The advance of e-commerce has been transforming the way Brazilians buy products and how brands build their digital competitiveness.Today, about 82% of Brazilians make at least one online purchase per month, according to the report Identity and Fraud 2025, from Serasa Experian. However, 48% have already given up on completing the transaction due to lack of trust in the platforms. In this context, the so-called “downtime”, represents one of the biggest risks for digital retail, as well as interrupting sales, compromises the perception of security and weakens the relationship of trust with customers.
In this sense, global data helps to quantify the impact of downtime for companies in the retail sector. The survey The Hidden Cost of Downtime, from Splunk, linked to Cisco, indicates that the 2,000 largest companies in the world accumulate around US$ 400 billion per year in costs involving systems or websites off-air. In South America, the estimated loss reaches US$ 208 million annually. Although the immediate drop in sales represents about a quarter of this amount, the most lasting damage is in the loss of consumer confidence and the erosion of brand credibility, factors that require considerable investments and long term to be recovered.
When this scenario is analyzed from the perspective of periods of high demand for retail, the risk of downtime becomes even more evident. Black Friday, for example, concentrates, in a few days, a volume of negotiations capable of changing the annual performance of the sector. According to the report consolidated by the platform Time to Time of Confi.Neotrust, the Brazilian e-commerce moved R$ 9.38 billion in the period between November 28 and December 1, 2024, a growth higher than 10% compared to the previous year.
Consumer profile and the impact of downtime
In addition, the consumer who participates in this type of event usually arrives at the prepared site, after research and price comparisons, hoping to find agility, stability and security. A technical failure at this time threatens not only immediate revenue, but also compromises the relationship with an increasingly strategic customer profile for retail.
During Black Friday, consumer behavior also intensifies demands on technological systems. It is common for the customer to open several tabs simultaneously, compare prices, add multiple items to the cart and wait for personalized suggestions in real time. This pattern requires the infrastructure to have increased processing capacity and scalability, especially to support traffic peaks.
In this context, the adoption of cloud solutions it allows to quickly test and scale the available resources, besides reducing expenses with physical infrastructure. In view of this, so that the technology is no longer seen as a cost, it is necessary that the IT areas are integrated into the business strategies, since their investments directly impact the operational continuity and the satisfaction of the consumer.
The interruption in digital operations causes damages that exceed the immediate financial impact. The unavailability of the site directly affects the brand image, causing dissatisfaction in the consumer and raising doubts about the security of their personal data, for example. This scenario hinders loyalty strategies and compromises the sustainability of the business.
On the other hand, ensuring stable operations and offering a personalized experience strengthens the relationship with the customer. The intelligent use of available data allows the recommendation of complementary products and simplifies the purchase journey, including after-sales, increasing the value perceived by the consumer.
By Cleyton Leal, leader of application services SoftwareOne.
