Widely free shipping speeds up the purchase of cheap items, and creatine tops sales at Mercado Livre

• Black Friday: The data is boosting trader and consumer sentiment, but interest and debt continue to slow consumption and investment
• End of year: As the country reaches full employment, companies are withdrawing prizes, abandoning 6 x 1, and doing everything they can to hire.

The company broke a new record on Black Friday this year, recording 500,000 packages simultaneously leaving distribution centers within just one hour. Furthermore, 70% of purchases made today must be delivered by Monday. Cajamar DC alone sends up to 1 million products daily and has a capacity of 18 million pieces.

Black Friday is the date with the highest average retail ticket, says Andre Castilho, senior market manager at Mercado Livre. Internal data shows that 80% of customers plan to purchase during this period.

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It highlights that the operational change adopted in 2025 has boosted sales: free shipping is now valid for purchases starting from R$19, compared to the previous R$79. This measure, implemented in June, increased sales volume by 34% through September, and this Black Friday also led to increased searches for lower value items on the platform.

– Our product mix (of best-selling products) also reflects this change. We are selling cheaper items compared to last year. It’s easier to buy via e-commerce.

• Did it rise or fall? The survey shows how prices varied in each category ahead of Black Friday

Mercado Livre’s logistics operations include more than 29 distribution centers, nine aircraft and more than 5,000 operations throughout the country. According to Castilho, several categories have grown compared to last year, such as home appliances, fashion and beauty, tools and construction. Nutritional supplements, especially creatine, have also risen dramatically.

Another trend that has characterized this year’s Black Friday is the importance of coupons in the purchasing decision:

— We have seen that the presence of coupons is an important factor in a consumer’s purchasing decision. Therefore, we came out strong in coupons this year by offering 100 million coupons, a growth of 150% compared to last year. So it is a relevant increase in this mechanic and in the end it is very good for the consumer who can buy the things he needs at a very competitive price.

The company expects to make this Black Friday the biggest sales day in its history, surpassing the recent 11.11 (Singles’ Day).

Diogo Sales, COO, recalls that 76% of consumers since last Black Friday intend to buy again this year. To keep up with the increasing demand, the company has expanded its fleet of robots and now has 500 robots in operation.

In September, Mercado Livre announced a new generation of 125 robots responsible for sorting products. They can handle up to 105,000 items per day, reducing the multiple order processing cycle by 25%. This shortens the preparation time for each order by about an hour, speeding up deliveries.

Basically, before the employee has to walk to the shelf, they pick up the product and take it to the packaging station. Now, many of these professionals work without leaving their places: robots bring them shelves full of items. Through the system, an employee identifies the product to be removed and the box it will be placed in, then follows it along conveyor belts to the packaging process.