According to a CAME survey, consumption in small and medium-sized retail businesses showed a slight recovery compared to 2023
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Christmas sales in small and medium-sized retail businesses recorded a year-on-year increase of 1.3% this year, according to a report released by the Argentine Confederation of Medium-Sized Enterprises (CAME). The figure reflected a moderate improvement compared with the 2023 campaign, in a scenario marked by consumer caution and a strong dependence on financing.
The organization indicated that the campaign was characterized by "a high implementation of commercial actions", since 89.3% of the surveyed businesses resorted to promotions, discounts, interest-free installments, and banking agreements to sustain the level of sales.
The survey showed mixed perceptions among retailers. 32.7% indicated that sales were "better or much better than expected," while 21.4% stated that performance turned out to be "worse or much worse." Meanwhile, 45.9% considered that the results were in line with previous expectations, which highlighted a heterogeneous scenario within the SME sector.
Los datos compartidos por CAME en sus sitios oficiales
CAME also highlighted a context of greater price predictability, although with demand concentrated on products with lower relative value and on specific offers. "Sales relied mainly on extended financing and specific promotions," representatives of the organization explained, while they pointed out that, in some provinces, the payment of extraordinary bonuses helped partially cushion the weakness of current incomes.
Regarding spending per transaction, the average ticket during the Christmas campaign was $36,266. The category with the highest outlay was Footwear and leather goods, with an average of $60,041, while the lowest was recorded in Bookstores, with $34,484. The dispersion among sectors reflected differences in consumption priorities and in customers' spending capacity.
Las mayores ventas se las llevó la industria del calzado
Regarding the impact of Christmas on the monthly balance, 40.9% of retailers considered that sales "added up, but didn't change the outlook." 31.1% indicated that they had a moderate effect, while 21.9% stated that they were key to boosting the month. The remaining 6.1% indicated that the campaign had no significant impact on their sales.
The analysis by category showed contrasting results. Perfumery led the increases with growth of 27.8%, followed by Footwear and leather goods, with an increase of 3.3%, and Apparel, with an improvement of 1.3%. In contrast, Bookstores recorded a decline of 1.4%, Audio and video equipment, cell phones, and accessories fell by 4%, and Toy stores showed a drop of 6.6%.
