Retail in 2024: The big picture
Argentina’s retail industry in 2024 was impacted by economic and political developments in the country. After four years of populist economic policies, which left the Argentinian economy in bankruptcy, mired in hyperinflation and with depleted Central Bank reserves, Javier Milei was elected president at the end of 2023 and implemented significant reforms.
End of Precios Justos
At the end of 2023 the government eliminated the national programme Precios Justos - a voluntary agreement between the government and leading companies that established reference prices for the most representative products in the mass consumption basket. The Precios Justos programme was exclusively available at leading grocery retailer chains, such as Jumbo, Coto, and Hiper Changomas, but excluded small local grocers.
Changes in the competitive landscape
During the review period, there was a significant exodus of international companies, as well as others that have expanded in the Latin American. Among the most notable departures was Falabella, a Chilean department store chain that exited the country in 2021.
What next for retail?
The new president, Javier Milei, elected at the end of 2023, has radically changed economic policy compared to his predecessor. The government follows a highly liberal approach, aiming to increase competition, remove import barriers and improve the investment climate.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Retail industry in Argentina with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to the following key categories, where applicable:
- Convenience Stores
- Discounters
- Hypermarkets
- Supermarkets
- Traditional Grocery Retailers
- Apparel and Footwear Specialist Retailers
- Electronics and Appliance Specialist Retailers
- Health and Beauty Specialist Retailers
- Home and Garden Specialist Retailers
- Department Stores
- Variety Stores
- Warehouse Clubs
- Direct Selling
- Homeshopping
- Vending
If you're in the Retail industry in Argentina, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Retail in Argentina report includes:
- Analysis of key retail trends
- Detailed segmentation of offline and online retail sales
- Historic channel sizes (retail value sales, outlet counts, and selling space)
- Company and brand market shares (retail value sales and outlet counts)
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Retail in Argentina?
- Which are the leading retailers in Retail in Argentina?
- How are products distributed in Retail in Argentina?
- How is the rise of e-commerce and the expansion of modern grocery retail impacting traditional retail?
- How significant are discounters and private label in Argentina?
- To what extent are sales shifting towards digital channels?
- What is the long-term outlook for bricks-and-mortar?
- How is macroeconomic and political uncertainty affecting the retail industry?
- What types of retailers are seeing the fastest growth in digital sales?
- What is the future of retail?
Retail in Argentina
Retail in 2024: The big picture
End of Precios Justos
Changes in the competitive landscape
What next for retail?
Informal retail
Opening hours for physical retail
Seasonality
Christmas
Back to school
Mother’s Day
Father’s Day
Children’s Day
Wise Men Day
DISCLAIMER
Convenience Retailers in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Convenience stores reap rewards from reduced purchasing power
Carrefour continues to lead in 2024
Low-cost forecourt retailers see further expansion
Positive forecast period projected for convenience stores in Argentina
YPF and Diarco Barrio to invest in further expansion and modernisation
Forecast period should see new players enter the channel, while e-commerce operations will come into sharper focus
Supermarkets in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Asian supermarkets see some recovery in 2024
Local player La Anónima maintains leadership of channel
Cross-border shopping begins to wane in Argentina
Digital payment options hold potential for high growth
Further recovery projected for Asian supermarkets, while La Anónima is set to invest in expansion
Imported brands to gain greater shelf space
Hypermarkets in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
End of Precios Justos undermines appeal of hypermarkets in 2024
Influx of lower-cost imports seen on retailers’ shelves, while Carrefour remains ahead
Hypermarkets channel vies with warehouse clubs for consumers
Private label will see further expansion within hypermarkets throughout forecast period
Hypermarkets to see further growth, though Supermercado Libre presents rising competitive threat
Leading players to continue to invest in boosting convenience for consumers
Discounters in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Discounters rises in Argentina in 2024, thanks to growing attraction of private label products
Dia sees investment in image update intended to boost competitive edge
Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentación ups its focus on omnichannel strategy for Dia
Dia set to benefit from further business development during forecast period
Franchise-focus will support Dia’s continued expansion across Argentina
Private label portfolio to remain key growth driver for Dia
Small Local Grocers in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Small local grocers begins to recoup lost ground in 2024
Kiosks suffer as consumers remain highly price sensitive
Health stores benefit from health and wellness trends
Tech trends will become more impactful for small local grocers during the forecast period
Kiosks remain important in terms of outlets and value sales
Slow progress likely for e-commerce
General Merchandise Stores in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Value sales rise though Coppel fails to see significant expansion in 2024
Variety stores still struggling
E-commerce as serious threat to variety stores’ progress
Possible return from Falabella during forecast period
Variety stores to record improved performance
Further expansion expected for Coppel
Apparel and Footwear Specialists in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
As value sales rise, volume sales fall in 2024
Zara remains strong, despite Inditex’s review-period exit
Adidas focuses on modernisation
New players anticipated to enter, while companies will increase investment in omnichannel strategies
Cross-border shopping as significant threat, while Grimoldi should see further recovery
Discounts and price promotions will continue to attract Argentina’s many cost-conscious consumers
Appliances and Electronics Specialists in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Volume sales decline deeply in 2024
Musimundo rebrands
Megatone offers relief for those on the autism spectrum
No more threat from import barriers
Recovery projected for appliances and electronics specialists, with greater investment in e-commerce
Threats from other retailers set to intensify
Home Products Specialists in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Home product specialists underperforms in 2024
Grupo Calleja acquires Casino Guichard-Perrachon, while Sinteplast focuses on expansion
Pet shops and superstores show weak performance
Further expansion for Cencosud and other major players during forecast period
Home products specialists present threat to appliances and electronics segments, and players will continue to invest in e-commerce presence
Modern grocery retailers may hamper growth for home products specialists
Health and Beauty Specialists in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Rapid rise in current value sales for health and beauty specialists in 2024
Illegal trade remains threat to optical goods stores
Beauty specialists lags behind
Farmacity set to expand further
Omnichannel strategies will remain important
Removal of import barriers sales will positively impact future development
Vending in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Relatively modest growth for vending in 2024
Small and fragmented channel, dominated by hot drinks
Kiosks as main competitive threat to vending
Product range to remain limited for forecast period
Kiosks and vandalism will continue to hamper growth for vending, while players increase focus on healthier options
Lack of innovation in vending in Argentina
Direct Selling in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Positive performance seen from direct selling in 2024
Beauty and personal care account for greatest proportion of sales in direct selling
Removal of import barriers boosts product supply and variety
Omnichannel strategies to remain key to development
Digitalisation and discounts will come into sharper focus
Positive outlook forecast for direct selling
Retail E-Commerce in Argentina
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Continued growth for retail e-commerce in 2024
MercadoLibre remains ahead
Foreign retail still low in Argentina’s e-commerce channel
Anticipated rise of cross-border shopping, while digital convenience stores present competitive threat
Possible return of multinationals
Tighter regulations should protect consumers
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Retail
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- Convenience Stores
- Forecourt Retailers
- Supermarkets
- Hypermarkets
- Discounters
- Warehouse Clubs
- Food/Drink/Tobacco Specialists
- Small Local Grocers
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- Department Stores
- Variety Stores
- Apparel and Footwear Specialists
- Appliances and Electronics Specialists
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- Home Improvement and Gardening Stores
- Homewares and Home Furnishing Stores
- Pet Shops and Superstores
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- Beauty Specialists
- Pharmacies
- Optical Goods Stores
- Health and Personal Care Stores
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- Bags and Luggage Specialists
- Jewellery and Watch Specialists
- Sports Goods Stores
- Traditional Toys and Games Stores
- Other Non-Grocery Retailers
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- Fashion Vending
- Health and Beauty Vending
- Appliances and Electronics Vending
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- Alcoholic Drinks Vending
- Hot Drinks Vending
- Soft Drinks Vending
- Tobacco Products Vending
- Foods Vending
- Home Products Vending
- Other Products Vending
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- Apparel and Footwear Direct Selling
- Personal Accessories Direct Selling
- Eyewear Direct Selling
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- Beauty and Personal Care Direct Selling
- Consumer Health Direct Selling
- Tissue and Hygiene Direct Selling
- Appliances and Electronics Direct Selling
- Drinks and Tobacco Direct Selling
- Foods Direct Selling
- Home Products Direct Selling
- Other Products Direct Selling
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- Apparel and Footwear E-Commerce
- Personal Accessories E-Commerce
- Eyewear E-Commerce
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- Beauty and Personal Care E-Commerce
- Consumer Health E-Commerce
- Tissue and Hygiene E-Commerce
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- Consumer Appliances E-Commerce
- Consumer Electronics E-Commerce
- Toys and Games E-Commerce
- Drinks and Tobacco E-Commerce
- Foods E-Commerce
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- Home Care E-Commerce
- Home and Garden E-Commerce
- Pet Care E-Commerce
- Other Products E-Commerce
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- First-Party (1P) Marketplace E-Commerce
- Third-Party (3P) Marketplace E-Commerce
- Grocery E-Commerce
- General Merchandiser E-Commerce
- Apparel and Footwear Specialist E-Commerce
- Appliances and Electronics Specialist E-Commerce
- Home Products Specialist E-Commerce
- Health and Beauty Specialist E-Commerce
- Leisure and Personal Goods Specialist E-Commerce
- Other E-Commerce Retailers
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Retail
Retail is the sale of new and used goods to consumers from a business for personal or household consumption from retail outlets, kiosks, market stalls, vending, direct selling and e-commerce. Retail is the aggregation of Retail Offline and Retail E-Commerce. Excludes specialist retailers of motor vehicles, motorcycles, vehicle parts. Also excludes fuel sales, foodservice sales, rental transactions, and wholesale sales (e.g. Cash and Carry). Sales value excluding or including VAT/Sales Tax. Retail also excludes the informal retail sector. Informal retailing is retail trade which is not declared to the tax authorities. Informal retailing encompasses (a) sales generated by unregistered and unlicensed retailers, i.e. retailers operating illegally, and (b) any proportion of sales generated by a registered and licensed retailer that is not declared to the tax authorities. Unregistered and unlicensed retailers operate predominantly (although not exclusively) as street hawkers or operate open market stalls, as these channels are harder for the authorities to monitor than permanent outlets. Activities in the illegal market, which is usually understood to refer to trade in illegal, counterfeit or stolen merchandise, are included within our definition of informal retailing. Activities in the “grey market”, which is usually understood to refer to trade in legal merchandise that is sold through unauthorized channels – for example cigarettes bought legally in another country, legally imported, but sold at lower prices than in authorized channels – will be included as informal retailing if no tax is paid on sale by the retailer. However if the retailer pays tax – for example on cigarettes bought legally in another country but sold at a lower price than standard – the sale is included within formal retail.
See all of our definitionsWhy buy this report?
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- Track key industry trends, opportunities and threats
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This report originates from Passport, our Retail research and analysis database.
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