The irruption of electronic commerce during the last decade in Argentina is not a novelty, but it is surprising. First, because it is a worldwide trend the acceleration of consumption through the digitalization of the channels and, in addition, because Argentina has a long tradition of finding shortcuts to compensate over adaptation that macroeconomic instability and the continuous uncertainty of the business ecosystem removes the solvency of the commercial sector. Globally, the volume of electronic commerce is estimated in US $ 6.6 billion, with an accumulated growth rate of almost 8% per year. In the case of Argentina, the Increase would be this year almost double (14.5% projected), partly due to the rapid recovery after last year’s deep recession.
In the first person. But, in addition, behind this effort there are brands, names and surnames. Such is the case of Aper and Hernán Marino, his CEO and Board Member. The firm, which is defined as a leading technology company in the financial ecosystem, has been developing Marketplace platforms and loyalty programs in Latin America and the United States for 25 years.
Marino counts the beginnings, in the late 1990s in full effervescence of the Puntocom, designing web pages and venturing into the first steps of electronic commerce and then it was the turn of the development of loyalty programs. “It seemed that the most difficult thing was to get a client portfolio established, but then it was aware that it was to maintain it, ensuring a service at the height of their expectations that were also increasing ”points out. The cases of Shell, Clarín with his “365”, Puma Energy or the hoyt’s cinemas chains are some of the cases that worked from end to end to establish an user experience appropriate to what the commercial network encouraged and they expected.
The regional financial network was one of the first to take the challenge. In the case of Aper, They started their “expertise” and then apply to other markets in the region. Today almost 80% of the volume is concentrated in the financial sector.
Identity. With a market in full effervescence, it is logical that even with an early presence, as intense competition arises. For Marino, it is a challenge that serves to reaffirm its profile: “We develop the technological solution but we also operate it, so we are in a frequent relationship with customers, operating the campaign, working on the ‘last mile’ of the process so we perceive ourselves as partners, not as simple suppliers.” Explain. This implies assuming an associative business model, healing the offer to reach the final recipient in a timely manner. He also adds that the entrance barrier is very high because maintaining that relationship with the distribution channels is measured in years and a broader financial back is required.
Artificial intelligence also reached the system. Specifically, the continuous monitoring of the innovations that are useful led them to have an agreement with the laboratory of the Faculty of Exact Sciences of the UBAin the orientation of data sciences that pilot some functions that lead to solutions that learn from their own development, a true “Machine Learnings”.
In the world of e-commerce these possibilities are translated in knowing the end customer better, which offers them a key tool to be able to predict the consumer activity: prices, categories, search forms, among others, which gives a capital competitive advantage, for example, in the case of banks. EITHERAfter innovations that did not yet come to the region, they are for example to be able to speak directly to the platform and maintain a conversation. that you can talk to the platform and have a conversation with her, to which another one that works on image recognition would be added. All running under applications of AI that are brewing different products.
It is an endless race, because, in the opinion of the APO address, the world is so flat and endowed with total immediacy, that most of the innovations offered quickly become commodities. For example, Marino believes that the value proposal of the banks must be better communicated, aligning efforts. For example, they are now developing a marketplace for the Santander Bank For mobility products (cars, motorcycles), taking advantage of the fact that the entity has more than 50% of the loan market in Argentina. They seek with this somewhat massive initiative that goes beyond the physical branch, virtualizing the experience and facilitating their conversion into a federal program.
The future. Air has 150 collaborators, With presence in 10 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Spain and the United States. It has 20 million customers and in times of Hot Sale, almost a third of the total turnover of the year is held. In 2024 there were 30,000 daily operations and in April 60% year -on -year were grew in number of operations, with a 40% growth in dollars compared to the average of the last ten years. The following steps have to do with a growth plan aligned with the commitment that Marino assumed for the next 60 months of multiplying the business volume by 7. There are still some markets to disembark in the region because the goal implies a growth rate of 50% per year, but, above all, putting the client in the center of the equation, offering novel and aligned alternatives with their interests.
By Marcelo Alfano
