Colombia’s real retail sales increased 5.3% year on year in July 2026, falling short of the 11.2% rise projected by analysts and decelerating from June’s 14.7% expansion. This was the weakest growth rate since September 2024.
Real sales rose in 14 merchandise categories and declined in 5. The strongest positive contributions came from:
- Motor vehicles and motorcycles, mainly for household use (+21.8%)
- Other motor vehicles and motorcycles (+10.8%)
- Sound and video equipment and devices (+25%)
These gains were partly offset by contractions in:
- Vehicle fuel (−3.6%)
- Spare parts, components, accessories and lubricants for vehicles, mainly for household use (−2%)
- Clothing and textiles (−3%)
- Pharmaceutical and medicinal products (−0.7%)
- Footwear, leather goods and leather substitutes (−0.2%)
The declines in these categories constrained overall retail sector growth.
