{
  "id": 2434458,
  "title": "Consumption improves in July but still struggles to recover",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/consumption-improves-in-july-but-still-struggles-to-recover",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-21T21:31:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Buenos Aires Herald",
    "slug": "buenos-aires-herald",
    "url": "https://buenosairesherald.com/economics/consumption-improves-in-july-but-still-struggles-to-recover"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The story in July saw a 4.2% rise in consumer spending, yet retail sales have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Compared to July 2025, sales decreased by 2.6% year-over-year, with a larger total decline of 2.9% for 2026, according to the Scentia survey. Two sectors, pharmacy and e-commerce, showed improvement. Pharmacy saw a 0.2% increase, while e-commerce surged 35.6% year-over-year. E-commerce is the fastest-growing retail sector, with a 40% year-over-year increase in July alone. The Milei administration attributes the retail sales decline to changing consumer habits, not a drop in purchasing power. However, e-commerce's contribution to total commerce remains modest, representing about 8% of domestic demand. Consumer trust is declining, as evidenced by the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) falling 1.1% month-over-month in August, marking two consecutive declines. The CCI stood at 40.2 points in August, similar to levels seen in May, and only 1.5% above its April low. This drop in consumer confidence follows the unexpected defeat of Milei in the local legislative elections in Buenos Aires Province.",
  "summary": "The sector showed a 4.2% monthly improvement with e-commerce leading the way, but y-o-y sales continue to be down La entrada Consumption improves in July but still struggles to recover se publicó primero en Buenos Aires Herald .",
  "key_points": [
    "Consumer spending rose 4.2% in July.",
    "Retail sales decreased 2.6% year-over-year.",
    "E-commerce surged 35.6% year-over-year."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Buenos Aires Herald",
        "title": "Consumption improves in July but still struggles to recover",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/consumption-improves-in-july-but-still-struggles-to-recover-2434623",
        "published": "2026-08-21T21:31:09.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}