This Wednesday, the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec) reported that supermarket sales grew 3.8% during March compared to the same month in 2022, and increased 1.3% compared to February.
Operations in large shopping centers registered an interannual increase of 6.9%, while in wholesale self-services they increased 0.1% in the same period. Supermarket sales at current prices totaled $363,217.6, which represented an increase of 114.9% compared to the same month of the previous year, against inflation in the same period of 104.3%.
The groups of items with the most significant increases in sales compared to the same month of the previous year were: Drinks 150.3%; greengrocery and fruit shop 148.3%; prepared foods and rotisserie 143.8%; and Cleaning products and perfumes 118.1%, based on measurement at current prices. Of the $363,216.6 million billed for sales, 37.1% was made through Credit cards30% with debit cards; 28.1% in cash; and the remaining 4.8% with other means of payment.
Regarding sales, 96.8% were made in physical supermarket locations, which reflected a year-on-year increase of 114%; while the online channel accounted for 3.2%, in this case with a growth of 147.7% compared to the same month of the previous year. The jurisdictions where the most important increases were registered, in terms of percentage variation, were: Entre Ríos, with 136%; Tierra del Fuego, 126.7%; Santa Fe”, 123.6%; Santiago del Estero, 119.2%; and the 24 parties of Greater Buenos Aires, with 119.1%.
In March, the personnel employed by supermarkets amounted to 94,613 employees, which reflected an increase of 3.5% compared to the same month last year, but a decline of 0.2% compared to February. Sales at current prices in wholesale self-services totaled $61,170.4 million, which represented an increase of 108.2% compared to the same month of the previous year.
When measured at current prices, the most significant increases compared to the same month of the previous year corresponded to the items clothing, footwear and home textiles with a rise of 199.8%; electronics and household items 175.4%; greengrocery and fruit shop 148.7%; meats 146.9%; and drinks 138.3%. In this sales channel, 37% of payments were made in cash; 21.4% with credit card and 21.2% with debit cards; and the remaining 20.4% with other means of payment.
In shopping malls, total sales at current prices reached $92,659.2 million, which represented an increase of 126.1% compared to the same month of the previous year.
The items that led sales at current prices were: clothing, footwear and leather goods which represented 38% of the total; followed by food court, food and kiosks with 15.1%; electronics, appliances and computers with 14.7%; and sports clothing and accessories with 12.5%.
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