In September 2012, the country’s retail trade recorded a positive change of 0.3% for the volume of sales and of 1.0% for the nominal revenue, both rates in relation to the previous month (seasonally adjusted). As to the volume, the growth pace kept the downward trend seen in the previous month, which ended up causing a more moderate increase in the moving average, standing at 0.6%. Conversely, the nominal revenue presents the seventh consecutive month of growth in the month over previous month comparison, in the seasonally adjusted series. In relation to September 2011, the changes were of 8.5% for the volume of sales and of 12.9% for the nominal revenue. In the indicators accumulated in the first nine months of the year, the rates were, respectively, 8.9% and 8.1% for the volume of sales and 12.1% and 11.5% for the nominal revenue.

Concerning the Extended Retail Trade, there was a drop of 9.2% for the volume of sales and of 6.1% for the nominal revenue; both rates in relation to the previous month, in the seasonally adjusted series.  In the interannual relations, the volume of sales of the extended retail sales recorded positive change rates of 2.0% over September last year; 7.8% in the accumulated indicator between January and September; and 6.6% in the accumulated indicator in 12 months. The nominal revenue, on its turn, presented, in the same comparisons, rates of 3.6%, 9.0% and 8.1%, respectively.

The complete publication of the survey can be accessed at www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/comercio/pmc/.

Among the ten activities of the extended retail, four have positive rates 

Based on the volume of sales and on the month/previous month indicator in the seasonally adjusted series, in September, there was a growth only in four of the ten surveyed activities: Fuels and lubricants (0.9%); Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (0.9%); Construction material (0.7%) and Other articles of personal and domestic use (0.2). The negative results occurred in:  Fabric, apparel and footwear (-0.1%); Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toiletries (-0.2%); Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-0.5%); Furniture and household appliances (-1.5%); Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-9.2%) and Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories, with a change of -22.6%. 

In the September 2012/ September 2011 comparison, two sectors recorded a reduction in the volume of sales: Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-0.6%) and Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories (-9.5%). The other activities recorded the following performance rates in a decreasing order: 10.9% in Fuels and lubricants; 9.9% in Other articles of personal and domestic use; 9.4% for Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco; 8.1% for Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toiletries; 6.2% for Furniture and domestic appliances; 5.2% for Fabric, apparel and footwear; 4.0% for Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery; and 0.5% for Construction material.

The sector of Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco recorded a positive result of 9.4% in the volume of sales in September, against the same month a year ago, being the main responsible for the overall retail rate, with 53% of contribution. In terms of accumulated indexes, the rate for the first nine months of the year had a growth of 8.9%, and for the last 12 months, 7.7%. Even though food prices’ behavior was higher than the average (respectively 9.5% and 5.3% in the accumulated of the last 12 months, according to IPCA), the activity recorded a performance above the overall retail result. This positive change, among other factors, is due to the growth in the volume of the income. 

The activity Furniture and household appliances, with an increase of 6.2% in the volume of sales in relation to September of the last year, exerted the second biggest impact on the formation of the Retail trade rate, with a contribution of 14%. In accumulated terms, the sector registered a rise of 13.2% for the first nine months of the year, over the same period of 2011, and of 13.3% for the last 12 months. This performance is due to credit maintenance, as well as to the drop of the electric-electronic products’ prices (-6.6% in the last 12 months until September, according to IPCA). The monthly rate of 6.2% obtained in September, less than half of the one registered in August, is attributable to the anticipated purchase in the previous month, motivated by the expectation towards the end of the tax incentive implemented by the government (an IPI reduction for furniture and domestic appliances).

Fuels and lubricants was the activity that exerted the third biggest influence (12%) on the result of the volume of sales of the retail in September, with a rate of 10.9% in relation to the same month in the previous year. The price reduction of fuels, with a change of -2.5% in 12 months, according to IPCA, has been generating positive results in the growth of the sales in the segment. In the accumulated indexes, the rate for the first nine months of the year was 6.4%, and for the last 12 months, 4.8%.

 The activity Other articles of personal and domestic use, which encompasses department stores, optical stores, jewelries, sporting goods stores, toy stores etc., was the fourth main contributor to the retail rate, with a change of 9.9% in the volume of sales in relation to September of 2011. The growth of the payroll and the credit facilities explain such a behavior. Regarding to the accumulated indicators, the changes were 8.0% in the period from January to September and in the last 12 months, 6.3%.

The activity Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles, with an advance in the volume of sales of 8.1% over September 2011, was the fifth highest contribution to the overall retail rate. In the accumulated indicators of the first nine months of the year and of the last 12 months, the changes reached rates of 10.9% and 10.0%, respectively. Credit, income and the nature of the products are the main reasons for the sector’s performance. 

Extended retail trade changes -9.2%

The Extended Retail Trade recorded changes of -9.2% over the previous month for the volume of sales and of -6.1% for the nominal revenue, both rates seasonally adjusted.  Compared with the same month a year ago (seasonally unadjusted), the changes were of 2.0% for the volume of sales and of 3.6% for the nominal revenue. In the accumulated indicator of January-September and of the last 12 months, the sector presented changes of 7.8% and 66% for the volume of sales, respectively. Conversely, for the nominal revenue, the changes were 9.0% and 8.1%, respectively.

Of the two extra activities that integrate the extended retail trade, Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories had a negative result, with -9.5% of a change over September 2011 in the volume of sales. This result reflected the purchase anticipation recorded in August/2012, whose growth was at 26.4%. Besides, the bank strike decreased the volume of loans, according to the Brazilian Central Bank.  In relation to the accumulated rates, the changes in the year and in the last twelve months were 5.9% and 3.7%, respectively.

As to Construction material, there was a growth of 0.5% over September 2011. This slowdown of the rate might also be attributed to the impact of the bank strike over business. In the accumulated indicators of the year and of the last 12 months, the changes in the volume of sales reached 7.7% and 7.3%, respectively.

All the Federation Units had positive results compared with September of 2011

Considering the volume of sales and the September12/September11 relation, all 27 Federation Units recorded positive changes, with the highest rates occurring in: Roraima (28.0%); Amapá (25.9%); Mato Grosso do Sul (20.9%); Espírito Santo (11.4%) and Mato Grosso (11.3%). Concerning the contribution to the rate of the Retail Trade, the highlights were, sorted by order of importance, São Paulo (10.9%); Minas Gerais (7.0%); Rio Grande do Sul (7.1%); Bahia (9.1%), and Rio de Janeiro (3.1%).

In relation to the Extended retail, growth can be seen in 16 of the 27 Federation Units, with the highest performance rates in the volume of sales occurring in Amapá (27.6%); Roraima (11.3%); Mato Grosso (11.3%); Tocantins (8.8%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (8.5%).   On the other hand, the largest falls were settled in Santa Catarina (-4.7%); Paraíba (-3.4%); Federal District (-1.1%) and Rio de Janeiro (-0.4%). In terms of positive impacts on the overall result of the sector, the highlights were São Paulo (4.3%); Bahia (4.7%); Mato Grosso (11.3%); Mato Grosso do Sul (8.5%) and Rio Grande do Sul (1.4%).  

Considering the result over the previous month with seasonally adjustment, the volume of sales grew in 18 of the 27 Federation Units. The highest positive rates occurred in Paraíba (4.3%); Rio Grande do Norte (2.2%); Roraima (1.7%) and Goiás (1.5%). Conversely, the highlights in terms of negative rates were Acre (-6.6%); Tocantins (-2.1%); Rio de Janeiro (-1.6%) and Sergipe (-1.3%).

Volume of sales records acceleration in the growth pace in the quarter

In terms of quarterly results, the figures calculated by the Monthly Survey of Trade registered acceleration in the growth pace in the volume of sales, between the second and the third quarter of the year, both for Retail, with a rate increase from 7.9% to 8.6%, and for the Extended retail trade, whose level of growth moved from 6.8% to 9.3%.

The increase in the growth rates in the retail trade on the third quarter of the year occurred in six of the ten activities surveyed. The largest increase in the rate occurred in the segment of Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories, from 5.1% to 11.2%, from the second to the third quarter; followed by Fabric, apparel and footwear (from 1.2% to 6.4%); Other articles of personal and domestic use (from 5.8% to 8.9%); Fuels and lubricants (from 6.7% to 9.5%); Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (from 2.4% to 5.0%) and Office, computer and communication equipment and material  (from 6.1% to 7.2%). The reduction in the growth pace was registered in Furniture and household appliances (from 12.3% to 11.4%); Construction material (from 5.6% to 4.9%); Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (from 11.0% to 10.8%); and Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (from 7.7% to 7.6%).