Despite a slower pace in the Mexican economy, the country’s commercial sector showed positive results in both wholesale and retail trade, which registered increases in their income last March, according to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) .
In the third month of 2026, revenue from the supply of goods and services in the wholesale trade sector increased by 6% month-on-month. Conversely, employment and average real wages decreased by 0.1% and 2.4% month-on-month, respectively, according to the results of the Monthly Survey of Commercial Enterprises (EMEC).
During the period, the retail sector reported strong revenue growth of 0.1%, while employment fell by 0.2%. Average real wages increased by 0.6% month-on-month.
In their annual measurement, wholesale businesses saw an 8.1% increase in revenue, as well as a 0.1% decrease in the workforce and a 2.7% decrease in average real wages.
Meanwhile, retail businesses reported a 2.4% increase in their income from the supply of goods and services; employment grew by 0.5% and average real wages increased by 7.4% year-on-year.
According to INEGI’s results, three wholesale activity subsectors showed a decrease in supply revenue compared to March 2025. Wholesale trade intermediation contracted the most, with a 14.7% year-on-year decline.
Conversely, machinery, equipment and furniture for agricultural, industrial, service and commercial activities, and other general-purpose machinery and equipment, experienced the greatest growth at 12.5% at an annual rate.
Meanwhile, the subsector with the highest revenue in retail trade was exclusively through the internet, and printed catalogs, television and similar channels, with 21.4% at an annual rate.
Groceries, food, beverages, ice and tobacco showed the biggest drop in March 2026 compared to the same month in 2025, with a decline in revenue of 6.2 percent.
The positive figures in revenue for Mexico’s commercial sector last March reflect a recovery in consumer purchasing power, despite the country’s economic slowdown.
According to estimates from Grupo Financiero BASE , private consumption will grow between 1.8% and 2.2% in 2026 , driven by the World Cup and a greater number of tourists arriving in the country for the sporting event.
Wholesale and retail trade is a fundamental part of the dynamics of consumption, distribution of goods and economic growth in Mexico, so its measurement is a key factor in understanding other sectors such as employment.
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