First it was the e-commerce platform and then everything related to digital finance , loans included. In the middle appeared the need to take a greater role in logistics .

And now, in the midst of the crisis of traditional retailers (with Garbarino, Ribeiro and Musimundo as clear but not unique examples; and also with the withdrawal of a giant like Fallabella from the country), Mercado Libre began, on the one hand, to buy from big brands to sell directly and also manufactures for three own brands: Tedge , dedicated to technology; Begonia , with decoration items; Klatter , in this case with bicycles and tools; and Basics .

From the company they officially indicated that they are always "in constant innovation, with the development of new services, functionalities and products" and that in line with that idea, they very recently began to develop a project that allows them to complement "the current offer with products high quality and competitive prices.

On the one hand, Mercado Libre buys well-known brand products from both local and foreign brands and, in this sense, they have agreements with the main cell phone, TV, audio, computer and gaming brands.

And, on the other hand, like other large retail chains and marketplaces, they buy products directly from suppliers to sell on their platform as Mercado Libre's own brands.

"We are venturing into areas such as electronics, household products, tools and fitness under the Tedge, Begonia, Klatter and Basics brands," they pointed out from the company founded by Marcos Galperín.

Regarding the reasons for this new advance, they point out that in Argentina, a large part of the products marketed promote national production: during 2021, 64% of sales were locally manufactured.

At the same time, they point out, "this is a small project that is designed as a complement to the offer of our marketplace and represents only 0.2% of the total value of the products sold" , so they are not looking - at least for now - overshadow the big brands that operate in the local market.

And they emphasize that, within their platform, "the products compete with the same rules and conditions as any other seller" .

"We are convinced that the better the offer, the more purchases the platform attracts, generating benefits for the entire vendor ecosystem," they argue.

This is an extra way of, they say, "accompanying companies, SMEs and entrepreneurs as protagonists of economic development and financial inclusion in the region."

Technological products

The Tedge brand devices that appear on the platform are the following:

Inverter air conditioning cold/heat of 3,000 frigories at $79,999; 6W portable bluetooth speaker at $2,599; wireless headphones at $2,299; Powerbank portable charger/battery with two USB and 10,000 mAh charge at $1,639; a 32-inch LED Smart TV for $29,999 and an Intel i5 processor-based netbook with 4 gigs of RAM and 256 gigs of memory for $85,999.

There are also toasters, smart watches, gaming keyboard and mouse combos, monitors, hair straighteners, and alarm clocks.