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The Amazon of Latin America has a $3.6 billion plan: Mercado Libre will invest 19 billion reais in Brazil, in part to fund its fintech arm—which poses an enormous threat to the region’s banks.

Why it matters: Amazon appears to be turning to the same low-cost shipping playbook it used to gain share in Brazil and Mexico—markets dominated by Mercado Libre. Mercado Libre dominates the ecommerce market in Argentina; we expect it will account for 66.5% of the country’s online sales this year.

But not all RMNs can deliver the massive shopper audiences and innovative advertising solutions needed to unlock the format’s full potential. Millions of engaged shoppers flock to ecommerce sites every month. User traffic is key when deciding where to invest.

As ecommerce growth normalizes and companies prioritize profit, payments providers are facing slashed valuations and tapering revenue growth. This more challenging environment—which particularly affects fintechs—portends two potential consequences:. Incumbent-led consolidation.

Alibaba, Amazon, and Mercado Libre dominate retail ecommerce in different parts of the world. Here’s a look at how these marketplaces stack up, in seven charts and graphics.

Three of Latin America’s most prominent retail and ecommerce players were well represented in the ranking, according to our estimates. These included regional heavyweights Mercado Libre and Falabella, as well as local ones like Walmart de México (Walmex). For more on our analysis of retail media ad revenues in Latin America, please refer to our forecasting methodology at the end of this report.

Monthly transactions hit 3 billion in March, and cash transfers top credit card payments, according to the Central Bank of Brazil. And being cheaper than traditional card payments for merchants has helped it become the most used payment method in Brazil, per the central bank. Why the tie-in makes sense:.

Globoplay bucks this trend only in Brazil. The platform was the fourth-most popular service there, with 20.7% of paying subscribers. It came in ahead of YouTube Premium (19.6%) but behind Disney+ (21.7%) and Amazon Prime Video (33.7%). For reference, nearly three-quarters (72.8%) of those in Brazil subscribed to Netflix—the third highest, after Argentina (85.2%) and Uruguay (84.6%).

Globoplay looks beyond Brazil to find new subscriber growth. Like others, it has also faced an uphill battle in attracting new users to its streaming platform.

Our latest analysis of 12 companies unpacks key trends in Latin America retail ecommerce during Q2 2022. It provides retail professionals with insights into the current landscape and what these trends mean heading into 2023.

In Latin America, Mercado Libre is reaping the benefits from consumers’ embrace of ecommerce. This year, we expect its regional ecommerce business will grow by 23.0% to nearly $35 billion, representing more than $1 in $5 spent on retail ecommerce in the region.

Latin America’s digital economy is proving resilient despite macroeconomic headwinds. In 2023, marketers and advertisers will focus on reaching consumers across retail media, livestreaming ecommerce, and ad-supported video streaming.

This article originally appeared in Insider Intelligence's Retail & Ecommerce Briefing—a daily recap of top stories reshaping the retail industry. Subscribe to have more hard-hitting takeaways delivered to your inbox daily. Are you a client? Click here to subscribe. Want to learn more about how you can benefit from our expert analysis? Click here.

The context: Shein has a dominant (40%) share of the US fast-fashion market thanks to its vast assortment of low-priced apparel that appeals to Gen Z and millennial shoppers, per Bloomberg. Despite its success, the company has significant challenges.