Retail sales fell 2.6% year-on-year in August.

Retail sales among SMEs continue to struggle to recover despite a continued decline in inflation. In August, they fell 2.6% year-on-year, declining for the fourth consecutive month. They again experienced a monthly decline, reflecting an increased reliance on financing to complete purchases, according to a survey conducted by the Argentine Confederation of Medium-Sized Enterprises ( CAME ).

The figure, according to NA , represents a further decline after the 2% drop in July, 0.5% in June, and 2.9% in May. It had ended with five months of positive readings, from 17.7% in December, 25.5% in January, 24% in February, 10.5% in March, and 3.7% in April.

Despite a succession of declines in recent records, sales have accumulated year-on-year growth of 6.2% so far in 2025, "marking an improvement over the same period last year," the report stated.

In the seasonally adjusted monthly comparison, the SME Retail Sales Index showed that businesses registered a further 2.2% decline in consumption in the eighth month of the year compared to July. This marks five consecutive months of declines.

Analyzing the surveyed scenario, CAME maintained that "commercial dates such as Children's Day provided some movement, although with mixed results across sectors," revealing that "in-person operations predominated over digital ones, and a high dependence on promotions and payment plans was observed."

Along these lines, they emphasized that "in August, sales were influenced by seasonal factors, the impact of commercial dates, and the need to resort to financing to maintain operating levels."

They also noted that "a greater concentration of purchases was observed in small volumes and for essential products, with widespread use of promotions and payment plans" and noted that "online sales had a low share, with in-person sales predominating."

They also referred to the influence of the country's overall context, stating that "macroeconomic uncertainty, tax pressure, and financing difficulties impacted inventory, investment, and pricing planning, generating a scenario of moderate consumption and defensive strategies in most sectors."

Regarding the economic situation of businesses, the survey found that "55% indicated that it remained the same compared to the previous year, while 35% (5 percentage points more than the previous month) stated that it had worsened."