Mercado Libre Tops Retail Media Ads in Latin America in 2024

Mercado Libre has been recognized as the leader in retail media advertising in Latin America, with its ads ranked the most useful and relevant in the region, according to Kantar's Media Reactions 2024 report. The study analyzes how Latin Americans perceive advertisements across various channels and platforms, as well as their online shopping preferences and behaviors.

Retail media—advertisements displayed within e-commerce platforms—emerged as one of the most preferred online channels for receiving ads, second only to influencer content. Within this category, Mercado Libre ranks among the top three online platforms for advertising, with its financial arm, Mercado Pago, also ranking highly.

The report highlights that Mercado Libre’s advertisements stand out for their ability to capture attention, reliability, and overall quality. These factors have helped the platform maintain its leadership in Ad Equity, which measures the perceived value of ads by users.

The study found that 83% of Latin Americans use Mercado Libre for purchasing, price comparisons, and finding promotions. Notably, eight out of 10 users perform generic searches on the platform, exploring options rather than targeting specific brands. Additionally, 82% of users stated that ads on Mercado Libre help them discover new brands and products as well as address questions about items they are actively considering.