Both rates refer to December (seasonally adjusted series). Compared to January 2008, volume of sales and nominal revenue increased 6.0% and 11.9%, respectively. In the last 12 months, volume and revenue had accumulated increase of 8.7% and 14.7%.

Retail trade in the country, after a quarter with negative rates, started year 2009 with increase of seasonally adjusted rates (compared to the previous year): 1.4% in terms of volume of sales and 2.1% in terms of nominal revenue. In the other comparisons, based on series without adjustment, volume of sales increased 6.0% over January 2008, accumulating 8.7% in the last 12 months. Nominal revenue increased 11.9% and accumulated 14.7% in the last 12 months.

In January, in the seasonally adjusted series, there was increase of volume of sales in seven of the tem activities surveyed. Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces (11.1%); Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles (7.6%); Furniture and household appliances (7.1%); Other articles of personal and domestic use (5.8%); Textiles, apparel and footwear (2.2%); Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic, perfumery articles and cosmetics (0.8%); Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (0.3%); Office, computer and communication material and equipment (–12.5%); Construction material (-2.8%) and Fuels and lubricants  (-0.7%). 

In the comparison January 09/January 08 (series without adjustment), there was decrease of volume of sales in only one retail trade activity: Textiles, apparel and footwear (-4.7%). The other changes, in order of relevance were: 7.0% in Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and footwear; 6.3% in Furniture and household appliances; 15.4% in Office, computer and communication material and equipment; 8.9% in Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles and cosmetics; 3.8% in Fuels and lubricants; 5.0% in Other articles of personal and domestic use and 23.9% in Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles.   

RESULTS BY SUBSECTOR

The subsector Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and footwear had increase above average: 7.0% in terms of volume of sales, compared to the previous year, accounting for the main contribution (41%) to the retail trade rate. This performance is due to the purchasing power of the population, which resulted from the increase of salary mass (8.3% compared to January 2008, according to the Monthly Employment Survey). The most probable reason accounting for the increase above average is the deceleration of food prices in the second semester of 2008 (1.5% from July 2008 to January 2009 versus 9.8% in the first semester of 2008, according to IPCA, of the group Food products in the household). The index accumulated in the last 12 months was 5.4%.

The activity Furniture and household articles, with increase of 6.3% in volume of sales compared to January last year accounted for the second major impact on the formation of performance of Retail Trade, being responsible for 20% of the size of it (Table 3). In terms of the index accumulated in the last 12 months, the subsector increased by 14.2%. That monthly result is basically a consequence of the restriction to credit which occurred in the last few months, considering that, until October 2008 the activity had grown at a two-digit rate.

The subsector Office, computer and communication material and equipment, which accounts for the third major impact on the formation of the overall rate, increased in terms of volume of sales, in January, by about 15.4% compared to the same month in the previous year, with accumulated rate of 32.6% in the last 12 months. It is the activity with the second biggest change this month, regardless of the deceleration of the increase rate. Among the factors which have added to this performance, the highlights are the fall of prices of such products (-9% and –3% in the last 12 months for the items personal computers and mobile telephones, respectively, according to IPCA) and the growing importance of these products in the consumption habits of families. 

Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles, with the fourth major participation in the overall retail trade rate, increased by 8.9% compared to January 2008, with accumulated rate of 12.7% in the last 12 months. The increase above average occurred due to the rise of salaries, together with the diversity of products traded and with the increase of sales of generic products.

The volume of sales of Fuels and lubricants increased 3.8% in relation to January 2008 and was the fifth major contribution to the overall rate, accumulating 9.4% in the last 12 months. This performance may be due to the stability  of fuel prices (change of 1.4% in the last 12 months, according to IPCA)  and to the improvement of economic conditions in the country in the period analyzed.

The activity Other articles of personal and domestic use, the sixth major one in the retail trade rate, increased 5.0% in terms of volume of sales in relation to January 2008. The performance of this activity, which encompasses  segments such as department stores, glasses shops, jewelry shops, sporting goods stores, toy stores, has been affected by the overall scenario of economy. The rate accumulated in the last 12 months was about 13.7%.  

The activity Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles had the biggest change among all the subsectors of retail trade (23.9%). However, due to its reduced importance in the structure of retail trade, the activity exerted little influence on the result of retail trade. The rate accumulated in the last 12 months was about 12.9%. These figures result from the diversification of the types of product by activity, such as, for example, the sales of peripheral computer equipment, besides entertainment products (CDs and DVDs).

The negative contribution to this sector came from Textiles, apparel and footwear (-4.7%), in relation to the same month in the previous year, and 3.5% in the last 12 months. The negative monthly result is the third consecutive one for the segment, which can be seen as a consequence of the rise of prices in the last few months (change of 7.4% in the group Apparel, for the last 12 months, according to IPCA).

Extended retail trade, which includes retail trade and the activities Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and Construction material  increased 2.8% in relation to January 2008, in terms of volume of sales, and 6.0%, in terms of nominal revenue. The indexes accumulated in the last 12 months were 9.0% and 14.0%, respectively.  

Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces decreased by -0.3% in terms of volume of sales in relation to January 2008, its third consecutive negative rate, accumulating 10.2% in the last 12 months; reduction of prices and of financing periods, besides the decrease of consumer expectations, have contributed to the fall of sales.

As for Construction material, changes were -12.5% in the comparison January 09/January 08 and 6.0% accumulated in the last 12 months, due to restrictions of the current economic scenario, especially concerning credit. 

Three Federative Units faced decrease in relation to January 2008: Federal District (-0.3%); Paraíba (-6.8%) and Pará (-7.8%). The positive highlights of volume of sales were Rondônia (24.1%); Roraima (17.0%); Mato Grosso do Sul (12.8%) and Sergipe (12.5%). The main contributions to the retail trade rate came from São Paulo (8.7%); Rio de Janeiro (7.8%); Minas Gerais (5.0%); Santa Catarina (6.8%) and Paraná (4.8%).

In terms of extended retail trade, five Federative Units faced decreases. Among the positive changes, the highest rates in terms of volume of sales occurred in Rondônia (18.3%); Roraima (15.3%); Maranhão (13.6%); Mato Grosso (10.8%) and Sergipe (10.3%). Concerning impact on the overall result of the sector, the highlights were São Paulo (4.1%); Rio de Janeiro (2.8%); Minas Gerais (1.9%); Maranhão (13.6%) and Santa Catarina (3.0%).

The results with seasonal adjustment for volume of sales point to negative changes in only three states: Tocantins (-1.0%); Bahia (-0.5%) and Piauí (-0.3%). The major increases occurred in Maranhão (12.1%); Sergipe (8.2%); Roraima (7.3%); Mato Grosso do Sul (6.6%); Amazonas (6.5%) and Rondônia (6.5%).