Colombia Retail Sales Rise Below Forecasts in January

Retail sales in Colombia rose 7.8% year-over-year in January 2026, below forecasts of 10.1% and easing from an 11% increase in December. Seventeen product categories recorded positive growth, while two posted declines. The strongest contributors to annual growth were automobiles and motorcycles for household use at 30.5%, personal and home computing and telecom equipment at 38%, and audio and video devices at 36.6%. Meanwhile, sales of hardware, glass, and paints fell 2.2%, and motor vehicle fuels declined 5.1%.

Retail sales in Colombia rose 11.0% year-on-year in December 2025, beating forecasts of 9.7% and accelerating from 7.5% in November. All 19 merchandise categories posted positive real growth. The largest contributions came from other motor vehicles and motorcycles (39.4%), household motor vehicles and motorcycles (28.8%), and IT and telecommunications equipment (38.4%). For full-year 2025, Colombian retail trade expanded 11.7%.

Retail sales in Colombia rose 7.5% year-on-year in November 2025, below market expectations of an 8.6% increase and easing from a 10% gain in October. Eighteen merchandise lines posted positive real sales growth, while only one recorded a decline. The strongest contributions to annual growth came from computer and telecommunications equipment for personal or household use (42.3%), household appliances and furniture (24.0%), and audio and video equipment (32.7%). In contrast, sales of vehicle fuels fell 3.1%. In year-to-date terms, retail sales were up 11.8%.