Digital consumption and e-commerce trends shift across Latin America and Spain

Digital transformation and consumer behavior are undergoing significant shifts across Latin America and Spain. In Guatemala, 80% of consumers have made purchases via social media, driven by short videos and influencer recommendations. In Mexico, while e-commerce reached 941 billion pesos in 2025, a digital gap remains; many companies still rely on paper for formalizing contracts, with internal process digitalization sitting at only 47%. Furthermore, the Mexican market is fragmenting into distinct consumer profiles, including 'defensive' buyers focused on inflation and 'optimizers' who research heavily on platforms like TikTok.

In Spain, consumer habits show a growing integration between social media discovery and search engine validation. Users often discover brands on Instagram or TikTok before moving to Google to verify reputation. Additionally, Spanish consumers are increasingly proactive, with 78% starting research as early as September to prepare for Black Friday sales.

Across the broader business landscape, technological adoption remains uneven. While digital routes can increase customer bases by 20%, many businesses struggle with the perceived costs of tools. Meanwhile, in the e-commerce sector, automation is shifting from simple traffic generation to optimized cost-per-click (oCPC) models that prioritize high-probability conversions.