Retail trade recorded a 3.0% decrease in the volume of sales and a 0.3% increase in nominal revenue in April in comparison to the previous month. While nominal revenue remained stable, volume of sales showed a negative result after a quarter of growth. In comparison to April 2009, volume of sales grew 9.1% and nominal revenue grew 13.2%. In the accumulated of the first four months of 2010 and the last 12 months, increases of 11.8% and 8.2% were verified, respectively, in volume of sales. Variations of nominal revenue, also positive, were 15.0% and 11.5%, respectively.

Extended retail trade, which included the activities Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and Construction material, recorded decreases of 4.7% for volume of sales and 2.7% for nominal revenue, both seasonally adjusted, in relation to March. In comparison to April 2009, variations were 12.7% for volume of sales and 16.2% for nominal revenue. In the accumulated of the four-month period and the last 12 months, the sector presented positive variations of 14.9% and 10.7% for volume of sales and 17.0% and 11.4% for nominal revenue, respectively. 

Just two activities recorded positive results

In the seasonally adjusted relation April/March, just two of the 10 surveyed activities recorded rise in volume of sales: Other articles of personal and domestic use (2.5%) and Textiles, apparel and footwear (2.2%). The activity Furniture and household appliances was stable (0.0%), whereas Books, newspapers magazines and stationery articles (-0.2%); Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-0.7%); Pharmaceutical medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles (-0.9%); Construction material (-0.9%); Fuels and lubricants (-2.0%); Office, computer and communication material and equipment (-10.5%) and Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (-11.7%) recorded decreases.

In comparison to April 2009, in the seasonally adjusted series, all the eight retail activities achieved increase in volume of sales. They are next listed by order of contribution to the overall result of the sector: Furniture and household appliances (22.7%); Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (5.6%); Textiles, apparel, and footwear (16.7%); Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles (14.8%); Fuels and lubricants (5.0%); Other articles of personal and domestic use (5.6%); Office, computer and communication material and equipment (5.9%) and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles (8.7%).

Other articles of personal and domestic use, with the sixth major impact in the formation of retail rate (5%), had a 5.6% increase in volume of sales when compared to April 2009. The activity also had performance pressed by the increase of salary volume. The accumulated in the four-month period was 6.1% and in the last 12 months, 7.7%.

The segment Office, computer and communication material and equipment was responsible for the seventh major impact on the overall rate, with a 5.9% rise in volume of sales, in comparison with the same month of the previous year. The rate accumulated from January to April was 23.2% and that of the last 12 months, 12.4%. The activity presents the highest growth in 2010, what may be determined by the price reduction of its products¹ and their growing importance in the consumption habits of families.

The activity Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles, with an 8.7% increase, exerted the eighth major influence on the overall result. The volume of sales accumulated in the four-month period grew 8.4% and in the last 12 months, 9.1%. With just a negative variation during 2009, the segment grows with the increase of salary volume and the diversity of products, such as the sale of computer material and entertainment products.

Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces showed expansion of 18.9% in volume of sales in relation to April 2009, accumulating rises of 20.4% in the four-month period and 17.3% in the last 12 months. The end of federal VAT reduction in March caused the reduced growth of the activity, as in March 2010 the rise of the activity had been 32.7%.

As to Construction material, variations were 19.3% (April 2010/April 2009), 16.0% (accumulated January-April) and 1.2% (last 12 months). It is the sixth consecutive rise, what shows the recovery of the sector, which recorded negative results in the first 10 months of 2009. The increased confidence of economic agents and government incentives (federal VAT reduction) may explain such behavior.

All Federation Units recorded rises in comparison with April 2009

All the 27 Federation Units recorded growth in the comparison between April 2010 and the same month of the previous year. The main rises were verified in Tocantins (47.4%), Roraima (36.0%), Acre (27.8%), Maranhão (21.8%), Mato Grosso (20.2%) and Alagoas (18.7%). In the formation of the overall rate of retail trade, the main contributions were made by São Paulo (9.1%), Rio de Janeiro (7.6%), Minas Gerais (8.5%), Rio Grande do Sul (6.3%), Bahia (9.2%) and Paraná (6.7%).

In the extended retail trade, the best performances in volume of sales were produced in Tocantins (35.7%), Maranhão (31.1%), Rondônia (29.1%), Espírito Santo (25.0%), Mato Grosso (22.1%) and Ceará (18.7%). In the formation of the overall result of the sector, the highlights were São Paulo (11.5%), Minas Gerais (15.3%), Rio de Janeiro (9.2%), Rio Grande do Sul (12.1%), Paraná (12.9%) and Espírito Santo (25.0%).

The seasonally adjusted results for volume of sales showed eight states with positive variation, in the comparison April 2010/March 2010. They are: Rondônia (3.5%), Acre (0.6%), Amazonas (0.6%), Roraima (1.2%), Amapá (0.4%), Maranhão (2.6%), Alagoas (3.6%) and Goiás (0.3%). On the other hand, the main decreases occurred in Espírito Santo (-5.3%), Paraná (-4.6%), Rio Grande do Norte (-4.5%), Paraíba (-4.5%) and Piauí (-4.4%).

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¹According to IPCA, sub-item Microcomputers had an accumulated variation of -7.5% in the last 12 months.

The 22.7% growth in volume of sales in Furniture and household appliances represented the main impact on the formation of retail rate (36%). Such result may be attributed to the sales related to the World Cup, besides the ample credit supply. In the accumulated from January to April and of the last 12 months, variations were 21.8% and 9.1%, respectively.

Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, with a 5.6% variation, made the second greatest contribution (32%) to the overall rate. The accumulated of the segment in the first four months is positive, 10.6%, and in the last 12 months the rise was 9.7%. This performance results from the increase of salary volume (8.6% over April 2009, according to the Monthly Employment Survey – PME).

Sales of segment Textiles, apparel and footwear, responsible for the third major impact on the overall rate (13.0%), increased 16.7% in the comparison April 2010/April 2009; recording rises of 11.5% for the first four months of the year and 2.3% in the accumulated of the last 12 months. The sector is in recovery, presenting positive variations since October 2009 despite the adverse behavior of prices in the last 12 months (6.3% variation in the group Apparel, above the 5.3% general index of the Extended National Consumer Price index (IPCA).

The activity Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles accounted for the fourth broadest participation in the overall rate (7.0%) when it presented 14.8% growth in comparison to April 2009. Variations for the first four months of the year and the accumulated in the last 12 months were, respectively, 12.7% and 12.0%. The increase of salary volume and the diversity of products offered were the main factors for the positive performance.

The segment Fuels and lubricants, with a 5.0% rise in volume of sales (April 2010/April 2009), recorded the fifth major contribution to the overall retail rate. In the accumulated between January and April, over the same period of 2009, growth was 5.4%; in the last 12 months, 1.5%. This behavior may be attributed to the increased prices of alcohol fuel (12.7% rise in the last 12 months in sub-item Alcohol, of item Fuel, of IPCA).