IBGE’s Monthly Survey of Trade showed that retail sales in the country changed by 0.06% and nominal revenue, by 0.29% from September to October (seasonally adjusted series).

IBGE’s Monthly Survey of Trade showed that retail sales in the country changed by 0.06% and nominal revenue, by 0.29% from September to October (seasonally adjusted series). In the other comparisons, (without seasonal adjustment), the rates for volume of sales were: 3.74% - in relation to October 2004; 4.82% - accumulated in the year and 5.65% - in the last twelve months. Nominal revenue had changes of 7.80% - over October 2004; 10.70% - accumulated in the year and 11.65% - in the last twelve months (Tables 1 and 2).

The result for volume of sales in the seasonally adjusted series (0.06%) shows the stability of retail trade in relation to the previous month. Still considering this indicator, calculated for four of the eight activities which for retail trade, there were positive results only in the group Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, 0.38%. The other activities had the following rates: -3.21% in Textiles, Apparel and footwear; -0.44% in Furniture and household appliances; -2.33% in Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories and 2.01% in Fuels and lubricants (Table 1).

In comparison with October 2004, seven of the eight retail trade activities grew in terms of volume of sales: Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, 1.43%; Furniture and household appliances 11.94%; Textiles, apparel and footwear, 9.18%; Pharmaceutical, orthopedic and perfumery articles, 8.86%; Office material, computer and communication equipment, 69.95%; Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles, 0.57%; Other articles of personal and domestic use, 16.45%. Fuels and lubricants had the only negative rate among all activities, -9.08%.

Concerning the October rate for volume of sales, the highlight was Furniture and household appliances, with change of 11.94%. Even with this result above average, this subsector still presents deceleration in its increase. The change rate accumulated in the year was 17.45%, and in the last twelve months, 18.54%. Although credit has faced reductions in its rhythm of increase in the last few months, it is still presents positive results in comparison with those of last year, which accounts for the rates accumulated by this activity in 2005.

The second major impact on the October result occurred in the segment of Other articles of personal and domestic use, which changed by 16.45% in relation to October 2004. This activity encompasses segments that are affected by consumer credit transactions, such as department stores, glasses shops, sporting goods stores, toy stores and others. The rate accumulated in the year was 14.37%.

The activity Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco is responsible for the third major influence in the formation of the overall retail trade rate in October, 1.43% of increase in volume of sales over October 2004. This result, which kept the sequence of six positive monthly rates, also indicated an interruption of the rhythm of increase of this activity in comparison with September (3.86% change). This deceleration is in accordance with the annual behavior of the average real income of sales, of which rates have been decreasing in the last few months: from 3.7% in August, to 2.0% in September and reaching 1.8% in October (data from PME – Monthly Employment Survey). The indicators accumulated in the year and in the last 12 months were, respectively, 3.33% and 4.46%.

Still in relation to October 2004, the fourth major impact on the result of retail trade was the activity Textiles, apparel ands footwear (9.18%), which had as the main influence the beginning of a new collection (spring-summer). In the year, the activity accumulated a rate of 5.06%, and in the last twelve months, 4.61%.

With 8.86% of increase in volume of sales over October 2004, the activity Pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic articles represented the fifth major contribution to the overall rate. This activity had increase of 5.34% accumulated in the first ten months of the year.

Positive results over October 2004 were also registered in the activities Office, computer and communication equipment (69.85%) and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles (0.57%). The changes accumulated in the year were 47.45% for the first activity and 1.92% for the second one. The high increase rate of Office, computer and communication equipment is a result of the raise of the value of the Brazilian currency (Real) in relation to the dollar, which has caused computer products (hardware and software) to become relatively cheaper, as already mentioned in previous releases.

Fuels and Lubricants

(-9.08%), with its tenth negative result, was the only negative result of volume of sales in relation to October 2004. This behavior is a consequence of the hike of fuels prices. In the first ten months of the year, the segment changed by –7.26%; in the last twelve months, by –5.79%.

Still referring to Federative Units, the seasonally adjusted results for volume of sales, in the comparison month/previous month reveal that changes were positive in 13 states, and negative in 14 of them. The highest rates were registered in Sergipe (12.16%); Roraima (7.21%); Rondônia (6.37%); Alagoas (5.27%) and Espírito Santo (5.08%). The lowest ones in Já Tocantins (-3,90%); Pará (-3,22%); Amapá (-1,68%); Paraíba (-1,44%) e Goiás (-1,42%).

In comparison with October 2004, extended retail trade (which encompasses retail trade and the activities Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories and Construction material) changed by 1.66% in terms of volume of sales and by 3.0% in terms of nominal revenue of sales. The changes accumulated in the year were 3.03% (volume of sales) and 10.26% (nominal revenue).

Concerning volume of sales, the activity Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories, which composes extended retail trade, fell by 0.87% in relation to October 2004. Accumulated in the year, the change of this activity was 1.49%, and in the last 12 months, 4.18%. The segment Construction Material fell by 6.39%. This activity also presented negative change (-6.26%) accumulated in the year.

By Federative Unit, still in relation to extended retail trade, the highest performance rates came from Sergipe (35.82%); Tocantins (33.10%); Piauí (26.62%); Rio Grande do Norte (23.65%) and Pará (23.06%). In terms of impact on the overall result of this sector, the major contributions were those of the Federal District (18.07%); Pernambuco (18.29%); Espírito Santo (18.71%); Pará (23.06%) and Ceará (14.93%).