Retail sales in the city of Córdoba fell 14% year-on-year in units during July of 2026. The Commercial Observatory of Cámara de Comercio de Córdoba obtained the result through its own survey in commercial corridors and shopping centers. Profitability decreased 12% compared to the same month of 2025, so that the deterioration affected both the volume sold and the declared economic result.
The comparison with June was also negative. Units sold fell by 7% in one month and profitability dropped by 5%. The double contrast prevents attributing the decline solely to a demanding annual base: July was below both the previous year and the immediately preceding period. The report does not identify specific closures or quantify jobs, so its percentages describe activity and not shutdowns.
The average ticket was 135.120 pesos, compared to 150.895 pesos in June. The difference shows that the nominal average spending per transaction was lower, while the number of units also decreased. The data does not specify whether the change came from smaller purchases, modifications in the mix of items, or promotions; any of these explanations would require a breakdown that the report does not provide.
Business expectations were also not broadly met. Only 10% of the merchants consulted claimed to have met the forecasts they had for the month. The indicator expresses the distance between results and business objectives, but it does not detail what the remaining 90% expected nor if all the responses stemmed from the same level of sales.
In payment methods, virtual wallets and credit cards held the top spots in terms of preference. Then debit cards appeared, and finally, cash. That sequence describes how purchases were financed or channeled, without by itself demonstrating an expansion of consumption: digital methods can gain share even when the total volume of units declines.
The next survey will make it possible to verify whether July was a temporary floor or the continuation of a trend. For that analysis, units, profitability, ticket, and expectations should be observed simultaneously, because each variable captures a different dimension. The current result is precise but limited: trade in Córdoba sold less than a year ago and than in June; it does not constitute a record of closed stores nor does it allow for the calculation of layoffs.
