Amazon landed in Spain at the beginning of September 2011. Not a decade has passed but the changes that the ecommerce giant has caused in the society and economy of our country go beyond the commercial. His arrival changed everything, not without controversy .

But what would our consumption habits be like today if it suddenly turned off? Would your absence penalize us?

Living without Amazon would not imply returning to the caverns, but if "it did not exist, it would have to be invented," explains Ángela López, an expert at Nielsen. "In Spain, until now, except El Corte Inglés, there was not a competitor so versatile, that it had such a wide offer, easy and convenient to buy and with such competitive prices," he says.

Amazon has been, according to experts consulted by EL MUNDO, the pioneer in many changes. It has been " the promoter of the algorithm that predicts our tastes and suggests when buying, " says Nielsen's expert. "Although other platforms are now applying it, this is a hallmark of Amazon's own and characteristic identity."

Without this prescription, when buying online we would have to think a little more, because the screen would no longer suggest products or services based on our tastes.

Negative for some, it is positive for others, because "it does not restrict you." However, "these suggestions have made impulse buying grow in categories of products that were previously more reflective," he says.

PEOPLE WITHOUT STORE

"The large online sales platforms or marketplaces " "are being a fundamental piece in the evolution of world trade. Within the process of globalization of the economy, these platforms are a very powerful tool in facilitating access to different markets especially for small and medium enterprises, "says Carlos Peregrina, responsible consumption partner of the consulting firm KPMG.

Without Amazon some products would not be accessible in small corners . There are also very specific products that would not be sold. "There are things that before you could only buy in large urban centers and are now accessible in small towns," sources from the company itself point out. "We are breaking down geographical barriers and, at the same time, we give people access to a large selection of products including many that others would not be interested in selling," they say on Amazon.

From the point of view of consumers, "it is a window to an infinite number of products from practically anywhere in the world, because they put in their hands an easy purchase procedure , more agile and highly competitive in price , which makes it possible to have their provision of catalogs that were previously difficult to access or directly impossible because of price or variety, "Peregrina adds.

PAINFUL PAYMENT

The painless payment (that almost imperceptible process in which you only press a button and that makes you think that you are not wasting money) was driven by Amazon. "We would miss that." As we would also miss a world without Black Friday or Prime Days, those days of discounts that the American giant introduced in our country.

"They have been the great promoters of these key dates, they have been very good at changing habits and it has been shown that this personalized offer works," says Ángela López.

SLOWER SHIPPING

Amazon has also been the operator that has shaken the market in the parcel and shipping sector . His revolution, in addition to commercial, has been logistics. Without the changes it has caused "in all operators, we would return to the long times in the delivery" of the products (today possible already in less than two hours). "The trade has had to put the batteries. We lacked that incentive," and the great benefactor has been the consumer , says Lopez.

Perhaps without Amazon's impulse, the Mercadona website would continue to be "crap" (as defined by the chain's own president, Juan Roig) and the rest of the chains would continue to deliver the purchase online in more extensive times.

The shipping revolution , however, has also brought controversy, given the saturation of delivery vans in some urban centers and the environmental impact of so much package. A subject still pending resolution.

WORST FOR SMES

Online platforms not only sell their own products but also make it easier for other companies to sell their products worldwide, thereby expanding their potential customers exponentially . This opportunity, without Amazon, "would be critical especially for small businesses, with less investment capacity when accessing foreign markets or to have their own online sales platforms," ​​says the KPMG expertop.

In his opinion, if there was no Amazon or similar platforms, the vast majority of small producers and distributors "could not compete in the online market with other large companies", which can make further developments in logistics , technology or even marketing services.

According to López, some merchants would recover land (El Corte Inglés, especially) or they would become strong specialists (hardware stores, shoe stores, etc.) would grow.

Amazon sells pliers, but also wedding dresses. And although it may seem weird, there are customers who also buy this type of products online . "There is a very functional and confident customer. They trust the platform and themselves and they are the ones who break the barriers," says López. "If Amazon is able to sell a product with both emotional component and a wedding dress, it is unbeatable."

For Peregrina, there is no turning back, because the current consumer "has become accustomed to handling a large amount of information and having almost unlimited access to it and the same is happening with commerce, in which access to different companies and products it is almost unlimited, eliminating geographical barriers and to a large extent or as an enhancer of this effect , the large marketplaces are located ".

"The consumer has already tried it. It's like the poison that gets you inside," Lopez illustrates. "For some it is a Chinese shoe, but it is positive."

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Amazon
  • The English Court
  • Spain
  • THE WORLD
  • Mercadona
  • Black friday
  • TV

EconomyUSA orders its embassy to threaten "reprisals" if the Spanish government insists on the Google rate

Defense A legal report supports a direct defense award of 2,100 million "for national security"

The challenges of Marta Álvarez, before her first shareholders meeting as president of El Corte Inglés