Mass consumption is still falling at the beginning of the year: in March, the purchase in supermarkets and self -services contracted 5.4% year -on -year. In this way it accumulates a decrease in 8.6% of contraction in the First quarter of 2025. Given the increases in prices, wholesalers They warn that “consumption is very low.”
In dialogue with C5N, the manager of a store located in Mataderos anticipated increases at the beginning of May and explained: “We are handling a weekly variation of our products that are around 0.5% and when we analyze the month it gives us about 2%. There are always offers that end, others that begin and I think that from May with the new lists, we have to apply increases if you can apply. move as it comes because the reality is that consumption is very low“
“From the last time to this part mineral water, alcohol drinks, the first brands of soda, specific cleaning and perfume products such as dental thread, oral rinseetc, “added Daniel Acuña in the morning Argentine program, in relation to the products that stopped consumed by a large number of Argentines.
In this context, although most sales are to the final consumer and in reduced quantities, the merchant explained that the distributor with which he works applies a discount of up to 10% if at least six units are bought. “For people’s pocket, that makes a difference”he said.
Mass consumption fell again: March registered a 5.4% decrease in the purchase of essential products
Mass consumption is still falling at the beginning of the year: in March, the purchase in supermarkets and self -services contracted 5.4% year -on -year. In this way it accumulates a decrease in 8.6% of contraction in the First quarter of 2025.
Although the data set a decrease, The data accompanies the expectations of the sector and the fall slowed down again regarding the 2025 start, which registered a 9.8% retraction in February and 10.6% in January, According to a Scentia report. In this way, one of the third worst brand was recorded in recent 22 years, after 2002 and 2003.
Inflation in March registered an important rise with respect to the beginning of the year: INDEC marked an increase in 3.7% of the general CPI. In this scenario, food was one of the main areas that traced the climb, marking an increase of 5.9%.
In this context, March marked a fall in mass consumption and meant The 15th month of consecutive fall, with a generalized decrease in the purchase of essential products.
The comparison is against a red base as well. In March 2024, the measurement marked a 4% decrease against the same month of 2023, After the initial devaluation carried out by the Government of Javier Milei that moved to strong increases in prices. In this scenario, the director of Scentia, Osvaldo del Río, remarked that “these channels represent about 70% of mass consumption” and highlighted a key fact: “We compare ourselves against a March in which the Easter fell, while this year they will be in April.”
In detail, the Scentia report marks that neighborhood, stores and Chinese shops had a lower fall than large chains, unlike what happened in past months. After 12.6% year -on -year decrease in February, sales lowered 3.7% in March against the same month of 2024.
There were only two categories that were saved from the fall registered in March: food –Rubro that includes more than 50 items between basic, warehouse, condiments and dairy foods – and perishable. According to the report, these sectors sold 0.5% and 1.2% more, respectively, than in March 2024.
Among the most affected baskets is beverage, a symptom that has been repeated since December 2024. In detail, during March, Alcoholics dropped 18% and alcohol without 16%.
Behind the drinks, the category of consumption linked to occasions appeared “impulsive“−alfajores, chocolates, sweets, desserts and cigarettes – with a drop of 15.6%. In an economy that still seeks to recover, this cut is associated with those “Tasty” that consumers restricted.
Finally – although to a lesser extent – they also fell Hygiene and cosmetics articles by 3.3%; of cleaning and home cleaning (2%) and food grouped in the segment of breakfast and snack (1.5%).
In this context – and with a rise in the inflation of March – supermarkets and companies they provide slow recovery and the expectations of a recovery dilate the second quarter, where entrepreneurs in the sector are excited to end the year with a 3% increase in units sold.
Source: Ambito
