According to the results of the Annual Survey of Trade – PAC, relative to 2011, the trade sector in Brazil generated a net operating revenue of R$ 2.1 trillion and employed 9.8 million persons, having paid R$ 130.2 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation. The survey estimated 1.571 million commercial companies dealing with resale of goods, distributed across 1.683 million local units.

Companies with 20 or more employed persons generated 74.1% of the total net operating revenue of trade (R$ 1.6 trillion), corresponding to 53.1 thousand companies, which represent 3.4% of PAC. These companies employed 4.2 million persons in 2011, 43.3% of the total, and paid R$ 75.6 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, representing 58.0% of the overall trade.

Retail trade was the highlight with the biggest number of companies (79.7%), employed persons (73.6%), and salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (62.0%). However, wholesale trade registered the highest percentage of the net operating revenue (42.8%), followed by retail, which recorded 42.7%.

This edition of PAC also analyzed the dynamism of the sectors by means of the labor productivity indicator, which had its average computed for each one of them in the period 2007-2011. The analysis showed that trade registered a dynamic evolution by increasing its labor productivity (3.9%) above the change of the monthly average salary (3.7%). This result was mainly leveraged by the behavior of the internal consumer market and the performance of the retail trade, which was the most dynamic sector (increase of 6.3% in the labor productivity, above the increase of 3.6% in the monthly average salary). The highly productive retail segments were computer equipment (19.1%) and pharmaceuticals (16.6%).

They were followed by wholesale trade, which recorded a more heterogeneous performance. Due to its intermediate role in the economy, this sector was influenced by the industrial and agricultural sectors, as well as by the indicators relative to the external market. As a consequence, this sector registered an average labor productivity (2.7%), below the increase of the monthly average salary (3.5%). Raw agricultural products (with productivity of 9.1%) and resale of food products (with 6.3%) were the highlights in the wholesale sector.

PAC represents the main source of data of the commercial sector. It describes the basic features of the trade sector in Brazil, as well as its changes over time, considering three specific groups: retail trade, wholesale trade and trade of motor vehicles, parts and pieces, and motorcycles.  The analysis considers Brazil, its Major Regions and the Federation Units. The complete publication of the Annual Survey of Trade 2011 can be accessed on page  https://www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/economia/comercioeservico/pac/2011/default.shtm.

Retail trade drives commerce by recording annual average productivity of 6.3% between 2007 and 2011

The commerce gained momentum between 2007 and 2011: the labor productivity increased 3.9% with the annual average real increase of the value added (10.7%) above the annual average increase of the number of employed persons (6.5%).

The retail trade was the highlight as it increased its productivity (6.3%) above the average registered by PAC. In this sector, the value added expanded 13.2% and the number of employed persons, 6.5%. The driving forces were the sectors of computer and communication equipment, which recorded an increase of 19.1% in the labor productivity, 30.9% in the value added and 9.9% in the number of employed persons; and of pharmaceuticals, which registered an increase of 16.6% in the productivity, 23.2% in the value added and 5.6% in the number of employed persons. It is worth highlighting that the retail sector in Brazil benefited from the expansion of the internal market, which was leveraged by the good performance of the labor market.

The wholesale trade recorded an annual average productivity of 2.7%, with an annual average increase of 9.4% in the value added and of 6.5% in the number of employed persons. The wholesale trade was the most affected activity in the 2009 crisis, despite the heterogeneous performance of its segments between 2007 and 2011.  Oriented to the external market, the sector of raw agricultural products registered the highest increase of productivity, reaching an annual average expansion of 9.1%. This evolution was due to the increase of 9.2% in the value added and of 0.1% in the number of employed persons. In this case, the value added increased with a minimum impact over the employment. As to the increase of productivity, another highlight was the resale of food products, beverages and tobacco, which reached 6.3% in the period. In this segment, the value added expanded 11.7% and the number of employed persons, 5.1%. It should be emphasized that the behavior of the internal market significantly affected the growing path of this segment.

Among the activities that comprise the trade of motor vehicles, parts and pieces, and motorcycles, the resale of motor vehicles was the most affected activity in the 2009 crisis. Unlike the other activities, it lost momentum between 2007 and 2011: it reduced the productivity (-1.4%), due to the intensive labor force, whereas the value added increased (5.8%) below the change in the number of employed persons (7.2%). On average, the resellers of motorcycles, parts and pieces were the the only companies that gained momentum. The annual average increase in the labor productivity was of 2.2%, as a consequence of the increase of 11.1% in the value added and of 8.7% in the number of employed persons.

It should be noticed that, between 2007 and 2011, the companies surveyed by PAC registered, on average, an increase in the labor productivity (3.9%) above the change of the monthly average salary (3.7%). The retail trade effectively contributed to this performance, by increasing the productivity above the national average (6.3%). The wholesale trade recorded an expansion of 2.7% in the labor productivity and of 3.5% in the average salary. The productivity of the retail trade of motor vehicles, parts and pieces, and motorcycles registered a decrease of 1.3% and the monthly salary recorded an increase of 4.5%, implying a pressure of salaries over costs.

Three activities concentrate more than half (56.0%) of the net revenue of retail

1,252,586 retail trade companies (79.7%) accounted for a net operating revenue of R$ 911.4 billion (42.8%) and employed 7,210,796 persons (73.6%), generating R$ 80.8 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (62.0%).

Three segments were the highlights in the retail trade: hypermarkets and supermarkets; fuels and lubricants; and department stores, household appliances stores and furniture stores. The three segments altogether accounted for more than half (56.0%) of the total net resale revenue of the retail trade in 2011 (24.5%, 16.8% and 14.7%, respectively). Despite the high contribution to the revenue, they accounted for 16.5% of the companies in the segment.

As to the participation in the payroll, the highlights were the segments of hypermarkets and supermarkets (16.3%), trade of textiles, wearing apparel and footwear (16.6%) and department stores, household appliances stores and furniture stores (16.0%). Hypermarkets and supermarkets also accounted for the highest average of employed persons per company (77 persons), well above the average of the retail trade (6).

Resale of fuels and lubricants was the segment with the highest labor productivity: R$ 44,628. 29,962 (2.4%) companies of this segment generated R$ 151.5 billion of net resale revenue, employed 356.2 thousand persons (4.9%) and paid R$ 4.6 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation.

Wholesale trade reaches 42.8% of the net operating revenue of commerce

171,057 wholesale companies (10.9%) generated a net operating revenue of R$ 915.2 billion (42.8%), employed 1,655,929 persons (16.9%) and had a payroll of R$ 34.4 billion (26.4%).

Among the segments of the wholesale activity, the first in the ranking were the resellers of fuels and lubricants, which accounted for 26.0% of the net resale revenue (R$ 227.6 billion). It is worth emphasizing that these companies represented 1.1% of the whole activity (1,839 companies).

The estimated 27,149 resellers of food products, beverages and tobacco came in the second place, registering a participation of 15.9% in the net resale revenue (R$ 154.4 billion). This segment is predominantly comprised of distributors of goods to the internal market. Accounting for the second highest revenue, this segment was responsible for employing a significant portion of the persons in the wholesale activity, 23.0% (380,412 persons).

The segment that trades machinery and equipment comprised 12,369 companies in 2011. It highlighted as it registered the biggest percentage of expenditure with salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (19.4%), though it was the fourth in the ranking of employed persons (11.8%).

Resale of motor vehicles employs an average of 15 persons per company

147,317 companies (9,4%) that trade motor vehicles, parts and pieces, and motorcycles  generated R$ 310.7 billion of net operating revenue (14.5%), employed 929,136 persons (9.5%) and paid R$ 15.0 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (11.6%). This activity employed an average of 7 persons per company, paid 2.2 minimum wages for each employed person and reached a labor productivity of R$ 45,349.

Among the segments that comprise this activity, the highlight was the resale of motor vehicles, as it recorded the highest average of employed persons per company (15 persons), the highest average salary (3.2 minimum wages), and the highest productivity (R$ 74,822). However, the retail trade of parts and pieces for vehicles registered the highest gross margin (41.0%), implying that the return on unit marketed was higher than that of other activities.

In the Northeast, 76.4% of employed persons in commercial activities are in the retail

The regional analysis of the commercial activity in 2011 showed that the Southeast Region generated the biggest portion (53.1%) of the gross resale revenue, followed by the South (19.2%), Northeast (14.9%) and Central-West (9.2%) Regions, while the North Region was responsible for the smallest participation (3.6%).

When considering the participation of each segment in the Major Regions in terms of gross resale revenue, the wholesale trade prevailed in the North (47.1%), Southeast (44.8%), Central-West (44.0%) and South (43.9%) Regions. The Northeast Region was the only region where the retail trade recorded the biggest contribution (48.0%).

Although the wholesale trade prevailed in relation to the gross resale revenue, the retail sector was responsible for employing the biggest number of persons in Brazil (73.6%). In the Northeast, where it registered a significant participation in terms of revenue, this segment reached 76.4% of the persons employed in commercial activities. Moreover, the retail trade accounted for the biggest portion of salaries, withdrawals and other compensation in all the Major Regions.