A survey published this Thursday by the Commercial Federation of Córdoba (Fedecom), and its attached Chambers and Shopping Centers indicates that retail sales of SMEs in the province of Córdoba ended the month of May with a 4.8% drop compared to the same month of the previous year.
There are already 12 months of consecutive year-on-year drops. It is worth remembering that in May 2022, compared to May 2021, sales had increased 2.5%. The numbers are in accordance with, for example, the measurement of the Cordoba Chamber of Commerce (city of Córdoba) who highlighted a discouraging number. 65% of the surveyed merchants stated that they had sold below their expectations during the fifth month of the year.
“The constant rise in prices continues to be largely responsible for the fall in the purchasing power of families and therefore in the sales of merchants. The trade situation is very delicate.” said Fausto Brandolin, president of Fedecom. “Not even the incidence of the XL weekend and the influx of tourists to the province of Córdoba managed to reverse the trend. The costs rise daily and many of the companies have difficulties to stock up on merchandise”, added.
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Indeed, of the 11 items surveyed by the entity, in the interannual comparison with respect to the quantities sold, only two exhibited positive interannual values and the rest fell:
- • Food and beverages (-6.4%);
- • Sports and recreation articles (-5.5%);
- • Footwear and leather goods (-5.4%);
- • Home appliances and electronic articles (-7.0%);
- • Pharmacy 1.3%;
- • Hardware, electrical materials and construction materials (-1.9%);
- • Clothing (-4.1%);
- • Toy store and bookstores (-4.6%);
- • Furniture and decoration (-4.3%);
- • Tires and spare parts (-6.7%);
- • Perfumery and cosmetics 1.5%.
Once again, the decrease observed in Food and beverages stands out, an item in which the use of credit cards is already evident.
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Regarding payment methods, 45% of the transactions were made with credit card, and 55% in cash, taking advantage of offers or discounts.