Although the results as of October show a growth of 9% in retail trade, according to Dane figures, this performance does not generate greater optimism among merchants, who observe a panorama of slow recovery.
When analyzing the data in greater detail, it is evident that, in the period from January to October 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, Retail and vehicle trade recorded growth of 0.4%. Among the sectors that positively boosted sales Companies dedicated to non-specialized products stand out, mainly different from food, beverages and tobacco, with a variation of 8.3%. There is also a contribution from companies dedicated to the trade of new motor vehicles, with a variation of 2.0%. Together, both sectors contributed 1.0 percentage point to overall growth.
Another sector that stood out in boosting sales was motorcycles, along with their parts and accessories, which recorded a variation of 11.3%, contributing 0.2 percentage points to general growth.
For its part, The category of household goods in specialized establishments showed an increase of 1.4%, while pharmaceutical, medicinal and dental products, as well as perfumery, cosmetics and toiletries, reported a positive variation of 2.2%. Although this slight boost is an incentive for the sector, other activities showed significant contractions in their sales. Such is the case of the category of clothing and its accessories, footwear and leather substitute items in specialized establishments, which registered a drop of 10.3% between January and October.
The same way, Retail trade in lubricants, additives and cleaning products for motor vehicles decreased by 9.0%while the category of parts, pieces (auto parts) and accessories (luxuries) for motor vehicles showed a decrease of 8.4%.
Other activities that remain in negative territory include cultural and entertainment items in specialized establishments (-5.9%), computer and communications equipment in specialized establishments (-5.7%) and retail trade of automotive fuels (-0.7%).
Busy staff
Workers
Between January and October 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, retail trade recorded a 1.0% decrease in employed personnel.
This decline was mainly explained by a 9.2% contraction in direct temporary staff and a 6.7% drop in temporary staff hired through companies. In contrast, a growth of 1.9% was observed in the hiring of permanent personnel and a notable 9.2% increase in the number of apprentices.
When disaggregating by economic activity, it is highlighted that the category of clothing and accessories, footwear and leather substitute articles in specialized establishments presented a negative variation of 11.1% in personnel hiring.
Likewise, the category of motor vehicles new registered a 3.4% decrease in employed personnel, while motorcycles and their parts and accessories showed a decrease of 2.3%. For its part, the category of other new products in specialized establishments reflected a contraction of 2.2%.
In contrast, the category of non-specialized establishments with an assortment consisting mainly of products other than food, beverages and tobacco reported an increase of 6.1% in hired personnel, contributing 0.4 percentage points to the total.
By department, the greatest negative contribution to hiring occurred in Bogotá DC and Atlántico with 0.4 and 0.2 percentage points, respectively.
JOHANA LORDUY
Journalist Portfolio
