SAO PAULO, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Latin America's largest

e-commerce platform MercadoLibre ( MELI ) announced on Monday

the launch of a new business-to-business (B2B) unit, targeting

corporate clients as it seeks to expand beyond its traditional

consumer market.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The move positions MercadoLibre ( MELI ) to capture a share of the

B2B e-commerce market, which is estimated to be four times

larger than the global business-to-consumer e-commerce market by

volumes sold.

BY THE NUMBERS

The company said there are over 4 million users already

enabled for wholesale purchases across Latin America since it

began testing the unit a year ago.

The unit is launching in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and

Chile.

KEY QUOTES

"This market is strategic for the business, as it is

characterized by higher average tickets, recurring purchases,

larger orders and lower return rates," MercadoLibre ( MELI ) said in a

statement.