Both rates refer to January, in the seasonally adjusted series. Compared to February 2008, the volume of sales and nominal revenue of trade increased 3.9% and 10.1%, respectively. In terms of the index accumulated in the year, volume and revenue accumulated increase of 8.0% and 12.4%.    

In February 2009, retail trade in the country increased for the second consecutive month: 1.5% in volume of sales and 1.7% in nominal revenue, both changes compared to the previous month (seasonally adjusted). There was change in the performance of sales, after a quarter with negative rates. In the other comparisons of original series (without adjustment), the volume of trade sales increased 3.8% over February in the previous year, 4.9% in terms of the index accumulated in the year and 8.0% accumulated in the last 12 months. For the same indicators, nominal revenue of sales increased 10.1%, 11.0% and 14.2%, respectively (Tables 1 and 2).

In February, seven of the tem activities surveyed had increase in the volume of sales (with seasonal adjustment): Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces (4.6%); Other articles of personal and domestic use (4.3%); Office, computer and communication material and equipment (4.0%); Construction Material (3.8%); Supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (2.9%); Fuels and lubricants (2.7%); Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles and cosmetics (1.9%); Textiles, apparel and footwear (-1.1%); Furniture and household appliances (-1.2%); and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles  (-9.1%).

In relation to February 2008 (series without adjustment), only two activities of retail faced decrease in the volume of sales: Furniture and electronic appliances (– 2.1%) and Textiles, apparel and footwear (– 6.9%). In the other ones, in order of importance to the overall result, the changes were: Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (5.6%); Other articles of personal and domestic use (10.5%); Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles and cosmetics (12.0%); Office, computer and communication material and equipment (11.3%); Fuels and lubricants (0.5%) and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles (1.9%).

RESULTS BY SUBSECTOR

The subsector of Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco increased at a level above average: 5.6% in terms of volume of sales in February, compared to the same month in the previous year, accounting for the major contribution (74%) of the overall retail trade rate. The index accumulated in the last 12 months increased by 5.2%. This performance was influenced by the increase of the population’s purchasing power, resulting from the rise of salary volume (6.2% over February 2008, according to PME).  There was also contribution of the deceleration above average of prices in the last few months (1.1% in the group Meals taken in the home, in the last few months, versus 2.4% of the overall index, according to IPCA).

The activity Other articles of personal and domestic use, the second major contribution to the formation of the overall retail trade rate (23%), grew 10.5% in terms of volume of sales, in relation to February 2008 (Table 3). This subsector, which includes department stores, jewelry shops, sporting goods stores, toy stores, etc, had been presenting two-digit increases. In the quarter November, December and January, the increase had fallen to a two-digit one, but now, in February it is once more above 10%, pointing to a tendency of return to a pervious level. The rate accumulated in 12 months was 12.7%.

The activity Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles, with the third better performance in the overall retail trade rate, increased 12.0% in relation to February 2008, accumulating increase of 12.6% in the last 12 months. The expansion of salary volume and the diversity of products traded are the main factors accounting for the positive performance of this subsector. 

The subsector of Office, computer and communication material and equipment, which accounted for the fourth major impact on the overall rate, increased by 11.3% in terms of volume of sales, compared to February last year, and accumulated increase of 30.5% in the last 12 months. Among the factors accounting for this performance, the highlights are the reduction of products of this subsector and the growing importance of computer and communication goods in the consumption habits of families.

The subsector of Fuels and lubricants, with 0.5% of change of volume of sales in the February 09/February 08 comparison, accounted this month for the fifth major contribution to the overall retail trade rate. In terms of performance, the accumulated rate reached 8.8% in the last 12 months. This behavior is a consequence of the stability of computer prices.

Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles, with increase below average and reduced participation in the survey structure, exerted the lowest level of influence on the positive result of retail trade. In relation to February 2008, the volume of sales increased 1.9%, accumulating change of 11.2% in the last 12 months.

Furniture and household appliances, with change of -2.1% in terms of volume of sales compare to February last year, had its first negative result, after 65 months with rising rates. This decrease refers to credit restraints and to a more careful attitude by consumers. In the last 12 months, the subsector grew 12.4%. 

The subsector of Textiles, apparel and footwear, which caused decrease of -6.9% in the volume of sales compared to that of the previous year, has been on a downward trend for four months. This can be seen as a consequence of the conservative attitude of consumers before the current economic scenario of crisis. The change accumulated by this activity in the month was 2.4%. 

The volume of sales of Extended retail trade (retail trade and the activities of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and Construction material) increased 2.5% in relation to the previous month, and its nominal revenue increased 2.4% (seasonally adjusted rates). Compared to the same month in the previous year (without adjustment), the changes were 1.6% for volume of sales and 4.5% for nominal revenue. In terms of the index accumulated in the last 12 months, the rates were 7.8% for volume and 12.7% for nominal revenue of sales.

The volume of sales of the activity Vehicle, motorcycles, parts and pieces increased 4.6% in relation to January and 0.1% compared to February 2008, accumulating, in the last 12 months, change of 8.1%. The restraints to credit, having as an example the reduction of financing periods, on the one hand, and reduction of taxes by the government, on the other, have been the main factors accounting for the current dynamics of this market.

As for Construction material, changes were 3.8% over the previous month, of -12.8% compared to February 2008 and 3.7% accumulated in the last 12 months. The last four months of negative results (in the series without adjustment, compared to the same month in the previous year) reflect the restraints of the current economic scenario, especially regarding credit granting.

RESULTS BY AREA

Among the 27 Federative Units, six faced decrease in relation to February 2008: Rio Grande do Sul
(-2.8%); Federal District (-2.5%); Espírito Santo (-2.4%); Tocantins (-1.7%); Goiás (-0.8%) and Paraíba (-0.8%). The highlights in terms of positive changes of volume of sales were: Roraima (18.5%); Rondônia (11.4%); Ceará (8.5%); Maranhão (7.9%) and Sergipe (7.8%). The main contributions in terms of the composition of retail rate came from São Paulo (5.9%); Rio de Janeiro (6.4%); Paraná (3.3%); Bahia (4.0%) and Santa Catarina (3.6%).

In terms of extended retail trade, the highest rates in terms of volume of sales occurred in Roraima (16.7%); Rondônia (12.2%); Piauí (10.1%); Sergipe (9.5%) and Amapá (8.6%). The main impacts on the overall result of the sector were those of the states of São Paulo (2.6%); Rio de Janeiro (3.5%); Ceará (8.1%); Bahia (3.5%) and Minas Gerais (1.4%).

Also considering Federative Units, the results with seasonal adjustment for volume of sales point to eighteen states with positive results, in the month/previous month comparison. The main changes occurred in Piauí (4.0%); Maranhão (2.8%); São Paulo (2.0%); Paraíba (1.8%); Santa Catarina (1.9%) and Mato Grosso (1.8%). The main decreases occurred in Mato Grosso do Sul (-8.3%); Acre (-4.3%); Sergipe (-3.8%) and Amazonas (-3.4%).