With the presence of the Minister of Finance, Mario Marcel and the mayoress of Colina, Isabel Valenzuela, Free market today officially inaugurated the largest storage and distribution center in Chile dedicated exclusively to ecommerce. It reaches 100,000 m2, is supplied with 100% renewable energy and has the capacity to house up to 15 million products from the millions of companies, SMEs and ventures that sell every day on the ecommerce site.
This operation is part of an investment of 400 million dollars for the year 2022 and 2023, announced at the beginning of the year by the company. It provides comprehensive logistics solutions to its vendors, improving the shopping experience by guaranteeing fast, safe deliveries at the lowest cost. In turn, this center allows them to delegate to Mercado Libre everything related to the delivery of products, from storage and management of merchandise in warehouse to packaging, dispatch and delivery:
“We are very proud to inaugurate this tremendous storage and distribution center, which allows us to efficiently deliver throughout our country. Since the pandemic, eCommerce has become increasingly essential, due to its contribution to the supply chain and for being a real engine for local SMEs. The operation of this center involves around 1,000 jobs and is a fundamental part of our purpose as a company, which is to democratize electronic commerce, connecting regions and breaking down geographical barriers. We trust in Chile and in the Chilean economy and we want to continue contributing to its development”assured the director of Mercado Libre for Chile, Peru and Ecuador, Alan Meyer.
Likewise, the executive explained that the strengthening of the logistics network has been vital to provide its users with a pleasant shopping experience even in times of high demand, where the entire process has been stressed: “The inauguration of this center has to do mainly with the accelerated growth that we have had since the pandemic onwards. The robust logistics network that we have been building continues to expand and is what allows us to offer the same shopping experience to consumers throughout the country, from Arica to Punta Arenas. To date, 50% of our packages are reaching their destination in less than 1 day, and 80%, in less than 2″ adds Meyer.
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“In Chile, electronic commerce has had an accelerated growth, it has doubled in the last 3 years. 85% of purchases are made through delivery. I congratulate Mercado Libre for this fantastic project”, said in his speech the Minister of Finance, Mario Marcel, who participated in the inauguration. The Secretary of State added:Great projects like this are possible and experiences like Mercado Libre inspire us (…) We have to be able to believe the story, carry out ventures with the support of collaborators”.
The mayoress of the commune, Isabel Valenzuela, was also present at the event and added that “Having a logistics center of this magnitude in our commune means a tremendous opportunity for our neighbors, in terms of job creation, but also in permanent training for the youth of our schools and for the women of Colina. Being inserted in a territory must not only be seen with a productive perspective, the social impact must be a priority for responsible companies. In this sense, Mercado Libre has been a great example and is a sample of how important it is to create alliances between the public and the private sectors”.
Social impact agenda in Colina:
The installation of this center not only has a direct impact on the generation of employment and the economy at a general level, but also generates a concrete contribution in the commune of Colina. Mercado Libre seeks to contribute to the prosperity of its communities, through the development of entrepreneurs, strengthening their capacity to generate income and their financial inclusion, and promoting educational initiatives that create opportunities for young people in order to create more inclusive futures. Some of the initiatives developed:
- Personal Finance Program: a financial education program carried out together with the Junior Achievement Chile organization for Colina public schools, where 444 students learned about concepts such as savings, credit and personal financial planning to make informed decisions about their own economy.
- Networks to the Future: together with Fundación Emplea have promoted training for employment in
- 124 young people from Colina: It is a 100% free program, which works on technical/digital skills and socio-emotional skills oriented to formal work. 70% of the young people who participated this year entered the labor market, of which 60% (53 people) entered the Mercado Libre logistics center.
- Financial education for women entrepreneurs: Hand in hand with the Pro Mujer organization, they have sought to promote financial education in micro-entrepreneurs, to enhance their ability to generate income and plan for a sustainable future. It seeks to help more women become financially independent. More than 150 Colina women enrolled in the program, which focuses on improving financial skills, incorporating budgeting into their businesses, and increasing sales.
Mercado Libre logistics network
Since 2020, the company has focused its efforts on strengthening its logistics network, with the inauguration of new distribution or last-mile centers both in Santiago and in the regions. To date, there are already more than 14 Service Centers located throughout the country, and it is expected that this number will continue to grow. They are present in: the Antofagasta, Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Libertador General Bernardo O’Higgins, Maule, Bío Bío, Ñuble, La Araucanía, Los Lagos, and Los Ríos regions.
In addition, a few months ago they incorporated a new logistics modality into their network where more than 500 neighborhood stores or businesses operate as shipping centers in different regions of the country. For the distribution of the packages, the company has been building a complete and innovative land fleet: long-distance trucks, last-mile vans, electric vans that emit between 50% and 85% less CO2 than a conventional vehicle, between others.
“At Mercado Libre we always seek to collaborate with a new economy that generates economic, social and environmental value, and we are very happy to be able to materialize our multiplier effect in Chile and the rest of Latin America.”, Alan Meyer closed.
