According to the latest report of the Argentine Confederation of Medium Enterprises, (CAME) sales of apparel in the country increased 15.9 percent this March when compared to the same month in 2020. While this number points to a partial recovery of the sector, sales are still 31 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

The organisation also cited delays in the supply chain that affected companies’ product offering which in turn negatively impacted sales. Meanwhile factors that helped the recovery include an uptick in online channels and home deliveries, children returning to school which generates a spike in clothing sales (in Argentina the school year is from March until December) and discounting.

Argentina’s broader retail sector is also showing signs of partial recovery. Small and medium enterprise retail sales increased 14.4 percent from March 2020 to March 2021. However, March 2021 sales were 24.9 percent lower than the same month in 2019. CAME’S reports are based on a survey of 1100 local businesses conducted between 29 March and 3 April 2021.