The businesses related to children's gifts in San Miguel de Tucumán will be open from 9 to 21 on Friday and Saturday, without closing during siesta hours. The local Chamber of Commerce agreed to the extension after consulting the sectors that concentrate a significant part of their operations around Día del Niño. The measure aims to increase the time available for shopping and generate activity during crucial days for the sector.
The special scheme includes toy stores, children's clothing stores, sports shops, and businesses selling gifts or products aimed at children. Gabriela Coronel, president of the Chamber, confirmed that both days will operate with continuous hours. The decision does not imply that all sales will increase: it organizes the supply and creates more hours of service before knowing the actual response from consumers.
The Día del Niño is considered the second most important commercial date of the year for these sectors. Usually, merchants expect it to represent between 8% and 10% of their total sales. That goal gains more weight after several months of decline. Promotions, agreements with financial entities, installments, online channels, and home deliveries complete the strategy to reduce purchase barriers.
Expectations are tempered by recent experience. Payment of the mid-year statutory bonus did not translate into consumption with the expected intensity, and Día del Padre also failed to produce a significant recovery. That comparison explains why extended hours are combined with financing and discounts: more shopping time is not enough if households lack the room to turn purchase intentions into spending.
Lower commercial activity has also reached the property market. The Chamber said vacant storefronts remain and some owners have reduced rents to attract new merchants. That adjustment shows vacancy does not depend solely on the promotional calendar. A strong sales date can support revenue in certain sectors, but it cannot by itself guarantee more stable retail occupancy.
The balance can be assessed after Saturday, when it will be known whether twelve hours of continuous service and the promotions reached the 8%–10% target. Until then, the announcement describes a preventive response to weak sales, not a confirmed rebound. The result will show whether Día del Niño achieves what the mid-year statutory bonus and Día del Padre did not: turning a calendar opportunity into an effective improvement for Tucumán businesses.
