In April, the retail trade registered a drop of -0.4% in the volume of sales and a rise of 0.6% in the nominal revenue, both rates in relation to the previous month (seasonally adjusted). In the other comparisons, the overall retail recorded increases of approximately 6.7% over April last year, of 5.0% in the first four months of the year, and of 4.9% in the last 12 months. In the same comparisons, the nominal revenue of sales posted rates of 13.5%, 11.1% and 11.8%, respectively.

Influenced by the shift in Easter - from March in 2013 to April this year -, the difference between the rates in March and April was not sufficient to reverse the trend of the quarterly moving average, which was negative for the second consecutive month in terms of volume of sales.

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

TABLE 1
BRAZIL - INDICATORS OF VOLUME OF SALES OF RETAIL TRADE AND EXTENDED RETAIL TRADE BY GROUPS OF ACTIVITIES: PMC - April 2014

Among ten activities, seven present negative changes

In the seasonally adjusted series, seven out of the ten activities of the extended retail trade registered negative changes for volume of sales. The rates were as follows: 5.4% for Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces; 0.3% for Other personal and household articles; 0.0% for Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics; -0.1% for Furniture and household appliances; -0.5% for Construction material; -0.8% for Fuels and lubricants; -1.0% for Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear; -1.4% for Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco; -2.6% for Office, computer and communication material and equipment; and -2.7% for Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery.

Compared with April 2013, five out of the eight retail activities recorded positive figures for volume of sales. According to the importance to the overall result, these activities were ordered according to the composition of the rate: Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (10.1%); Other personal and household articles (16.0%); Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics (5.4%); Furniture and household appliances (2.4%); Fuels and lubricants (1.5%); Office, computer and communication material and equipment (-3.9%); Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-10.5%); and Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear (-5.5%).

By changing 10.1% in the volume of sales in April over the same month a year ago, the segment of Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, was the main contributor to the overall retail trade rate, accounting for 73.7% of it. April´s figure reversed the negative rate of March (-2.8%), influenced by the calendar effect. In cumulative terms, the rates of 4.4% in the first four months and of 3.3% in 12 months stood below the overall retail average. The level of the 12-month rate was below that of April 2012 (5.6%) and April 2013 (5.3%), even considering the increase of the usual real wage bill of employed persons and the evolution of the prices of food at home around the average.

The second major positive impact on the overall rate was due to Other personal and household articles, which changed 16.0% in the volume of sales over April 2013. It is worth noting that this activity, which comprises department stores among other segments, had its two last months influenced by the shift of Easter from March in 2013 to April in 2014. In cumulative terms, its volume of sales remained changing above the average, recording 9.5% in the cumulative rate in the year and 9.9%, in the last 12 months.

By increasing 5.4% in the volume of sales over April 2013, the activity of Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles and toiletries accounted for the third biggest positive impact on the retail rate. Also in cumulative terms, it posted increases of 10.7% and 10.6%, respectively, in the last four months and in the last 12 months. The rise of the cumulative figures above the average was due to the positive behavior of the wage bill and to the essential nature of its products, as well as to the behavior of the prices of pharmaceuticals, which stood below the average: 3.9% in 12 months up to April 2014 against 6.3% of the overall index, according to the IPCA.

Extended retail changes 0.6% in the volume of sales and 1.1% in the nominal revenue

The extended retail trade, comprising the retail trade plus the activities of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and Construction material, recorded a positive change in the volume of sales (0.6%) and in the nominal revenue (1.1%), both of them in relation to last month and seasonally adjusted. Compared with the same month a year ago, the volume was stable (0%) and the revenue increased (6.0%). As to the cumulative rates, the increases were of 1.6% in the year and 2.5% in the last 12 months for the volume of sales, and of 6.9% and 8.0% for the nominal revenue, respectively.

Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces posted a drop of -9.8% over April last year. This activity also registered the following changes: 5.4% over last month (seasonally adjusted), -5.3% in the cumulative rate in the first four months and -2.7% in the cumulative rate in the last 12 months. The segment of Construction material changed its volume of sales by -0.5% compared with the previous month with seasonal adjustment, by -5.8% over April 2013, by 3.7% in the cumulative index in the first four months and by 5.6% in the cumulative index in the last 12 months.

TABLE 3
BRAZIL - COMPOSITION OF THE MONTHLY RATE OF THE RETAIL TRADE, BY ACTIVITIES: PMC - April 2014 (*)
(Volume of sales indicators)

Positive figures in 25 Federation Units, compared with April 2013

Concerning volume of sales, 25 out of the 27 Federation Units registered positive figures when comparing April 2014 with April 2013. The positive highlights were: Amapá (13.7%), Alagoas (11.1%), Rondônia (11.0%), Pernambuco (10.0%) and Ceará (10.0%). As to the contribution to the formation of the Retail Trade rate, the highlights were, by order of importance: São Paulo (7.5%), Rio de Janeiro (7.2%), Paraná (7.8%), Minas Gerais (4.9%) and Rio Grande do Sul (5.5%).

As to the extended retail, 20 states recorded positive changes in relation to April last year, highlighted by Alagoas (8.4%), Ceará (5.6%), Santa Catarina (5.2%), Rondônia (4.7%) and Rio de Janeiro (4.0%). In terms of positive impact on the overall result of the sector, the highlights were the states of Rio de Janeiro (4.0%), Santa Catarina (5.2%), Rio Grande do Sul (3.1%), Ceará (5.6%) and Pernambuco (3.5%).

Concerning the Federation Units, the seasonally-adjusted results for the volume of sales pointed out 12 states with positive results on a month over month base. The highest positive changes were registered in Roraima (6.1%), Amapá (3.0%), Espírito Santo (2.3%), Rio de Janeiro (1.0%) and Pernambuco (0.7%). The biggest drops were recorded in Acre (-3.9%), Maranhão (-3.3%), Bahia (-3.0%) and Pará (-1.9%).