Christmas 2025 SME retail sales increased 1.3% compared to the previous yearmeasured at constant prices, according to the survey Argentine Association of Medium Enterprises (CAME).
Promotions were the driving force behind sales that day “89.3% of companies reached. However, due to high levels of debt and the decline in purchasing power of private households, consumption reflected pronounced austerity and credit dependence.”
For most entrepreneurs, the appointment was a necessary but insufficient relief. He 40.9% of respondents stated that sales for the period “You added but didn’t change the panorama”while a 31.1% He noted that the impact was moderate.
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In contrast, only one 21.9% of the sample considered this these days “They were the key to increasing sales this month”.
Demand for cheaper products
Although this season provided a framework for greater price predictability.Demand focused on economic segments and specific offers, driven primarily by financing instruments extended and in some cases the effect of provincial bonds, which partially compensated for the weakness in current income,” says the CAME report.
He The general average price for a ticket was $36,266with a significant gap between the extremes: more than that when it comes to footwear $60,000in bookstores the average was barely higher $34,000.
Performance by sector
The CAME report allows us to break down the heterogeneous reality of the six main areas analyzed:
– Perfumery (+27.8%): It was the big winner of the season with an average ticket of $48,414. The sector recorded spikes in sales between December 22nd and 24th. According to CAME “The coincidence of Christmas Eve and Wednesday favored an extension of the offer”to which was added a “Recovery in demand for imported fragrances” that had been contained in the previous months.
– Shoes and leather goods (+3.3%): With the highest average ticket on the market ($60,041), the sector maintained its inflow through the “Flexibility of terms and conditions and application of direct discounts when paying in cash”. The company emphasized that the momentum depends on this “Raising liquidity from provincial bonds due to the ineffectiveness of promotions with minimum purchase amounts”.
– Clothing (+1.3%): The sector operated under a “Business activity caused by the decline in purchasing power and the level of debt”. Although volume was above the monthly average, performance was poor “Below original expectations”forced to rely on credit cards for insurance plans “3 to 12 installments” to carry out operations.
– Bookstore (-1.4%): With a ticket $34,484the sector suffered “Demand shift towards digital formats”. Activity was concentrated in the last week, driven by those driving back-to-school purchases, but volume did not meet targets because the “Low Unit Value Operations”.
– Audio, video, mobile phone equipment and accessories (-4%): I have registered a complaint “Selectively, aimed primarily at mobile telephony and items under supply regimes”. CAME warns against this “The opening of imports and the decline in purchasing power limited the transaction volume”so that sales figures are below seasonal forecasts. The average ticket was $47,088.
– Toy store (-6.6%): It was the worst performing sector that was affected by the crisis “Competition through cost-effective marketing channels”. To try to save the clothes, stores offered “Discounts for cash payments between 15% and 50%”. However, CAME was forceful: “The effect was not enough to offset the annual operating deficit”. The average ticket was at $48,800.
LM
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