Retail sales closed 2025 with an increase of 1.6%. In December 2025, compared to November, retail sales in Brazil changed negatively by 0.4%. On the other hand, the quarterly moving average showed a positive change of 0.3% in the quarter ended in December. The data come from the Monthly Survey of Trade (PMC), released today (13) by the IBGE. 

The expansion recorded last year took the seasonally-adjusted fixed-base index time series of volume to new record levels, reaching a peak in November.

“Retail trade closes 2025 with growth compared to 2024, but with a smaller amplitude. Last year, cumulative gains reached 4.1%, a very strong growth. On the other hand, 2025 closes at 1.6%, more or less at the same level of growth recorded in previous years. In 2023 it had been 1.7%, in 2022, 1.0% and in 2021, 1.4%. The growth in 2025 was reasonably distributed, driven by pharmaceuticals, furniture and household appliances and office, computer and communication equipment, the latter strongly influenced by the strong devaluation of the dollar against the real, which helped in the sales of imported electronic products, such as cell phones and laptops,” assesses the survey manager, Cristiano Santos.

In extended retail trade, which includes, in addition to retail, the activities of vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, construction material and wholesale specializing in food products, beverages and tobacco, volume of sales in December 2025 fell 1.2% compared to the immediately previous month, after an increase of 0.6% in November. As a result, 2025 ended with a cumulative positive change of 0.1%.

“In contrast, extended retail did not experience expansion in 2025 compared to 2024, changing only 0.1%. This is due to the losses of important sectors, such as the resale of vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (which had a very strong 2024) and wholesale specializing in food products, beverages and tobacco, which saw a drop in the distribution of cereals and legumes, products normally offered in Ceasas,” highlights Santos.

Seven out of 11 activities surveyed within the scope of expanded retail closed the year in the positive field: Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles and toiletries (4.5%), Furniture and household appliances (4.5%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (4.1%), Other personal and household articles (2.2%), Fabric,

wearing apparel and footwear (1.3%), Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (0.8%) and Fuels and lubricants (0.6%).  

On the negative side, the four activities that suffered a fall in 2025 were vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces (-2.9%), wholesale specialized in food products, beverages and tobacco (-2.3%), Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-0.9%) and Construction material (-0.2%).

Six sectors remained in the negative field compared to November 

The negative change (-0.4%) from November to December 2025 comes after a growth of 1.0% recorded in November. There were negative results in six out of eight sectors surveyed in restricted retail: Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles and toiletries (-5.1%), Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-2.0%), Other personal and household articles (-1.8%), Furniture and household appliances (-0.7%), Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear (-0.4%) and Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-0.3%).

Only two out of eight groups surveyed did not record a negative rate: Office, computer and communication equipment and material (6.0%) and Fuels and lubricants (0.3%). In expanded retail, vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces and construction material fell: -2.4% and -2.8%, respectively.

Sales grew 2.3% compared to December 2024 

Compared to December 2024, retail sales volume increased 2.3% in the same month of 2025, the ninth consecutive month of positive results in this indicator, with six activities in the positive field: Office, computer and communication equipment and material (31.1%), Furniture and household appliances (6.9%), Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles and toiletries (6.8%), Fuels and lubricants (3.0%), Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (1.3%) and Other personal and household articles (0.6%).

Two sectors recorded negative results: Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear (-2.5%) and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-1.6%). In extended retail, Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces increased by 0.7%, Construction material increased by 0.1% and Wholesale specialized in food products, beverages and tobacco increased by 9.7%.

In relation to November, 22 Federation Units had a drop in sales 

From November to December, retail sales declined in 22 out of 27 Federation Units, with highlights being Rondônia (-10.2%), Roraima (-6.4%) and Espírito Santo (-5.9%). On the other hand, pushing positively are five out of 27 Federation Units, with emphasis on Rio de Janeiro (1.9%), Bahia (1.8%) and the Federal District (1.6%).

In extended retail, the change in this indicator had negative results in 23 out of 27 Federation Units, with emphasis on Rondônia (-7.6%), Paraíba (-5.3%) and Roraima (-5.1%). On the other hand, pushing positively are four out of 27 Federation Units, with highlights being Rio de Janeiro (1.9%), Bahia (1.3%) and the Federal District (0.6%).  

About the survey

The PMC produces indicators to monitor the short-term behavior of retail trade in Brazil, investigating the gross revenue of formal enterprises with 20 or more employed persons and whose major activity is retail trade. Having started in 1995, the PMC brings monthly results of changes in sales volume and nominal revenue for retail trade and extended retail trade (cars and construction material) for Brazil and Federation Units.  Results can be accessed on Sidra. The next release of the PMC, with the results for January 2026, will be on March 11.