Previous Story
“Those who reject electronic commerce generally die”
Posted On 10 Jul 2017
Ecuadornews:
E-commerce, unlike many perspectives, is an opportunity for emerging markets to venture and generate employment. Latin America is at the gates of a ‘golden age’ in this branch.
Supermarkets on the walls of metro stations or robots ordering products in stores are some of the latest initiatives implemented in China. According to Porter Erisman, “the future of electronic commerce” is in the Asian country.
The author of Alibaba’s World, former vice-president of that company and film producer visited Ecuador in the framework of the EXMA conferences, a recognized Latin American marketing platform. In an interview with Daily El Telegrafo, he spoke about the opportunities for e-commerce growth in the country and motivated entrepreneurs not to stop venting into this economic activity.
Q: How do you see the development of electronic commerce in Latin America?
A: E-commerce in Latin America is about to enter a golden age. The widespread adoption of smartphones is placing a shopping center in each pocket and will make electronic commerce a reality in the region.
Q: Where is Ecuador located and what is its potential to grow in this sector?
A: I met with some industrialists dedicated to electronic commerce in Ecuador and my advice to them was to believe in it, as it is a global trend. E-commerce has taken off slower in this country because investors have focused on other markets.
Q: What is the future or the challenge of physical stores such as supermarkets or pharmacies?
A: There are 2 types of physical retailers: those who embrace e-commerce and thrive, and those who reject it and usually die in the end. The important thing for physical retailers is to stretch their minds and imagine what the world will be in 5 or 10 years. If they apply e-commerce the right way, they will grow. But if they resist change, they will find themselves suffering. (I)
