections on the line?

We believe that it will be even bigger by 2024, because we clearly see that there are certain verticals in the economy and regulations that the Government is working on. Growth is maintained at a double-digit level, it does not stop, many more regional and global companies are already formally entering the market with great interest, there is great interest from Europe in Ecuador as a market and it is already clear from the companies that we see that are participating in the market and that the business and legal status in Ecuador has become a mandatory destination in Latin America.