Mercado Livre has introduced a new delivery option called Envios Agora, which promises to deliver purchases to the customer within a maximum period of one hour. This initial service is available for eligible products weighing up to 15 kg and for selected sellers in certain areas of the city of São Paulo.
According to a statement released this Thursday, September 24th, the company clarified that Envios Agora is in the testing phase. The intention is to first expand throughout the entire capital of São Paulo and subsequently extend coverage to other municipalities in the country.
A distinctive feature of this new model is that the item is collected directly from the seller's location, and the delivery is carried out through the platform's own network of partner delivery people. The company has not yet specified the number of participating sellers or which neighborhoods of São Paulo will be covered in this pilot phase.
It is important to note that this modality complements existing delivery options, such as same-day and next-day deliveries. Unlike the Full model, where products are kept in the company's distribution centers, in this case, the order is dispatched directly from the partner seller's stock.
Furthermore, the plan includes using the new system for the sale of medications. Mercado Livre had already expanded its operations to include prescription drugs, covering items that require receipt retention, such as antibiotics and weight and diabetes control devices.
The expansion in the pharmaceutical area began with non-prescription medications and progressed to include prescribed drugs without retention. For those requiring receipt retention, the company guarantees that validation will be performed by a pharmacist.
Additionally, starting in the second half of October, Mercado Livre plans to integrate third-party pharmacies directly with the consumer through its marketplace.
This logistical advance accompanies new structural investments. Mercado Livre projects opening 20 large operations by 2026, which will include receiving, sorting, and storage centers for goods. With these new facilities, the network should reach 72 large-scale logistics centers across Brazil by the end of the year, representing a 39% increase compared to 2025. Of these 72 centers, 30 will be classified as Full centers. According to Mercado Livre data, 59% of express deliveries in Brazilian capitals reach the recipient the next day, while in the state of São Paulo this rate reaches 75%.
In another issue raised, Mercado Livre was subject to questioning regarding the use of facial biometrics. Idec requested the Federal Public Ministry to initiate an investigation to ascertain whether the mandatory facial recognition on the platform could constitute abuse.