10 million Brazilians buy online for the first time in 2014

Some 51,5 million unique consumers bought items online in Brazil last year - 10 million of which have made their first ever purchase over the web, according to e-commerce intelligence firm E-bit.

This compares with 9,2 new online consumers in 2013. Last year, e-commerce activity in the country also grew by 24 percent in relation to 2013, with 103,4 million orders processed at an average ticket of R$ 347 ($128).

Marketing efforts such as Black Friday - a novelty in Brazil - have contributed to last year's growth, as well as uncertainty about the economy, which prompted Brazilians to look online for the better prices, according to the report.

"The World Cup also helped boost sales of TV and sports-related goods during the first half of the year," says executive director at E-bit, Pedro Guasti.

However, the predictions for 2015 are a little less upbeat: the Brazilian e-commerce sector will see slower growth this year as inflation grows and credit rates soar, according to the consultancy.

Growth in online sales in 2015 is predicted to be 20 percent. According to E-bit, the coming months will be "challenging" for retailers, but e-commerce will continue to achieve double-digit growth, with an emphasis in mobile sales.