Monthly Survey of Trade
Black Friday leads to sales increase of 0.6% and sector advances for the seventh month in a row
January 15, 2020 09h00 AM | Last Updated: January 16, 2020 04h51 PM
Retail trade sales grew 0.6% in November 2019, in comparison with October, boosted by the Black Friday discounts. According to the Monthly Survey of Trade, released today by the IBGE, it was the seventh consecutive positive result in the sector, with cumulative gain of 3.3% in the period.
The sales volume recorded the highest level since December 2016, a critical period of financial crisis in the sector, but it remains 3.7% below the record achieved in October 2014.
Four out of the eight surveyed activities increased, with three of them were directly influenced by the Black Friday: pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics (4.1%), other personal and household articles (1.0%) and furniture and household appliances (0.5%). Office, computer and communication material and equipment also recorded a positive rate in November (2.8%).
On the other hand, fabric, wearing apparel and footwear (-0.2%) and fuels and lubricants (-0.3%) had a negative impact on sales, since both sectors made up for a share of cumulative gains from the last two months, respectively, 3.4% and 2.7%. Books, newspaper, magazines and stationery also recorded decrease in sales (-4.7%).
Accounting for the major relevance in the retail trade sector, hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (0.0%), remained stable.
“The growth of 0.6% is relevant since it kept the positive rate for the seventh consecutive month, which made November reach the highest level since December 2016. This shows the sector has been keeping the recovery”, says the survey manager, Isabella Nunes.
Against November 2018, retail trade grew 2.9%, the eighth positive rate in a row. Hence, the sector had a cumulative advance of 1.7% from January to November 2019, in relation to same period last year. The cumulative indicator in the last 12 months pointed to deceleration in sales, changing from advances of 1.8% in October to 1.6% in November.
The Monthly Survey of Trade shows that in extended retail trade, which includes vehicles and construction material, sales volume retreated -0.5% in November, in comparison with October. That interrupted eight months of an upward trend, in which there was cumulative gain of 5.1%. The result was pushed by vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (-1.0%), while construction materials remained stable (0.1%).
“The vehicle sector didn't keep the growing trend in November, after two months of growth (3.5%). Such accommodation is common. The activity had been showing dynamism in 2019, accumulating an increase of 10.1% in the year. It was a great year for the sector,” Ms. Nunes says.
Regionally, retail trade sales grew in 22 out of 27 states in November last year, with highlight to Roraima (9.3%), Rondônia (8.5%) and Acre (6.7%). On the other hand, among the five recorded decreases this month, the highest ones were in Amapá and Rio Grande do Norte, both with -0.7%, and Santa Catarina and Federal District, both with -0.6%.
