In the December 06/November06 comparison, retail trade sales fell by 0.5% in terms of volume of sales and by 0.3% in terms of nominal revenue of sales (seasonally adjusted series). In the other comparisons (series without adjustment), the rates for volume of sales were 5.7% over December 2005 and 6.2% accumulated in 2006. Nominal revenue increased by 5.5% in relation to December 2005 and by 7.3% in the annual comparison.

The changes of -0.5% and -0.3% over November were the first negative results of retail trade after four consecutive months of increase. However, the tendency to increase in the sector, which had been observed since August remained, although it has faced decrease of rhythm in the last few months.  

Still in the seasonally adjusted analysis, calculated for four of the eight activities which form retail trade, there were only negative results in the December/November comparison: -6.7% for furniture and household appliances; -3.3% for textiles, apparel and footwear; -0.7% for fuels and lubricants and -0.7% for hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco. In the same comparison, the segment of vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, which is part of the extended retail trade, had positive change of 2.1%.

In the comparison December 06/December 05, the volume of sales of six the eight retail trade activities increased. The rates, in order of importance to the overall result, were: 6.8% for hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco; 15.6% for other articles of personal and domestic use; 6.1% for furniture and household appliances; 2.0% for textiles, apparel and footwear; 17.4% for office material, computer and communication equipment; 1.7% for pharmaceutics, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles; -3.7% for books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles; and -4.6% for fuels and lubricants.

The activity Hypermarkets was the highest impact on the annual result in 2006

The segment Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco grew by 7.6% in terms of volume of sales in 2006, compared to the previous year. This activity accounted for over half of the overall rate of retail trade in the year. The performance reflects the increase of the purchasing power of the population, which resulted, basically, from the combination of two factors: increase of the salary mass and stability of the prices of basic products.

In 2006, Furniture and household appliances accounted for the second highest impact on the overall result, with change of 10.3% in the volume of sales. Favorable conditions to consumer credit, improvement of real income and of employment, and fall of prices, due to the competition with foreign products were the main factors accounting for the duration of the positive result for the third consecutive year.

In 2006, Furniture and household appliances accounted for the second highest impact on the overall result, with change of 10.3% in the volume of sales. Favorable conditions to consumer credit, improvement of real income and of employment, and fall of prices, due to the competition with foreign products were the main factors accounting for the duration of the positive result for the third consecutive year.

The activity Other articles of personal and domestic use, which was the third major impact, changed by 17.1% in terms of volume of sales in relation to 2005. Encompassing department stores, glasses shops, jewelry shops, sporting goods stores and toy stores, among others, this activity was influenced by the behavior of credit, income, employment and price macroeconomic variables.

The fourth major impact in 2006 was Office material, computer and communication equipment, with increase of 30.1% in the volume of sales. Among the factors which determined this performance, it is worth mentioning the significant decrease of computer science products, of about 10.9%, according to IPCA.

The fifth biggest contribution for 2006 came from Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles, with increase of 3.7%. The increase of the salary mass, the popularization of generic medicines and the variety of products displayed supported the positive performance, which has occurred for the third consecutive year.

The activity Textiles, apparel and footwear, which accounted for the sixth biggest participation in the overall rate of 2006, increased by 2.0% in terms of sales, in comparison with 2005. The rate, which was below the average of retail trade, may have been influenced by a rise of prices in the sector, which, according to IPCA, was 5.1% last year.

The segment Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles had the lowest positive result in 2006, that is, 0.5%, featuring as the seventh biggest contribution to the overall result.

The activity Fuels and lubricants had, for the second consecutive year, a negative result in terms of volume of sales: -8.1% in relation to 2005. This performance is due, basically, to the rationalization of the demand for automotive vehicles, with subsequent change in the structure of consumption of products, in which the most expensive item (gasoline) has been gradually replaced for cheaper ones (alcohol, and, mainly, natural gas). This process was stimulated by the repeated rises of prices of fuels in general, and was facilitated by the increase of offer of vehicle gas and by the increase of the fleet of flex-fuel cars. 

From November to December, sales fell in 19 of the 27 states

In the December/November comparison, volume of sales changed positively in 8 states and fall in 19 states. The main increments occurred in Mato Grosso (2.0%), Bahia (1.8%) and Goiás (1.1%). The main falls were those in Amazonas (-5.3%), Roraima (-4.0%), Tocantins (-3.8%), the Federal District (-3.6%) and Pernambuco (-3.3%).

Still in the analysis by area, 22 of the 27 Federative Units had positive results in the volume of sales, in comparison with December 06/December 05, with the biggest changes occurring in Acre (36.6%), Alagoas (29.0%), Amapá (25.4%), Roraima (14.8%)  and Tocantins (12.2%). The main negative results occurred in Mato Grosso (-4.6%), Piauí (-4.0%) and Rio Grande do Norte (-3.0%).

In terms of participation in the overall rate of retail trade, the highlights, in order, were São Paulo (5.2%), Minas Gerais (10.3%), Rio de Janeiro (4.7%), Bahia (11.3%) and Santa Catarina (7.8%).

Considering the results accumulated in 2006, the biggest increases in the volume of sales occurred in Roraima (30.1%), Acre (27.5%), Amapá (23.6%), Alagoas (18.7%) and Tocantins (18.7%). Only the state of Mato Grosso had negative change of -9.9%.

Extended retail trade grew by 6.5% in 2006

For extended retail trade (retail trade and the activities vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and construction material), the changes accumulated in 2006, in comparison with 2005, were 6.5% for volume of sales and 7.6% for the nominal revenue of sales.

In relation to the same month in 2005, the sales of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces had, in December, increase of 8.3%, with an accumulated rate of 7.3% in 2006. The acceleration of the interest rates, as well as the number of installments, were the main factors accounting for this increase. The subsectors Construction material finished, in 2006, the eighth consecutive month with increase, with change of 8.5% over December 2005. It reflected, mainly, the official measures of incentive to construction. Last year, the accumulated rate was 5.7%.

In relation to the monthly rate (November/December) of retail trade, the best state performances in terms of volume of sales were registered in Acre (58.2%), Amapá (33.0%), Pará (25.7%), Rondônia (24.2%) and Alagoas (23.6%). In terms of impact on the overall rate, the highlights were São Paulo (3.9%), Minas Gerais (10.7%), Rio de Janeiro (6.5%), Paraná (6.7%) and Pará (25.7%).

In the table below are shown the results for trade in quarterly terms: