Retail trade did not record changes in October compared with the September figure (seasonally adjusted series), either in volume of sales or nominal revenue (0%). This result has interrupted a series of 20 months with positive figures of the nominal revenue series. In the other comparisons, obtained from series without seasonal adjustment, retail trade recorded, in terms of volume of sales, increases of 4.3% over October 2010, 6.7% accumulated in the first ten months of the year and 7.3% accumulated in 12 months. Considering the same indicators, nominal revenue changed by 8.8%, 1.8% and 12.4%, respectively.

 The complete edition of the Monthly Employment Survey is available at www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/comercio/pmc/

24 states recorded increase versus October 2010

In the comparison with October 2010, 24 Federation Units recorded positive results, and the most significant rates were those of Tocantins (15.7%); Paraíba (10.3%); Ceará (8.2%); Minas Gerais (7.2%) and Pará (6.8%). Regarding negative changes, the rates were: -2.5 in Acre; -2.3% in Sergipe and -0.9% in Mato Grosso. As for the participation in the formation of the retail trade rate, the highlights were São Paulo (4.7%), Minas Gerais (7.2%), Paraná (6.0%), Rio de Janeiro (2.7%) and Rio Grande do Sul (2.4%).  

In relation to extended retail trade, the biggest performance rates in terms of volume of sales occurred in Roraima (8.9%), Maranhão (5.8%), Tocantins (5.6%), Rondônia (5.2%), ceará 95.1%) and Pará (4.6%). In terms of impact on the overall result of the sector, the highlights were the states of São Paulo (1.8%), Minas Gerais (4.2%), Santa Catarina (3.0%), Ceará (5.1%) and Ro Grande do Sul (1.3%).

Also by Federation Unit, the results with seasonal adjustment for volume of sales show positive changes in 14 of the 27 states, in the month/previous month comparison, being the main highlights: Mato Grosso do Sul (3.7%), Federal District (1.6%) and Minas Gerais (0.9%).In terms of negative rates, the biggest decreases occurred in Roraima (-5.4%), Acre (-4.8%), Alagoas (-1.6%) and Rio de Janeiro (-1.2%). 

In terms of the seasonally adjusted volume of sales, four activities had positive changes and six, negative ones: office, computer and communication material and equipment (3.6%); books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles (2.7%); furniture and household appliances (1.1%); fuels and lubricants (0.6%); construction material (-0.1%); other articles of personal and domestic use (-0.2%); hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-0.2%); textiles, apparel and footwear (-1.0%); pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics (-1.8%); and vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces (-2.8%).

In the comparison October 11/October 10 (series without seasonal adjustment), six of the eight activities of retail trade recorded increases in volume of sales: 13.3% for furniture and household appliances; 2.3% for hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco; 28.8% for office, computer and communication material and equipment; 8.0% for pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics; 4.7% for books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles; 0.4% for other articles of personal and domestic use; -0.8% for fuels and lubricants and -2.2% for textiles, apparel and footwear. 

Furniture and household appliances, with increase of 13.3% in volume of sales in relation to October last year, accounted for the biggest impact on the formation of the overall retail rate (54%).  This result is attributable to the maintenance of credit, the fall of prices of electric and electronic items (-5.2% in the subsector electronic appliances of IPCA), and the positive behavior of the real income volume of salaried persons.  In terms of accumulated figures, the segment recorded expansion of 17.3% for the first ten months of the year, over the same period of 2010, and of 17.7%, for the last 12 months.

Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, with change of 2.3% in volume of sales in October, versus the same month in the previous year, accounted for the second biggest contribution to the overall retail trade rate (25%). This result can be seen as a consequence of the increased population’s purchasing power, which resulted from the rise of salary volume. The results of this activity in terms of figures accumulated in the first ten and in the last 12 months of the year were 3.8% and 4.1%, respectively.  

Office, computer and communication material and equipment, which accounted for the third main contribution to the formation of the overall rate, recorded increase of 28.8% in volume of sales, from September to October, of 16.4% and 18.0% in the rates accumulated in the year and in the last 12 months.  The fall of prices of products in this sector, such as personal computers and telephone appliances (-13.5% and -11.2% in the last 12 months, respectively, according to IPCA), and the favorable credit and income conditions, account for this good performance.

Extended retail trade faces fall of -0.4% in October  

Extended retail trade recorded, compared with figures in the previous month, changes of -0.4% in volume of sales and of -0.6% in nominal revenue, both in the seasonally adjusted series. Over the same month in the previous year (without seasonal adjustment) changes were 1.6% for volume of sales and 4.6% for nominal revenue. In terms of the index accumulated in the year and in the last 12 months, volume of sales in this sector recorded change rates of 7.3% and 8.8%, respectively. For nominal revenue, the changes were 10.3% and 11.8%, respectively.                                  

With reference to volume of sales, the activity vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces faced decrease of -4.0% in relation to October 2010. This negative change expresses the lower pace of economic activity, as well as specific measures aimed at the sector, such as the rise of IPI (excise tax on manufactured goods) for imported vehicles.  Considering the index accumulated in the year and in the last twelve months there were changes of about 8.0% and 11.1%, respectively.

As for construction material, changes were 6.8%, in the October 11/October 10 comparison, of 9.9% accumulated in the year and 10.9% accumulated in the last 12 months. It is worth mentioning that the funding for the acquisition and construction of dwellings has been the most significant, according to the Central Bank of Brazil (46.9% in 12 months).