Shopee hikes capacity in Brazil by 60% in one year, awaits regulation on medicine sales
SE•Shopee expanded its distribution capacity in Brazil by 60% over the past year, adding four cross-docking centers and tripling the operational area of a facility in Piracicaba. It will wait for Brazil’s health regulator to finalize rules before potentially allowing pharmacies to sell medications on its platform.
1. Brazil expansion
Shopee opened four cross-docking centers in Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Vitoria and Blumenau, and tripled the operational area of its Piracicaba facility. The changes added processing capacity for 2.4 million orders per day, the company said, without disclosing its total capacity in Brazil.
2. Distribution network
The expansion brings Shopee’s Brazilian network to 30 distribution centers: 25 cross-docking facilities and five fulfillment centers, up from 16 a year ago.
3. Medicine sales rules
Shopee will wait for health regulator Anvisa to finalize regulations before potentially allowing pharmacies to sell medications through its platform. A law approved by Congress this year authorized medication sales through online marketplaces, but Anvisa is still preparing its rules. “We believe we still need greater clarity over the legislation before making any move,” said Felipe Lima, Shopee’s director of business development and fulfillment operations.
