Overview

• CAME measured a 4.2% year-over-year fall in September and a 2% seasonally adjusted drop from August, extending a run of monthly declines.
• In Mar del Plata, UCIP reported an 11.4% year-over-year slide for September, with 75% of merchants saying they are worse off and 81% calling it a bad time to invest.
• Textiles and apparel posted the sharpest annual fall at 10.9%, followed by bazar, home textiles, decoration and furniture at 6.2%.
• Perfumery eked out a 1.4% monthly uptick and hardware, electrical and construction supplies held steady compared with August.
• Despite recent setbacks, CAME noted a 5% year-to-date gain versus 2024, while reports cite weaker purchasing power, household debt and uncertainty as the main drags on consumption.