In a year marked by the search for new growth engines, Mercado Libre took one of its most ambitious steps: it began selling fresh and frozen foods, An area that has historically been crucial to the sector’s profitability, but is also the most difficult to serve due to its logistics, temperature control and the need for quick deliveries.
The move is thanks to a strategic alliance with Carrefour Argentina, which as of this week has an official store on the Unicorn platform. for the first timeUsers can purchase meat, fruits, vegetables and frozen foods through Mercado Libre and receive them the same day.
The service initially launched in the city of Buenos Aires, but will be expanded to various locations in the greater Buenos Aires area and inland in the coming months.
“The alliance with Carrefour allows us to take an important step towards completing the supermarket experience on our platform. We are adding fresh and frozen products with the same simplicity, security and convenience with which users already buy from Mercado Libre. And we do this together with Carrefour, with which we hope to scale the service to reach more and more people,” said Adrián Ecker, Country Manager of Mercado Libre Argentina.
The bet is not trivial. Fresh produce traditionally represents one of the most profitable categories in the supermarket business, but also presents the highest operational demands: Cold chain, inventory maintenance, high shrinkage and ultra-fast deliveries. It is also the category that generates the greatest loyalty: those who buy fresh products usually pay the rest of their ticket via the same channel.
Previously, these challenges had resulted in Mercado Libre not being included in this category. With this alliance, the company aims to close this gap and fully compete with the traditional supermarkets and delivery apps that already operate in this segment.
The initial offering includes a total of almost 10,000 products, which will be integrated into the range already available in the “supermarket” vertical. Orders are prepared in physical Carrefour stores and shipped through Mercado Libre’s logistics network. Shipping is free on purchases over $65,000 under current category terms.
On the dealer side, the alliance enables them to expand their digital reach without destroying their own structures. “At Carrefour Argentina we listen to our customers because we understand that their purchasing habits are evolving and we are always committed to offering them innovative solutions. The growth of online sales pushes us to continue exploring new channels and this alliance with Mercado Libre is an important step. It allows us to combine our experience in offering quality products at the best price with the power and reach of the leading e-commerce platform,” said Leonardo Arcas, Director of Sales, Marketing and Digital Transformation of the company.
The agreement with Mercado Libre comes at a time when the future of Carrefour Argentina is being defined. The parent company in France gave Deutsche Bank a buyer’s mandate and the operation would be completed in the coming days. Of the candidates still in the race, the GDN group, Businessman Francisco de Narváez is closest to completing the takeover.
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