The Chamber of Shopping Malls of Paraguay (CCCPy) recorded a 7% growth in sector sales during the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Despite the positive result, the entity warned of a slowdown in the pace of expansion when compared to the trend observed between 2024 and 2025, indicating reduced market dynamism.
Andrés Kemper, president of the CCCPy, highlighted that this is the first report to break down performance by subsector among the 26 shopping malls affiliated with the guild. According to the data, supermarkets and the gastronomy sector were the main drivers of growth, although all areas—including entertainment, cinemas, casinos, and technology stores—posted expansions. Sector information was cross-referenced with data from payment processor Bancard.
The executive pointed to two exogenous factors responsible for the reduced sales momentum. The first is a significant drop in consumption by Argentine buyers, who historically made high-value purchases in the country. It is estimated that spending by visitors from Argentina fell by around 25% at the start of this year.
The second decisive factor was the impact of the exchange rate. Kemper explained that while many products in stores are priced in U.S. dollars, payments are received in guaraníes. With the depreciation of the U.S. currency, the converted value of sales was approximately 25% lower than last year's figures, hindering growth in both average ticket size and total business volume.
Faced with this scenario, sector leadership classified recent currency volatility as a sudden effect beyond merchants' direct control. The assessment is that both currency appreciation and depreciation are manageable, provided they do not occur abruptly, as seen in recent months.