Both results are in relation to December 2006, in the comparison with seasonal adjustment.  In the other comparisons (obtained from the series without adjustment), the rates for the volume of sales were of 8.5% compared to January/ 06 and of 6.3% in the index accumulated in the last 12 months. The nominal revenue increased by 8.3% in relation to the same month of 2006 and 7.2% in the index accumulated in the last 12 months (see tables 1 e 2).

With the increases of 1.8% and of 2.0% in January, retail trade registered once again a positive result in relation to the immediately previous month, maintaining the trend of growth observed by the evolution of the quarterly moving average.

Still in the analysis of the adjusted series, calculated for four among eight activities which form the sector, all registered positive results, with changes compared to the previous month of 17.5% for furniture and household appliances; 3.1% for textiles, apparel and footwear; 2.7% for fuels and lubricants; and 1.7% for hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco.

In the same comparison, the segment of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories, which is a part of the extended retail trade, had a negative result of -1.6%.

In the relation January 07/ January 06, all the activities of retail registered increase in the volume of sales, whose rates, by order of importance in the global result, were 24.1% for furniture and household appliances; 4.9% for hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco; 16.4% for other articles for personal and domestic use; 6.5% for textiles, apparel and footwear; 2.5% for fuels and lubricants; 4.9% for pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles; 13.1% for office, computer and communication equipment; and 6.7% for books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles.

The segment of furniture and household appliances brought, in January, the major influence on the result of trade (increase of 24.1% in sales), increasing in the last 12 months a rate of 11.2%. The group answered for more than 40% of the overall retail rate, a performance which occurred due to the maintenance of favorable credit conditions, real income, employment and prices, and end of season sales.

The second major influence on the overall result was observed in hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (growth of 4.9% in the sales).  The activity registered growth of 7.6% in the last 12 months and continues to show the increase in the purchasing power of the population, due to the increase in the overall wages and the stability of prices.

The activity of other articles for personal and domestic use, with the third major influence on the retail rate (increase of 16.4% in sales), is being influenced by the improvement of the overall scenario of the economy and registered an index accumulated of 16.5% for the last 12 months.

The fourth major positive contribution was observed in the segment textiles, apparel and footwear (growth of 6.5% in the sales). This result, however, almost did not change the performance of the activity in the index accumulated in the last 12 months, which continues considerably below the average, with a rate of 1.9%.

Bringing the fifth major positive result in the retail result, fuels and lubricants (increase of 2.5%) had the first positive result after two consecutive years of decrease – a performance which can be attributed to the stabilization of prices in fuels.  In the last 12 months, the index accumulated was -7.2%.

Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles had the sixth major participation in the overall rate of retail (increase of 4.9%).  In the index accumulated in 12 months, the growth was 3.5%, supported by the expansion in the overall wages and by the diversity of products.

The segment of office, computer and communication equipment (increase of 13.1% in sales) registered an index accumulated in the last 12 months of 25.0% and brought in January the seventh positive result on retail, influenced by the fall of prices of computer products and the increasing importance of these goods in the family consumption.

Finally books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles, eighth influence on the overall result, had the first positive result (6.7%) after two months of decrease, which may be explained by the increase in the sales of school material.  In the last 12 months, the index accumulated was 0.7%.

Acre has major growth of sales

Among the 27 Federative Units, 24 had positive results in the volume of sales, in the comparison January 07/ January 06.  The major changes were registered in Acre (45.6%), Alagoas (40.9%), Santa Catarina (18.4%) and Maranhão (17.7%).  On the other hand, there were decreases in Piauí (-0.3%); Mato Grosso (-0.3%) and Rio Grande do Norte (-0.2%).  Regarding the participation in the composition of the retail rate, the highlights were, in decreasing order, São Paulo (change of 5.7%), Minas Gerais (11.2%), Rio de Janeiro (7.3%), Santa Catarina (18.4%) and Paraná (10.8%).

The results with seasonal adjustment for the volume of sales show in the comparison January 07/ December 06 24 states with positive changes and 3 with decrease. The main increases occurred in Alagoas (8.3%), Acre (7.1%), Amapá (6.5%) and Amazonas (6.5%).  Regarding the decreases they were registered in Piauí (-5.0%); Roraima (-2.9%); and Espírito Santo (-1.6%). 

Sales of extended retail  increase by 10.2% in relation to January 2006

In the extended retail trade, the changes observed in January, in relation to the same month of the previous year, were of 10.2% for the volume of sales and of 9.6% in the nominal revenue of sales. In the indexes accumulated in the last 12 months, the sector had rates of 6.9% and 7.7% respectively.

In relation to sales, the activity of vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories registered growth of 14.3% in the comparison with January of the previous year and of 8.4% in the index accumulated of the last 12 months.  The acceleration in the decrease of the interest rates during 2006 was one of the main factors for the increase of the sales in the segment.

Similarly, the segment of construction material had the ninth consecutive month of growth, with change of 8.0% compared to January 2006, showing mainly the government decrees supporting the sector of construction.  In the index accumulated in the last 12 months, the activity increased by 5.6%.

By Federative Unit, in relation to the extended retail, the best results in sales occurred in Acre (71.4%), Rondônia (39.5%), Alagoas (34.6%), Pará (34.2%) and Maranhão (31.6%).  Regarding the influence on the overall result, the highlights were São Paulo (change of 4.4%), Rio de Janeiro (10.5%), Minas Gerais (13.4%), Paraná (14.2%), Santa Catarina (18.6%) and Rio Grande do Sul (7.8%).
 

(1) Formed by retail plus the activities vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories and construction material