The signs of recovery reported in the Costa Rican economy in the second half of 2019 do not seem to have been enough to boost retail trade, as one of the largest supermarket chains is registering a drop in sales.

See "Where are the consumers who spend the most?"

Guilherme Loureiro, CEO of Walmart de México y Centroamérica, told Elobservador.cr that "... In Central America, Nicaragua had the highest growth in sales to equal units, followed by Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Sales performance in Costa Rica reflected the unfavorable macroeconomic dynamics of that country."

Walmart's data matches the survey "Encuesta Actualidades 2019", prepared by the University of Costa Rica (UCR), since its results confirm that during last year 29% of the households consulted stated that they restricted their spending, derived from the economic slowdown and the coming into force of new taxes.

You may be interested in "What are the characteristics of the consumer in Central America?"

Despite the drop in sales, Loureiro said that "... during 2019 they expanded the distribution center in Coyol, Costa Rica by more than 44,000 square meters. With this expansion, this distribution center has become the largest in Central America."

Source: elobservadorcr.com

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