January has become an early indicator of the state of the economy, where the “slope” reflects the interaction between inflationary pressure, purchasing power and consumption patterns after the end of the year.
This is not just a challenge for households; For companies it constitutes a period of necessary adjustments.
After Christmas shopping, vacations and returning to routine, organizations face cash flow and expense control challenges, where the absence of rigorous management can compromise profitability in an already challenging economic environment.
According to Inegi’s Monthly Indicator of Private Consumption (IMCP), January 2025 registered a drop of 0.3 percent compared to the previous month, after a contraction of 1.2% in December. This reduction affected both domestic and imported goods.
This phenomenon shows a structural depletion in purchasing power that directly impacts the profitability of organizations. For its part, Profeco confirms that around 62 percent of the population experiences a lack of liquidity after the holidays, a tangible reflection of the economic behavior of households that, in turn, has an impact on the conversion and capital of companies.
For companies, the January slope implies pressure on cash flow due to the slowdown in sales and deferred customer payments. At the same time, recurring commitments – taxes, suppliers and previous debts – require precise control of expenses.
The lack of visibility over expenses turns unforeseen disbursements into cumulative risks during the first quarter. Disciplined and strategic cost management is the decisive tool to mitigate the effects of the beginning of the year.
From the federal administration, President Claudia Sheinbaum has implemented a plan with 18 actions to strengthen the country’s economy and project healthy public finances, with historic revenue collection. The Head of Government of Mexico City, Clara Brugada, has promoted concrete measures to support vulnerable sectors.
A strategy to face the beginning of the year consists of adjusting the sales processes. The analysis of consumer behavior through statistics from previous months or years allows us to identify the products with the greatest demand and focus efforts on them to achieve a more efficient operation.
The January slope works as an economic thermometer, reflecting the relationship between consumption, purchasing power and business adaptation capacity. Companies and households that act with discipline and control go through this period without compromising liquidity and obtain information about the efficiency of their strategies and financial resilience.
About the author:
Salvador Guerrero Chiprés is General Coordinator of the Command, Control, Computing, Communications and Citizen Contact Center (C5) of Mexico City.
www.c5.cdmx.gob.mx
Twitter: @C5_CDMX
The opinions expressed are solely the responsibility of their authors and are completely independent of the position and editorial line of Forbes Mexico.
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