Sales in SME retail stores registered
an annual drop of 28.5% in January, and fell 6.4% in the monthly comparison,
according to a survey carried out by the Argentine Confederation of Medium Enterprises (CAME).
January marked a decrease of 28.5% year-on-year, as measured at constant CAME prices, and in seasonally adjusted month-on-month terms, a decrease of 6.4% was recorded, driven by poor performance in the commercial sector, marked by few transactions. and a
low influx of public
in the premises, according to the business entity.
The results arise from the CAME SME Retail Sales Index, prepared based on a monthly survey among 1,256 retail businesses in the country, carried out on February 1 and 2, 2024, the entity stated in a statement released today.
From CAME they highlighted that despite this challenging scenario,
the textile sector emerged as the exception,
achieving an increase of 0.9% compared to January of the previous year (on that occasion it had registered a decrease of 14.4%) and they attributed This increase is due to the combination of attractive offers and purchases made in large numbers by international tourists who toured Argentine cities.
On the other hand, they pointed out that for the average consumer, in the month of January, everything was expensive, which led to a more careful selection of purchases, prioritizing the most urgent needs to protect income.
By sector,
six of the seven items surveyed in December recorded
year-on-year declines in sales, where the largest annual decline was detected in Pharmacies (-45.8%), followed by Food and Beverages (-37.1%).
The businesses consulted agree that January was a lost month.
“Mainly due to economic uncertainty and the sharp increase in prices, which was not accompanied by an adjustment in wages.”
In the tourist centers they also feel the retraction.
The dynamics of this summer are shorter stays and “gasoline tourism”, which has become a trend in the main destinations.
They perceive drops in both mass consumption and gastronomy