From Traditional to Digital Retail: How E-commerce Reshaped Brazil’s Logistics Occupier Rankings

Data from SiiLA’s Market Analytics highlights the rise of Mercado Libre, Amazon and Shopee, while traditional retailers lose ground.

Fernando Yunes, SVP and Country Lead of Mercado Livre in Brazil

By: SiiLA News

08/26/2025

In recent years, Brazil’s logistics real estate market has undergone significant shifts in the ranking of leading occupiers across Class A+, A, and B properties

Back in 2019, Lojas Americanas was the largest tenant, occupying more than 451,000 m², followed by Mercado Libre (217,000 m²) and Carrefour (203,000 m²). At that time, global e-commerce players like Amazon had only a small footprint, and Shopee had yet to enter the market.

By 2020, the landscape started to change. Mercado Libre nearly doubled its leased space, reaching 400,000 m², and began a rapid expansion that would soon make it the market leader. Key deals such as its 75,800 m² lease at the DCC – Distribution Center Cajamar (75,800 m²) and Bresco Bahia (37,900 m²) played an important role in this expansion.

In 2021, the company surpassed 900,000 m², overtaking traditional retailers, including former leader Lojas Americanas. Fast forward to 2025, Mercado Libre now occupies 1.76 million m² — more than four times its footprint at the start of the series.

Pandemic and growth

By SiiLA

The pandemic year of 2021 marked a turning point. With strict mobility restrictions fueling demand for online shopping, both retailers and e-commerce platforms ramped up their logistics strategies.

Mercado Libre’s rapid growth paved the way for other players. Amazon, which had just 56,000 m² in 2019, now occupies 608,000 m² in 2025, securing the second spot in the national ranking. Shopee, first recorded in 2021 with 15,000 m², has surged to 713,000 m² in just four years — underscoring the company’s aggressive expansion strategy in Brazil.

Meanwhile, traditional retailers contracted. Lojas Americanas, once the absolute leader, has dropped to 401,000 m² in 2025, largely due to the financial crisis it faced in 2023. Via has remained stable, with around 264,000 m² throughout the period.

Beyond e-commerce

Among third-party logistics providers, DHL Express expanded from 167,000 m² in 2019 to 245,000 m² in 2025, while Luft Logistics fluctuated between 160,000 m² and 239,000 m².

Today, Brazil’s logistics warehouse market totals 28.2 million m² of stock. The five largest occupiers — Mercado Libre, Shopee, Amazon, Magalu and Lojas Americanas — account for 14% of that space, or about 3.9 million m², according to SiiLA’s Market Analytics platform.

The numbers point to a structural shift: while traditional retailers once dominated, the market is now led by digital platforms and e-commerce operators. The rapid rise of Mercado Libre, Amazon and Shopee has reshaped Brazil’s logistics landscape, driving demand for new developments and cementing e-commerce as the main growth engine for the sector.

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