Argentina's retail sales slip as supermarkets and malls record mixed performance
Argentina’s consumer market continued to contract in the first half of 2026. Supermarket sales fell 0.7% year‑on‑year in May and 2.6% in June, while wholesale outlets recorded inter‑annual declines of 2.3% in May and 2.3% in June. Shopping‑center sales, however, rose 11.9% year‑on‑year in May, ending an eleven‑month streak of falls.
E‑commerce was the only bright spot, posting a 41% year‑on‑year surge in June and a 34.8% gain in the first half of the year. Consumer confidence slipped sharply, with the ICC dropping 12.3% year‑on‑year to 40.67 points in July. Industrial output remained flat in June, leaving the sector 0.7% lower over the first semester. Transfers to Buenos Aires Province municipalities lost 7.3% of real purchasing power in May, and debt‑payment arrears rose sharply, reaching 32.8% of borrowers in Salta. Overall, about 70% of the economy stayed in recession despite isolated pockets of growth.