Market Research in São Paulo

Market Research in Sao Paulo

São Paulo is the most industrialized city in Latin America

When you step into the World’s #4 biggest city, opportunities are everywhere. São Paulo is a vibrant cultural, economic and political center in Brazil and is a major global city. The economy produces a significant portion of Brazil’s economic output each year. The city has a deep and intricate history, beginning with coffee beans in the 19th century and developing to a thriving global city.

A Major Regional and Global City

When thinking of creating or expanding a business in São Paulo, market research is vital. Research helps provide insight and guidance to navigate this enormous, fast-paced and multicultural city. São Paulo is single-handedly the biggest exporting area in Brazil, and conducting market research here can help your company grow throughout the country and region.

The city shares its name with its State – São Paulo (city) is the capital of São Paulo (state). Both the city and state of São Paulo are incredibly strong economically, accounting for a large part of Brazil’s GDP.

Which are those industries?

São Paulo city is well-known for the following industry segments:

  • Construction
  • Food
  • Energy
  • Chemistry
  • Technology
  • Automotive
  • Petroleum
  • Clothing

Apparel is a large industry sector in São Paulo.The longest-serving company in the City of São Paulo that remains is “Alpargatas SA”, a century-old company that produces mainly shoes. With over US$400 million as share capital, it demonstrates how successful and eternal a business can be. Other leading companies include Banco Itaú (Bank), Ambev S/A (Food), Gerdau S/A (agroindustry and technology), and JBS S/A (Food). B2B companies, payment firms, banks, healthcare companies, and export companies are also well-represented in the local economy.

Brazil’s emerging economy and São Paulo

While the Brazilian national economy is still emerging, São Paulo is an economic powerhouse and is the pulse of Brazil’s booming economy. It is an important city in which new products are launched and tested in. Human capital talent and skilled workers often relocate there.

São Paulo has over 50 thousand companies, with a substantial part of them being smaller than ten employees. To demonstrate how the city impacts the Brazilian financial situation, “Avenida Paulista” (the most well-known business street in São Paulo) features more companies alone than 90% of the cities in Brazil.

Also, São Paulo is home to the highest part of the richest people in Brazil. Most billionaires choose São Paulo for economic oppportunities when compared to other places in the country.

Pros and cons

Brazil as a country has diplomatic relations with most countries around the globe, including the United States. Democratic South-American countries have an excellent history of being allied and, in some cases, can trade freely. A large number of foreign companies choose São Paulo as their headquarters.

São Paulo also takes advantage of its strategic location – not far from the sea, not too far from the biggest agroindustries of the country.

The main challenges in the city are high taxes and living costs, which are both expensive by Brazilian standards. Brazil has different taxes in each state.

Culture

From “MASP” (Art Museum of São Paulo) to the vibrant nightlife, São Paulo has a very diverse culture and has become a city that never sleeps. São Paulo is known to have significant car traffic on its roads throughout most days.

In many respects, there are strong similarities to New York City, with both being vibrant global cities. The culture of the other very famous city in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, is very different, despite not being far from São Paulo (around 450 kilometers). Rio is focused on tourism, while Sâo Paulo is focused on business. Festivals are a very important part of São Paulo, but they are much more important in Rio.

Additionally, São Paulo is also very well-known for its business tourism events: conventions, congresses, and fairs, holding more of these events than the rest of Brazil combined.

Opportunities

Brazil’s main focus is agroindustry, which means that a lot of São Paulo is filled with job opportunities in that area – not only for people directly working in agriculture but also in technology, research, finance, and consulting. Food and beverage are also always important industry sectors.

In recent years, financial services are growing. Opportunities may exist for banks, FinTechs, and online e-Commerce marketplaces. Future projections tend to be positive on these sectors around the world, and São Paulo is no exception.

However, apparel is also an important industry in the city. The neighborhood with the highest industrial concentration is Brás, a neighborhood historically known for its global importance. Over there, you can find almost everything – from cheap replicas to incredibly state-of-art products.

About Market Research in São Paulo

Understanding the vast potential of São Paulo is important given its scale and global economic significance. Market Research helps companies grow, expand and become more profitable. Focus groups, insight communities, surveys, consumer and video interviews, and market entry research, among others, are helpful solutions when operating in São Paulo.

SIS International Research provides companies with the precise data, tools, insights and strategies they need.

Market Research Solutions in São Paulo

  • Online Insight Communities
  • Focus Groups
  • Consumer Interviews
  • Video Interviews
  • Ethnography
  • Mobile Surveys
  • Competitive Analysis
  • Market Opportunity, Entry & Sizing Research