In April of 2011,the retail trade recorded a change of –0.2% for the volume of sales and of 0.4% for the nominal revenue, both rates in relation to the previous month (seasonally adjusted).

For the volume, that is the first negative result after 11 months of growth, whereas the revenue, despite slowing down the pace, continues the expansion movement. In the other comparisons, obtained from the unadjusted original series, the national retail trade recorded, as to the volume of sales, increases of 10.0% against April of the previous year, 7.6% in the accumulated index of the last four months and of 9.5% in the accumulated of the last 12 months. For the same indicators, the nominal revenue of sales recorded rates of 15.4%, 12.6% and 13.7%, respectively.

The complete publication of the survey can be accessed at

www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/comercio/pmc/.

Among the activities, five present negative changes

In April, half of the ten surveyed activities registered negative results for the volume of sales, seasonally adjusted (month/month indicator). The results were: vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories (1.7%); furniture and house appliances (1.7%); other articles of personal and household use (1.7%); pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics (1.2%); construction material (0.2%); hiper-, super-markets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-0.2%); fuels and lubricants (-1.6%); books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-2.0%); fabric, apparel and footwear (-3.2%); and office , computer and communication material and equipment (-13.6%).

In the comparison with April of 2010 (unadjusted series), only office, computer and communication material and equipment registered a negative rate (-2.4%) in the volume of sales. The other results were: 10.4% for hiper-, super-markets, food products, beverages and tobacco; 19.3% for furniture and house appliances; 12.4% for other articles of personal and household use; 10.0% for pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics; 1.7% for fabric, apparel and footwear; 0.9% for fuels and lubricants; and 3,4% for books, newspapers, magazines and stationery.

The sector of hyper, supermarkets, food, beverages and tobacco, with a change of 10.4% in the volume of sales in April, against the same month a year ago, was the main contributor to the overall retail rate (51%). The rate for the first four months of the year was 4.7%, and, for the last 12 months, 7.0%. With that result, the sector is the main contributor again due to an increased demand, which was attributable to a slower pace of growth in food prices and to the Easter Effect, of which costs were concentrated in April.

Furniture and house appliances, with a change of 19.3% in the volume of sales against April last year registered the second highest impact (30%). The result of this sector, which displayed the highest change among all the sectors surveyed, was attributable to the continuation of the employment and income growth and to the drop in the prices of house appliances (-6.0%, in the last 12 months, for electronic devices in the IPCA of IBGE), opposing to the macro-prudential measures implemented by the government. The accumulated rate in the last 4 months was of 17.4% and in the last 12 months, 17.1%.

Other articles of personal and household use, with a change of 12.4% in the volume of sales against April of 2010, exerted the third highest influence on the retail rate.

It is important to mention that the sector encompassing department, optical, jewelry, sports, toy stores etc. had its performance influenced by the overall growth of economy and, specifically this month, by the Easter Effect. The accumulated changes of the first four months and of the last 12 months were, respectively, 8.4% and 9.7%.

Extended retail trade grew 1.1%

The extended retail trade, comprising the retail trade plus the activities of vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories and construction material, recorded, in relation to the previous month (with seasonal adjustment), a growth for the volume of sales (1.1%) and for the nominal revenue (0.4%). Compared with the same month of a year ago (seasonally unadjusted), changes were of 11.8% for the volume of sales and of 14.8% for the nominal revenue. In the accumulated indicators of the last 12 months, the sector presented a change of 8.2% and 10.2% for the volume of sales and 11.4% and 13.3% for the nominal revenue, respectively.

As for the volume of sales, vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories recorded a high of 1.7% in relation to March, what suggests a deceleration in the sector.

Comparing with April a year ago, the change was of 15.5%. In terms of accumulated indexes, the changes were of 8.5% in the last 4 months and of 10.6% in the last 12 months. Concerning construction material, the changes for the volume of sales were of 0.2% against the previous month, 9.5% in relation to April of 2010 and 12.5% and 14.5% in the accumulated indicators of the last four months and of the last 12 months, respectively Among the activities surveyed, construction material had the second highest accumulated change in the year, keeping its upward trend due to the credit to home ownership, the investment maturity of the "Minha Casa Minha Vida" program, the employment and income level stability, as well as the tax waiver, attributable to the financial crisis of 2008, which was prorogated by the government.

In the comparison with April of 2010, negative result only in Amapá

Only Amapá recorded a negative result (-1.2%) in the comparison with April of 2010, as to the volume of sales.

For the other states, the highlights were: Tocantins (27.1%); Paraíba (25.6%); Maranhão (18.0%); Minas Gerais (14.0%) and Rio de Janeiro (13.2%). Concerning the contribution to the rate of the retail trade, the highlights were São Paulo (8.4%); Rio de Janeiro (13.2%); Minas Gerais (14.0%); Rio Grande do Sul (10.5%) and Paraná (9.3%). 

Concerning the extended retail trade, Amapá was the only federation unit that registered a negative result, for the volume of sales, in the comparison with April of 2010. The highlights were: Espírito Santo (38.2%); Tocantins (26.3%); Acre (24.1%); Maranhão (17.3%) and Paraíba (16.5%). Concerning the contribution to the overall result of the sector, the highlights were São Paulo (10.3%); Rio de Janeiro (14.1%); Espírito Santo (38.2%); Minas Gerais (11.9%) and Paraná (14.1%).

Concerning the Federation Units, the seasonally adjusted results for the volume of sales point to 17 (seventeen) states with positive results on a month over month base. The highest changes were in Acre (3.3%); Tocantins (1.5%); Mato Grosso (1.6%); Pará (1.4%) and Pernambuco (1.4%).