Identifies common practices to be aware of when selling in this market, e.g., whether all sales material need to be in the local language.
Last Published: 11/19/2019

Selling Factors & Techniques

In Portugal, modern techniques coexist with traditional practices. Modern sales techniques are generally accepted and are effective, but traditional values continue to be respected. Many businesspeople still consider a personal contact and a handshake to be a kind of informal contract, but they are also accustomed to formal contract procedures.
Direct sales, large “hypermarkets” and shopping malls are common. For consumer goods, the decisive selling factors may be price, quality, brand name or the product's innovative features. However, the institutional buyer is quality conscious and very sensitive to pricing.  Most tenders consider price first and quality second. These characteristics, as well as its market size, sometimes make Portugal a difficult destination for some American exporters. A good understanding of market needs and the demand for new opportunities should lead to profitable niches for the American exporter.

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.