+5.3%real growth in retail sales in July
Colombia retail sales rose 5.3% in real terms in July 2026
Computers and telecom grew 2.8% in July but 21.1% for the year. The two numbers measure different periods.
Alexander Schek
Weekly analysis
By Alexander Schek22 years opening markets in Latin America
Latin America Radar
Every week I read what is happening in the region's markets. I personally select the most important news and write it up with the number, the context and what it means for brands that want to grow in Latin America. Trade, retail, technology and AI, organized by country and with their sources.
By Alexander Schek22 years opening markets in Latin America
37 notes
Alexander Schek$19.3Bonline sales in Peru, first half of 2026
Peru online sales reached $19.3 billion in the first half, up 50.4%
Retail was only $5.8 billion of that total. Digital goods and services, and tourism, make up the rest.
Alexander Schek-22.6%in-store electronics sales, Santiago region
Chile electronics in August: -22.6% in stores, +4.7% nationally
The CNC and INE published two very different numbers for the same month. They measure different things, and neither says how much moved online.
Alexander Schek809Mpassengers expected in 2026
Latin American airports expect 809 million passengers in 2026
ACI-LAC figures from WAGA 2026, and why $8.7 billion a year does not match an even split.
Alexander Schek17.2%of online transactions were technology
Colombia e-commerce in Q2 2026: online sales grow 13.8% in real terms
Online sales grew 13.8% after inflation, but only 5% of Colombian retail is digital.
Alexander Schek$94.8BUS and Mexico goods trade in July
US-Mexico trade hit a record $94.8 billion in July 2026
27.5% above July 2025. These are dollar values, so it is not 27.5% more goods crossing the border.
Alexander Schek+5.1%larger economy after ten years of wide AI adoption
IDB: AI could make Latin America's economy 5.1% larger in ten years
Wages could rise 2.3% to 5.3% or fall 13.5% to 20.9%, depending on whether workers can move into growing jobs.
Alexander Schek$11.1BMercado Livre spending in Brazil in 2026
Mercado Livre and iFood: $11.1 billion and $4.7 billion for Brazil
For companies selling into Brazil, the areas to follow are logistics, credit, payments and technology.
Alexander Schek13,500hard discount stores in Latin America, August
Hard discount in Latin America passed 13,500 stores in August
Store count alone does not show the opportunity for branded products. The missing piece is how much space the chains give outside brands.
Alexander Schek$168.6Bremittances to Latin America and the Caribbean, 2025
Nubank's US launch and $168.6B in remittances to Latin America
Fully digital transfers cost about 4.6% versus 7.3%, but only 35% are digital from beginning to end.
Alexander Schek2.2%2026 growth forecast for the region
CEPAL keeps its 2026 Latin America growth forecast at 2.2%
Argentina is expected to grow 3.3% and Mexico 1.3%. CEPAL says that pace is not enough to raise income per person.
Alexander Schek+89.9%TV and sound equipment sales, June 2026
TV and sound equipment sales in Colombia grew 89.9% in June 2026
About 2.5 million TVs are expected this year, close to 35% more than last year. In 2018 the number was 2.1 million.
Alexander Schek4thplatform allowed to sell IKEA products
Falabella becomes the fourth platform allowed to sell IKEA products
Falabella is the sales channel. IKEA prepares and ships the orders and handles logistics and after-sales service.
Alexander Schek$14.5Mprojected business, not completed sales
ProChile in Bogotá: over $14.5 million in projected business
The figure is projected business, not completed sales. Chilean exports to Colombia grew 11.6% from January to July 2026.
Alexander Schek$100Mplanned investment in Chile
PriceSmart plans to invest $100 million in three clubs in Chile
The first club is planned for Mallplaza Los Dominicos in Santiago, opening in the first half of 2027.
Alexander Schek-10%smartphone market, second quarter, year over year
Latin America smartphone market fell 10% in the second quarter
Samsung and Apple grew, while Motorola, Xiaomi and Honor fell. Above $600, Apple had around 51% of the market.
Alexander Schek$2Bcommitted in Latin America, 2027 to 2030
Prime Video commits $2 billion to Latin America for 2027 to 2030
A four-year commitment gives local teams more time to build the market than a one-year budget.
Alexander Schek50Mpeople in Brazil use ChatGPT every month
OpenAI: 50 million people in Brazil use ChatGPT every month
Portuguese is now the third most used language on ChatGPT, and enterprise licenses in Brazil grew fivefold.
Alexander Schek6.078Bfinancial operations in Colombia, Q1 2026
Colombia had 6.078 billion financial operations in Q1 2026, up 14.7%
84.6% happened outside a branch, but that is not the same as digital. The 69.9% for digital means is measured on value.
Alexander Schek$5.09Bcolocation market forecast for 2031
Latin America data centre colocation to reach $5.09 billion by 2031
Brazil remains the largest market, and Claro Colombia is investing more than $200 million in fibre.
Alexander Schek6countries where Balse was registered
Mercado Libre registers Balse, its own fashion brand, in six countries
A private label gives Mercado Libre more control over pricing, margins and assortment, and keeps the customer inside its platform.
Alexander Schek$700,000raised from Invexor Venture Partners
Chile's Lokal raises $700,000 from Invexor for its B2B marketplace
It connects around 500 suppliers with 3,500 retailers, and gives stores credit on their orders.
Alexander Schek6 of 10largest venture rounds were in Mexico
Mexico has 6 of Latin America's 10 largest venture rounds
Colombia, Chile and Peru are not on the list, and the median Series A pre-money valuation rose from $30 million to $150 million.
Alexander Schek$4.55Bwireless audio market in Latin America, 2026
Latin America wireless audio market to reach $4.55 billion in 2026
The region is still only 5.8% of the global market, and North America remains several times larger.
Alexander SchekGoogle announces Americas Connect, new undersea cable links
The new routes give data a backup path if one cable has a problem. In enterprise technology, reliability matters most.
Alexander Schek$5.85Bindustrial and logistics investment, June to July 21
Mexico: over $5.85 billion in industrial and logistics investment
Beyond Mercado Libre, most projects come from suppliers of components, cables, batteries and ingredients.
Alexander Schek1Chipotle restaurant in Mexico
Chipotle opened its first restaurant in Mexico, with partner Alsea
One store out of more than 4,100, opened after more than a year of preparation with Alsea.
Alexander Schek$103.5Mraised by Siigo
Siigo raised $103.5 million, $18.5 million from Banco de Occidente
Each of its five markets has its own tax authority, electronic invoicing standard and labor rules.
Alexander Schek60+international brands managed by Grupo Axo
Lacoste handed its Chile and Peru business to Mexico's Grupo Axo
Lacoste already had about 10 stores in Chile and four in Peru, and still chose a regional partner.
Alexander Schek$944Mraised by Mexican startups in Q2 2026
Mexican startups raised $944 million in Q2 2026, up 131%
A few very large Mexico City deals, including Clip and Banco Plata, explain most of it.
Alexander Schek15MNubank customers in Mexico
Nubank passes 15 million customers in Mexico and gets a bank license
Nu has given 54% of its customers in Mexico their first credit card, and it adds about 12,000 people a day.
Alexander Schek$197Mround led by Allianz X
Ualá closes a $197 million round led by Allianz X, valued at $3.2B
Tether put in $20 million. Ualá serves more than 11 million customers in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia.
Alexander Schek$100Mraised from global investors
Venezuela's Cashea raises $100 million from global investors
Consumer credit in Venezuela fell from $15 billion to $1.7 billion between 2013 and 2020, which makes this a bold bet.
Alexander SchekData centers in Santiago: AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft plans
The debate is no longer whether Latin America needs this infrastructure, but how fast it can be built and where the power will come from.
Alexander Schek$750MEquifax deal for Círculo de Crédito
Equifax buys Círculo de Crédito in Mexico for $750 million
Companies do not spend that kind of money on a market they are still testing. More consolidation is likely this year.
Alexander Schek$85MSeries D led by Citius and BTG Pactual
Addi raises $85 million in a Series D led by Citius and BTG Pactual
76,000 stores already offer Addi at checkout. In Latin America, distribution is what really moves the needle.
Alexander Schek11xgrowth in demand for AI skills in two years
McKinsey: demand for AI skills in Latin America grew 11x in two years
It is now the fastest growing skill in the region's job market. That does not mean the talent is already here.
Alexander Schek