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Mapping E-commerce in Uruguay: from Consumer Habits to Market Expansion
Latest update: March 2025
In this article, we share key insights into Uruguay’s e-commerce market. Most of the data comes from our annually updated, trusted PCMI E-Commerce Data Library for Latin America. We’ve also enriched the analysis with carefully selected information from external sources.
You can also download a PDF version of this article in infographic report format below. And don’t forget to explore our full library of e-commerce reports across Latin America.
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Current State of E-commerce in Uruguay
E-commerce in Uruguay continues to grow. As of now, 74% of the adult population in Uruguay shops online, according to the latest data from the PCMI E-Commerce Data Library. In 2024, PCMI data shows that online sales surpassed the US$4 billion mark, and projections indicate that by 2027 the market will reach US$7 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18%.1
This rise in digital shopping in Uruguay is happening alongside improvements in digitalization and financial inclusion: 75% of payments in Uruguay are already made using electronic methods,2 and 9 out of 10 households have some form of internet access,3 according to official figures.
Profile of the Uruguayan Online Shopper
Understanding the behavior and profile of online shoppers in Uruguay can help identify trends in the adoption of e-commerce across the country. Below are some key insights, according to the Chamber of Digital Economy of Uruguay (2024):4
38% of Uruguayans shop online between two and eleven times a year
Only 12% of the population shops online more than once a month
Top reasons to shop online in Uruguay:
- Convenience – 27 %
- Better prices – 14 %
- More variety – 8 %
35% of Uruguayans use the internet to order food online
Uruguay E-Commerce Payment Methods and Devices
According to PCMI’s E-commerce Data Library, the leading payment methods for e-commerce in Uruguay, by share of sales volume, are:
- Credit card — 54%
- Bank transfers — 15%
- Debit card — 14%
- Digital wallet — 11%
- Cash payments — 3%
- Other* — 2%
*Includes gift cards, pay-on-delivery, and other miscellaneous payment methods.
Note: the total may not sum up to 100% due to rounding.
It is also important to track device usage for e-commerce. According to PCMI E-Commerce Data Library:
- 64% of e-commerce sales volume in 2024 in Uruguay came from mobile devices.
- The remaining 36% came from desktops.
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Top-Selling Categories and Leading Online Stores in Uruguay
The following is the ranking of the best-selling products online in Uruguay, based on the share of main categories in total e-commerce sales:5
- Retail – 59%
- Travel & tourism – 25%
- Food & dining – 8%
- Other – 6%
- Transportation – 2%
As for the top online stores in Uruguay, the following ranking lists the most visited platforms (based on traffic in March 2025):6
- Mercado Libre — 12 million visits
- Farmashop — 3 million
- Tienda Inglesa — 2 million
- Loi — 1.6 million
- Divino — 1 million
Key Insights into the Uruguayan E-commerce Market
Finally, here are some key insights on payments and e-commerce in Uruguay, according to our E-commerce Data Library:
Mercado Pago is the most-used digital wallet for online shopping in Uruguay — accounts for 77% of total wallet payment volume
Foreign retailers account for 42% of e-commerce sales in Uruguay
Cross-border e-commerce is projected to grow by 25% in 2025
Next Step:
The PCMI E-Commerce Data Library
The data provided in this report is part of PCMI’s Latin America E-commerce Data Library. The Library covers not only Uruguay but also 14 other countries in Latin America, featuring e-commerce market data such as:
- Historical volume of Uruguay’s e-commerce market for 2023, 2022 and further back
- Projections of Uruguay’s e-commerce market volume for 2024-2027
- Breakdowns by merchant vertical for e-commerce in Uruguay: retail, travel, ride-hailing, digital goods and services like streaming
- Data on both cross-border and domestic e-commerce purchases in Uruguay for 2024 and projections for 2025 and beyond
- Breakdowns and projections of payment methods used in Uruguay e-commerce (international/domestic credit cards, Buy Now Pay Later, digital wallets and others)
Other key advantages make the PCMI E-commerce Data Library for Latin America a uniquely powerful tool for companies that seek a fuller understanding of e-commerce in the region:
- It’s customizable to client needs: you can obtain additional data you need for your company’s specific business concerns, beyond what the Library offers
- It’s budget-friendly: while detailed reports are available for 15 Latin American countries, you can just buy data on just 1 or save money by purchasing a country bundle
- It includes personalized guidance: every purchase of the Library entitles you to a free 1-hour consultation about the data with one of PCMI’s industry experts
- It offers unlimited sharing: there is no single-user license with the PCMI E-commerce Data Library for Latin America, so you can share it freely with your organization
Keep up to date with our e-commerce, payments and crypto insights:
Source:
- PCMI. (2024). Global E-Commerce Data Library ↩︎
- Presidencia de Uruguay. (September 12, 2024). Banco Central impulsa la eficiencia, seguridad y accesibilidad del sistema de pagos. Rendición de cuentas, Banco Central del Uruguay ↩︎
- Presidencia de Uruguay. (2022). Encuesta de Usos de Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (EUTIC). ↩︎
- Cámara de la Economía Digital del Uruguay. (2024). Tendencias de consumo digital en Uruguay 2024 ↩︎
- Uruguay XXI. (February, 2025). Sector Retail en Uruguay ↩︎
- Semrush. (2024). Top websites in Uruguay (Retail Industry), March 2025 ↩︎
