Supermarket sales fell by 11% in 2024, but they earned more

According to INDEC , supermarket sales fell by 11% in 2024 at constant prices.

The decline deepened in the last quarter, with a year-on-year drop of 3.3% in December. In seasonally adjusted terms, the sales index showed a slight decrease of 0.3% compared to November, reflecting a slower consumption trend towards the end of the year.

Sales performance also varied by region. In the City of Buenos Aires and Greater Buenos Aires, nominal growth was 100.5% and 90.8%, respectively, while in provinces such as Chubut and Neuquén, where increases exceeded 117%, consumption was more stable.

Meanwhile, total sales at constant prices in wholesale self-service stores registered a 15% drop in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to INDEC data.

INDEC SUPERMARKET SALES 2024.jpg

In December, the year-on-year decline was 14.5%, while in seasonally adjusted terms, a decrease of 13.2% was observed compared to November, confirming the contraction in wholesale consumption.

In nominal terms, sales reached 336,084.7 million pesos, with an increase of 75.7% year-on-year. The sectors with the greatest increases were clothing, footwear and home textiles (+179.7%), electronics and household items (+117.9%) and beverages (+93.6%).

However, when considering the inflationary effect, the quantities sold were lower compared to 2023. The analysis by means of payment shows that 27.5% of sales were made by credit card, with a year-on-year growth of 90.4%.

Debit card transactions accounted for 22% of the total, while 25.4% of purchases were paid in cash. Meanwhile, payments through other means – such as virtual wallets and QR codes – grew by 133.6%, reflecting an advance in the digitalization of payments in the wholesale sector.