Retail trade sales had, in February, change rates of 0.4% for volume and of 0.8% for revenue, in comparison with January (seasonally adjusted series). In the series without adjustment, compared to the same period last year, the rates of volume of sales were 9.4% over February/06 and 6.6% accumulated in the previous twelve months. Nominal revenue increased by 9.5% in comparison with February 2006, and by 7.3% considering the figure accumulated in the previous twelve months.

With the changes of 0.4% (sales) and 0.8% (revenue) in February, retail trade once more presented a positive result in relation to the previous year, with seasonal adjustment, keeping the upward trend observed by the evolution of the quarterly moving average (a trend indicator). Still considering the analysis of the seasonally adjusted series, calculated for four of the eight activities which form the sector, the results for volume of sales were the following: -4.2% for furniture and household appliances; -2.5% for textiles, apparel and footwear; 1.3% for fuels and lubricants; and 0.1%for hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco. In the same comparison, the segment vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, which is part of extended retail trade, had positive change of 5.3%.  

In the comparison February 07/February 06 (overall rate of 9.4%), all the retail activities had increase in the volume of sales. These rates, in order of relevance to the overall result, were: 6.9% for hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco; 19.1% for furniture and household appliances; 25.1% for other articles of personal and domestic use; 5.5% for fuels and lubricants; 5.7% for pharmaceutics, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles and cosmetics; 22.8% for office material, computer and communication equipment; 3.6% for textiles, apparel and footwear; and 1.6% for books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles.

Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (6.9%) accounted for approximately 40% of the retail rate. The activity had increases of 5.9% and 7.5% in the year and in the previous twelve months, respectively. This performance kept on reflecting the increase of the population’s purchasing power, which resulted, basically, from the increase of salary mass.

The subsector of Furniture and household appliances (19.1%) represented, in February, the second biggest contribution to retail trade, being responsible for over 25% of the rate. In terms of accumulated rates, the results were: 21.8% in the year and 11.9% in the previous twelve months. This performance was a consequence of the continuation of favorable credit conditions, real income, employment and prices.

Other articles of personal and domestic use (25.1%) was the third major impact on the formation of the retail rate in February. This activity, which encompasses subsectors such as department stores, glasses shops, sporting goods stores and toy stores, has had its performance affected by the improvement of the overall economic scenario. As a consequence, it had accumulated rates also for the first two months of the year and for the previous twelve months, of 20.4% and 17.6%, respectively.

The activity Fuels and lubricants, accounted for the fourth biggest contribution to the retail trade, had the second positive result after two years with falling rates. That can be seen as a consequence of the stabilization of prices of fuels in the last few months, and also of the improvement of the economic conditions of the country. The accumulated changes were 3.9% in the year and -6.3% in the previous twelve months.

Pharmaceutics, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles and cosmetics (5.7%), had the fifth biggest participation in the overall rate of retail trade, with accumulated figures of 5.3% (in the year) and 3.6% (in the previous twelve months). These changes resulted from the expansion of salary mass and from the diversification of product lines.

The activity Office material, computer and communication equipment (22.8%) was the sixth major contribution to the overall result. The rates accumulated in the year and in the previous twelve months were 17.6% and 23.7%, respectively. Among the factors which determined this performance, are the fall of prices of computer products and the growing importance of the goods which form this activity in the consumer basket.

The seventh biggest contribution to the overall rate was that of Textiles, apparel and footwear (3.6%). However, this result exerted little effect on the accumulated performance of this activity, which remains below average: 5.1% for the first two quarters of 2007 and 1.7% for the previous twelve months. The activity Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles (1.6%) was the smallest contribution to the overall rate. The increase rates accumulated in the year and in the previous twelve months were, respectively, 4.2% and 2.1%.

Piauí (-1.0%) was the only federative unit (FU) with a negative result for the volume of trade sales in February, in comparison with the same month last year. Among the 26 remaining states, the highlights, with the biggest changes, were: Alagoas (35.2%); Sergipe (17.5%); Mato Grosso do Sul (16.6%); Maranhão (16.3%) and Ceará (15.7%). In terms of participation in the formation of the overall retail trade rate, the highlights, in order, were: São Paulo (10.2%); Minas Gerais (10.2%); Rio de Janeiro (5.9%); Santa Catarina (12.2%) and Rio Grande do Sul (6.2%).       

The seasonally adjusted results for volume of sales show, in the comparison between February and January, 17 states with negative rates and 10 with increase. The main increments occurred in Piauí (5.3%); Espírito Santo (4.4%); Roraima (2.8%); and Mato Grosso do Sul (2.5%). The main decreases were registered in Acre (-10.0%); Goiás (-5.9%); and Sergipe (-4.7%). 

For extended retail trade (retail trade and the activities Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and Construction material), the changes observed in relation to February 2006 were 11.9% for volume of sales, and 11.4% for nominal revenue of sales. Considering the figures accumulated in the year and in the previous twelve months, the aforementioned activity grew by 11.0% and 7.5% in terms of volume of sales and by 1.4% and 8.0% in terms of nominal revenue of sales, respectively.

Concerning volume of sales, the activity Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces grew by 19.5% in February, in relation to the same month in the previous year. The rate accumulated in two months was 16.7%, and, in the previous twelve months, 9.7%. The acceleration of the fall of interest rates throughout 2006 became one of the main factors accounting for the increase of sales of this subsector. In terms of Construction material, the changes were 3.9% in the comparison between February/07 and February/06; 6.1% accumulated in the first two months of the year and 6.0% accumulated in the previous twelve months. Such results reflect, above all, the official measures taken in order to stimulate construction.

In the analysis by federative unit, still in relation to retail trade, the highest rates of volume of sales were those of Rondônia (35.6%); Amapá (34.3%); Acre (29.6%); Pará (27.2%); and Tocantins (25.4%). In terms of the impact on the overall result of the sector, the highlights were: São Paulo (12.5%); Minas Gerais (12.2%); Santa Catarina (15.6%); Rio de Janeiro (6.1%); e Paraná (9.7%).