The National Association of Self-Service and Department Stores (ANTAD) announced that its members, which include 92 chains such as La Comer, Soriana, Chedraui, HEB, Coppel, Palacio de Hierro, MartÃ, Office Depot, La Europea, and Petco, among others, will invest 3 billion dollars this year, surpassing the 2.1 billion dollars spent during 2024. This increase represents a growth of 43 percent and will focus on strategic projects aimed at strengthening the sector's competitiveness, benefiting consumers, and promoting employment in various regions of the country.
According to a statement from ANTAD, the resources will mainly be allocated to the remodeling of existing stores (28.5 percent), construction of new units (26.5 percent), implementation of systems and technology (20.1 percent), as well as logistics and distribution (10.8 percent). Additionally, a significant part will be allocated to training and development of human capital, with the aim of improving staff competencies in a key sector for the Mexican economy.
In terms of sales, ANTAD projects a nominal growth of 3.9 percent at same-store sales and 6.5 percent at total-store sales for this year. These figures are slightly lower compared to the growth recorded in 2024 (4.2 percent at same-store sales and 7.1 percent at total-store sales), reflecting the economic context of deceleration expected for 2025. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank of Mexico, the Mexican economy will grow by only 1.3 percent and 1.12 percent, respectively, while inflation is estimated at 3.8 percent.
ANTAD expects that the increase in investment will have an even greater impact on job creation, both direct and indirect, in areas such as logistics, distribution, and complementary services. However, the association also pointed out that several external factors could affect the sector's performance this year, including insecurity, informal trade, inflation, legal certainty, as well as potential tensions related to the renegotiation of the USMCA. These risks could influence the investment and expansion decisions of its members.
In 2024, the retail sector showed positive performance, with accumulated sales of 1.6 trillion pesos and the opening of more than 2,300 new stores, particularly in the segment of specialized stores. Additionally, last year's investment allowed for the generation of over 640,000 formal direct jobs.
