Mérida, Yucatán.- Sales in corner stores, “changarros”, “Tendejones” and “tienditas” have dropped up to 40%, fierce competition, electricity rates, the economic situation of hundreds of families, and the pandemic are generating greater economic pressure for shopkeepers, forcing them to leave their businesses because they are unaffordable.
Jorge Cardeña Licona, president of the Chamber of Small Commerce (Canacope) emphasized that the prices of basic food products have risen steadily, basic necessities such as dairy products, cold meats, but also vegetables, cookies and soft drinks are decapitalizing small merchants.
A large number of businesses and small stores closed during the pandemic, primarily because they are elderly people who attend and depend on these types of businesses, to date many will no longer reopen due to these economic circumstances that greatly affect the mini supermarkets and miscellaneous stores.
The “changarros” and grocery stores have resented the accelerated pace of consumer prices in 2021. Sales are up to 40% below pre-pandemic levels, and if inflationary pressures continue with price increases and taxes, more stores will close.
According to the report ‘Small Commerce: Sales vs Pandemic’ prepared by ANPEC and academics from the Anáhuac and the Universidad Autónoma de Metropolitana (UAM), national shopkeepers already report a 30% drop in their sales prior to the pandemic with a weekly expenditure between 400 and 700 pesos, depending on the entity.
The same report details that for 74% of the shopkeepers the most profitable business is the sale of groceries, followed by beer with 65%, soft drinks with 51%, snacks with 23%, dairy products with 15%, and cigarettes and ice with 12%, to mention a few.
ANPEC found that the majority of stores perceive low sales and delays in debt payments from up to one-third of their customers, in addition to the perceived economic uncertainty.
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