Brazil’s Dafiti clothing e-retailer has moved from barely registering on the radar to clinch a top position in the domestic e-commerce sphere. Dafiti has now filled the void of non-existent representation and taken Latin American e-commerce markets by storm.
According to Dafiti’s managing director Malte Huffmann, prior to Dafiti’s entrance, Brazil really had no formidable presence in e-commerce with regards to fashion. It simply wasn’t a market that was covered.
“We aimed to change that, and within three years we built up the fashion sector,” Huffmann stated. “The way Dafiti´s expanding mirrors the pace of internet expansion and access in Brazil. The positive trajectories are almost the same, which is something we are also very proud of.
Dafiti’s momentum can best be seen in its propulsion of the “fashion and accessories” category. In 2010, it held the 26th position in the e-commerce category. In 2013, Brazil placed 88.3 million orders through the internet, a 32-percent increase from the previous year. With projections forecasting an additional growth of 20 percent in 2014, Dafiti is well poised to continue on its trajectory.
Focusing on clothes, shoes, accessories, beauty products and home-goods, Dafiti supports the domestic market while at the same time facilitating strong international demand within Latin America.
Since inception, it has emphasized aggressive but sustainable growth, scaling its operation to more than 2,000 employees in the region. Operations exist in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. Recent funding from the World Bank reaffirms market confidence in Dafiti and its commitment to serving the Latin American region over the long-term.
