Tiendanube has released the first edition of its NubeCommerce Colombia report, analyzing the current state of e-commerce in the country. The study highlights high adoption of artificial intelligence among online stores, though its use remains mostly tactical. It also identifies challenges in promotional strategies and reliance on external platforms.
The NubeCommerce Colombia report, an initiative by Tiendanube—the leading e-commerce platform in the region—examines the performance of online businesses in 2025, the challenges and opportunities for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MiPymes) and startups, as well as lessons for growth in 2026. This is the first edition for the Colombian market, complementing similar studies conducted since 2015 in Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil.
Regarding technology adoption, 88% of stores report already implementing or planning to implement artificial intelligence (AI), with more than 62% expecting a significant impact on their business in 2026. However, the use of these tools is mainly tactical, focused on content generation and catalog optimization. The report notes that strategic applications, such as response automation, marketing campaign personalization, and customer experience enhancement, remain a pending challenge.
On promotional strategies, major commercial dates in 2025—such as Mother's Day and Father's Day, Christmas, Black Days, and Amor y Amistad—concentrated most actions. Yet, 32.6% of online businesses conducted no activities during these key periods for acquiring or retaining customers. The study highlights the upcoming FIFA World Cup, from June 11 to July 19, as a 39-day sales opportunity. It recommends shifting from isolated activations to seasonal planning, prioritizing key days with integrated campaigns involving promotions, content, and remarketing. Large Colombian brands, for instance, plan Christmas from mid-year.
Finally, while 73.5% of brands operate solely through digital channels, only 7.5% sell exclusively from their own store, indicating heavy reliance on external platforms. 55.3% of those using marketplaces do not redirect customers to their own online store, limiting data capture to build communities and promote direct sales, which improve margins, volume, and repeat purchases.
