In December of last year, billing in Argentina experienced a decline of 14.5% compared to the same month of the previous year. In seasonally adjusted terms, the contraction was 13.2% compared to November. Despite billing reaching $336,084.7 million with a year-on-year increase of 75.7% in nominal terms, real consumption showed a marked decline throughout the year.
During the last quarter, the year-on-year drop in December was 3.3%, while in seasonally adjusted terms, sales decreased by 0.3% compared to November, reflecting lower consumption dynamics towards the end of the year.
Sales behavior varied according to the regions of the country. In the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and Greater Buenos Aires, nominal growth was 100.5% and 90.8%, respectively. In contrast, in provinces like Chubut and Neuquén, the increases exceeded 117%, contributing to greater stability in consumption.
On the other hand, sales in wholesale self-service stores suffered an even more pronounced decline, reaching 15% in 2024 at constant prices. When adjusted for inflation, the quantities traded were lower than those of the previous year.
When analyzing the sectors with the largest year-on-year increases, notable growth was observed in clothing, footwear, and home textiles at 179.7%, followed by electronics and home goods at 117.9%, and beverages with an increase of 93.6%.
Regarding the evolution of payment methods, there is a transformation in buying habits, where the use of credit cards represents 27.5% of total sales with a year-on-year increase of 90.4%. Cash covers 25.4% of transactions, debit cards 22%, and digital payments such as virtual wallets and QR codes represent the remainder.
Finally, sales in supermarkets showed an 11% decrease in 2024 at constant prices, according to reports from INDEC, although the 133.6% growth in digital payments consolidates the digitization in the wholesale sector.
