Colombia Retail Trade Growth Beats Forecasts

Colombia’s real retail sales rose 9.7% year on year in September 2026, following a 7.3% increase in August and beating estimates of an 8.7% rise. Fifteen of the 19 surveyed product categories recorded sales growth. The largest positive contributions came from motor vehicles and motorcycles mainly for household use, whose sales surged 42.3%, and other motor vehicles and motorcycles, up 21.7%. These were followed by spare parts, accessories, and lubricants for vehicles (6.2%); household appliances and furniture (10.3%); personal hygiene, cosmetics, and perfumery products (7.8%); televisions (12.9%); and computers and telecommunications equipment (3.6%). Excluding fuel trade, the sector’s real sales rose 11.6%, while employed personnel grew 1.2%.

Colombia’s real retail sales rose 7.3% year-on-year in August 2026, accelerating from 5.3% in the previous month but falling short of market expectations of 8.5%. The strongest positive contributions came from sales of motor vehicles and motorcycles for household use (35.8%), other motor vehicles and motorcycles (26.2%), home appliances and furnishings (11.3%), and personal hygiene products, cosmetics and perfumes (10.2%). However, growth remained constrained by declines in sales of computer and telecommunications equipment for personal and home use (-4.7%) and clothing and textiles (-5.9%). Meanwhile, employment in the retail sector increased by 1.4% year-on-year, up from 1% a month prior.

Colombia’s real retail sales rose 5.3% year over year in July 2026, missing forecasts for an 11.2% increase and slowing from 14.7% growth in June. This marked the slowest growth since September 2024. Fourteen merchandise lines recorded increases in real sales, while five declined. The largest positive contributions came from motor vehicles and motorcycles, mainly for household use (21.8%), other motor vehicles and motorcycles (10.8%), and sound and video equipment and devices (25%). Declines in vehicle fuel sales (-3.6%), spare parts, components, accessories and lubricants for vehicles, mainly for household consumption (-2%), clothing and textiles (-3%), pharmaceutical and medicinal products (-0.7%), and footwear, leather goods and leather substitutes (-0.2%) limited overall retail growth.