Chile Retail Sales Growth at Over 2-Year Low
2026-08-31 13:47
By
Luisa Carvalho
1 min. read
Retail sales in Chile rose by 2.2% from a year ago in July 2026, following an upwardly revised 5.2% surge in the previous month.
This was the weakest performance in retail activity since May 2024, as sales growth moderated across most major segments.
The slowdown was particularly evident in motor vehicle parts, tires and accessories (8.8% vs 17.3% in June); pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries (1% vs 4.3%); construction materials, tools, hardware and paint (0.4% vs 7.6%); miscellaneous consumer goods (3.4% vs 6.5%) and clothing, footwear and accessories (3.4% vs 6.8%).
Additionally, sales declined for used light and commercial motor vehicles (-8.6% vs 22.1%); new light motor vehicles (-6.3% vs 11.5%); fuels (-7.8% vs -10.5%) and beverages and tobacco (-5.2% vs -5.5%).
On a seasonally adjusted basis, retail trade decreased by 2.9%, marking the steepest drop since June 2023, after a 1.5% rise in the prior month.