São Paulo, April 2025 – MRM Brasil, McCann Worldgroup’s advanced tech and data agency, presents the latest wave of its Commerce Survey. The new wave brings important comparisons between behaviors today and 4 years ago.
Ten main insights were identified:
Online shopping is more sophisticated
There has been a big increase in purchases of Abstract vs. Concrete products.
When asked which products they usually buy online, while Electronics fell by 2% between wave 1 and wave 2 of the survey, products such as Fashion and Accessories increased by 12% and Perfumery and Cosmetics by 4%. In other words, both consumers and the retail industry have learned to “taste” products online.
Physical and online shopping behavior have merged
The integrated experience is gaining relevance. 73% of consumers use physical stores as a source of research, but finalize their purchase online. Despite the digital preference, 28% of 18-24 year olds still prefer the physical store experience. “In-store experience” is the only reason that ranks ahead of other generations. This is an opportunity to make the physical store increasingly integrated with online.
The then unbeatable ‘Google search’ gains a major competitor
With 92% of people carrying out searches before making a purchase, for the first time Google is not in first place in searches. Today, 54% of consumers prefer to search on marketplaces such as Amazon, Mercado Libre, Magalu and Americanas. This figure represents an increase of 4 percentage points between 2020 and 2024, consolidating marketplaces as the main source of research. On the other hand, searches on search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo fell by 5 points over the same period.
Investing only in the brand’s website/e-commerce is no longer enough
Purchases made through marketplaces and apps are consolidating as the main consumer preferences. Between 2020 and 2024, purchases on apps and brand websites remained stable, while those made on marketplaces rose by 7 points, highlighting the importance of diversifying the availability of products for consumers. Brands need to be everywhere.
Even with well-developed brand e-commerce, it is essential to spread the availability of the product and service.
- Social selling is growing and taking on new forms
Social networks have emerged as the preferred channel for starting product searches. Among 25 to 30 year olds, 31% start their searches on these platforms, indicating an opposite trend to older generations. For this age group, social networks are becoming the new search engine, with 45% of 18-24 year olds adopting this practice. In class C, 33% prefer social networks for research, while in classes A and B the figure is 29%.
Social is gaining importance in e-commerce. The industry needs to think about the E2E shopping experience on the networks, respecting the vocation of each channel.
- The company that learns to treat promotion as content will come out ahead
Although 78% of AB class participants say that price is still the main motivator for shopping online, promotions play an equally crucial role. 59% of this audience say that promotions are the main reason for following brands on social media.
When asked about the three brands they most like to follow, Gen Z mainly highlights retail brands, such as Amazon, Shopee and Nike, which are among the most cited.
It’s important to emphasize that promotions don’t just mean low prices. The market needs to learn how to relate to consumers through them.
- Fraud begins to shape online shopping behavior
Around 60% of consumers have already been victims of online shopping fraud. In response to this concern, 77% claim to have changed their behavior in some way as a preventative measure. The changes observed include:
74% now only shop on well-known websites and apps and adopt a more cautious stance.
43% felt apprehensive but continued to use digital platforms as normal.
17% reduced their purchases on digital platforms.
9% continue to use digital platforms despite their apprehension.
6% have stopped shopping online.
The younger generation shows an even greater awareness of privacy on the internet, with 61% of 18-24 year olds saying they are very concerned and 71% of 25-35 year olds sharing the same opinion.
- Companies’ concern about ESG has little influence on the purchasing decision, but is the main cause of abandonment
When choosing between different companies to make a purchase, ESG concerns do not stand out. The factors that most influence this decision are:
70%: Good shopping experience
65%: Good reviews from other consumers
17%: The company’s concern for sustainability and the environment (down 4 points)
14%: Concern for social causes
14%: Identification with the brand’s positioning
8%: Sponsorship and support for causes and people
7%: Referral from social influencers
The younger generation (18-24 years old) is the least influenced by ESG in purchasing decisions, with only 17% considering this aspect relevant.
However, the main reasons for not buying a product are:
_ 61%: Socio-economic disrespect towards less privileged people.
53%: Products tested on animals 50%: Company shows no concern for the environment.
_40%: Disrespect for diversity
- Payment models with similar levels of preference
The most popular payment methods among consumers are credit cards and PIX, closely followed by boleto bancário and payment apps. The preference between the methods is as follows:
69% prefer to pay for their purchases on digital platforms by credit card
68% opt for PIX
29% prefer debit card
16% choose boleto bancário
14% use payment apps (such as PicPay, PagSeguro, etc.).
The differences in payment preferences are related to generations and social classes. Credit card is the preferred method among older people, with 73% of the 31-40 age group opting for it. On the other hand, PIX is the favorite choice of younger people, with 78% of consumers aged 18 to 24 using this method.
In class AB, 71% prefer credit cards, while 73% of class C opt for PIX.
Therefore, the industry must offer a complete mix of payment methods, providing consumers with all the options they need to make their purchases easier.
- Mobile purchasing is widespread, but other devices cannot be ignored.
Almost all consumers make digital purchases via mobile devices, with 91% using their cell phones for this purpose. The use of other devices is also significant:
53% use their computer
12% use their tablet
10% turn to their smart TV
Although all generations make mobile purchases, analysis by social class reveals the importance of responsive platforms on all devices. The AB classes have a greater tendency to use desktop, tablet and smart TV.
Given this data, the industry needs to be prepared to offer an optimized online shopping experience on all devices.
To arrive at these results, MRM Brasil interviewed 2,000 people between 2020 and 2024.
