Retail sales by small businesses in Argentina during the Christmas period rose 1.3% in volume compared to the previous year, despite tight fiscal constraints. The growth is mainly due to flexible commercial conditions, cash‑payment discounts of up to 50%, and banking facilitation, which helped avoid a decline in consumption at year‑end. According to the Confederación de la Mediana Empresa (CAME), 9 out of 10 businesses implemented special actions. The average ticket was $36,266, with a clear difference between luxury items like footwear ($60,041) and mass‑consumption goods like books ($34,484). Audio, video and cell phone sales fell 4%, while toy retail dropped the most with 6.6%, and books fell 1.4%. Perfume led the gains with a 27.8% increase, followed by footwear and leather goods (+3.3%) and apparel (+1.3%). Credit access in up to 12‑month installments and provincial bond issuances helped offset the loss of purchasing power, according to CAME. Forty‑five point nine percent of respondents said sales met expectations, 32.7% said they exceeded forecasts, and 21.4% fell short of targets. Overall, the results indicate that consumers continue to respond to targeted offers and that the market leans toward economical segments.
