Strong growth in supermarket sales in January: they rose by 4.2%

The beginning of 2025 brought good news for consumption in Argentina. Supermarkets, which faced a challenging 2024, started the year with a 4.2% year-on-year recovery in January, according to data from INDEC.

This growth, accompanied by a 1.9% increase compared to December, reflects an encouraging trend change, driven by the economic stability and predictability caused by the government of Javier Milei.

The average ticket and rising purchasing power

One of the most compelling indicators of this improvement is the average ticket, which reached $26,691, with a nominal growth of 93.2% year-on-year, surpassing the inflation of 84.4% in the same period.

This means that Argentinians' spending in supermarkets not only grew in nominal terms but also in real terms, debunking the narrative of declining consumption.

The analysis of payment methods confirms that credit is once again a key tool for consumers. The use of credit cards led with $822,822 million, followed by debit cards ($539,796 million), cash payments ($296,039 million), and other means ($212,121 million). In total, supermarket billing amounted to $1.87 trillion, marking a clear recovery of domestic demand.

The transformation of consumption: which sectors lead the growth

The rise in consumption was not uniform across all sectors, but some segments performed outstandingly. Among them, the following stood out:

• Clothing, footwear, and home textiles (+131.3% year-on-year)
• Prepared foods and deli (+102.9%)
• Electronics and home appliances (+93.3%)
• Vegetables and fruits (+87.2%)
• Dairy (+85.4%)

These data confirm that Argentinians are regaining their purchasing power in essential goods and also in higher value-added products, something unthinkable in the Argentina of Kirchnerism, where the deterioration of real wages pushed consumption toward basics.

In contrast, some sectors lagged behind, with growth below the general level:

• Bakery (+75.9%)
• Meats (+71.3%)
• Beverages (+62.3%)
• Cleaning and perfumery items (+59.5%)
• Grocery products (+56.3%)

However, the overall balance is positive: retail trade is recovering, and household consumption shows signs of strengthening.

The provinces that grew the most

The positive impact of the economic reactivation was not homogeneous across the country, but some provinces stood out for their growth above inflation. The Patagonian region, with its link to the energy sector, led the advance.

The provinces with the highest nominal sales increase were:

• Tierra del Fuego (+90.1%)
• Neuquén (+85.9%)
• Río Negro (+81.8%)
• Chubut (+79.4%)
• Santa Cruz (+79.2%)
• La Pampa (+73.4%)

Neuquén, in particular, remains a beacon of growth thanks to the boost from Vaca Muerta, a driver of employment and investment in the region.

In the urban area, the City of Buenos Aires led the rebound with a 73.4% increase in sales, while Greater Buenos Aires grew 67.6% and the interior of the province of Buenos Aires, 76.6%.

INDEC data confirms what was anticipated: thanks to the necessary adjustments to end the inherited crisis, inflation is falling, purchasing power is recovering, and supermarket consumption grew in real terms.