Both rates refer to March, for a seasonally adjusted series. This result points to stability in the sales of the sector, compared to the previous month. In relation to April 2008, volume of sales and nominal revenue of sales increased 6.9% and 13.0%, respectively, being significantly above the rates observed in March. This behavior resulted from the change in the date of Easter’s Day, from March to April, between 2008 and 2009. In the first four months of the year, the indicators increased from 4.5% to 10.6%. In the last twelve months, volume and nominal revenue accumulated increase of 7.1% and 13.4%.

In terms of extended retail trade, from March to April, there was decrease of -4.0% in terms of volume of sales and of -4.5% in terms of nominal revenue of sales, due to the decrease of sales of automotive vehicles and construction material. In relation to volume of sales, extended retail trade also had negative change of -0.8% in April 2009, compared to April 2008. There were increase rates of 2.5% accumulated in the year and of 6.0% in the last twelve months. For the same indicators, nominal revenue of sales changed 1.6% (April 2009/April 2008); 5.2% (accumulated in the year) and 10.6% (last twelve months).        

In the comparison April/March 2009, only two retail trade activities had positive change rates in volume of sales: Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (0.8%) and Office, computer and communication material and equipment (8.9%). There were negative results in Fuels and lubricants (-0.8%); Textiles, apparel and footwear (-1.7%); Furniture and household articles (-2.0%); Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles and cosmetics (-1.0%); Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles (-2.7%) and Other articles of personal and domestic use (-2.4%). The other two activities which form Extended retail trade also had negative results in April, compared to those in March: Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, with rate of -5.6%; and Construction Material (-3.5%).

Considering April 2008, there was increase of sales volume in 10 activities.

RESULS BY SUBSECTOR

The activity Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, with increase of 14.1% in relation to April 2008, appears this month as the second biggest performance rate of retail trade. This result, as well as the performance of March (-0.2%), results considerably from the calendar-effect, since Easter’s Day changed from March to April between 2008 and 2009. This level of increase, together with the high importance in the structure of trade, has made the subsector responsible, in April, for 98% of the overall rate of the sector. In terms of accumulated results, the changes were 6.5% for the first four months of the year and 5.5% for the last 12 months. The stability of food prices and the increase of the salary volume received by salaried workers has remained at a level of increase close to that registered before September last year.

The subsector of Other articles of personal and domestic use, with increase of 13.8% in terms of volume of sales in relation to April 2008 led to the second major impact on the formation of retail trade rate. The difference between the rate this month and in March (4.7%) also results from the Easter’s effect, once department stores have been very important in selling products related to this date. Considering the index accumulated in the first four months of the year, compared to the same period in 2008, the activity shows increase rate of 8.3%, having accumulated change of 11.3% in twelve months.

The subsector of Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles and cosmetics, with 11.3% of change in volume of sales in the April 2009/April 2008 comparison, accounted for the third major contribution to the overall retail trade rate. With increase of about 12.0% in the index accumulated from January to April, compared to the same period in 2008, and increase of 12.8% accumulated in the last 12 months, the activity has kept its rhythm of increase, which can be seen as a consequence of the positive performance of salary volume and also of the relevance of such products.

The activity Office, computer and communication equipment was the fourth biggest positive contribution to the formation of the overall rate in April, with its 27.0% of increase compared to the same month in 2008. In terms of accumulated results, it has been the activity with the highest level of increase of volume of sales so far: 18.1% in the comparison January-April 2009/ January-April 2008, and 29.7% accumulated in the last 12 months. Increase of income and fall of prices are the main factors accounting for this performance.

The fifth and last positive contribution to the retail trade rate, in the April 2009/April 2008 comparison, came from Fuels and lubricants, with lower increase in the volume of sales of about 3.7%. Having change rates of 3.2% and 8.3% accumulated in the first four months of the year, compared to the same period in the previous year, and in the last twelve months, respectively, the subsector has kept results close to those of retail trade, in spite of the reduction of activities. In order to do so, it has been of fundamental importance to keep the stability in fuel prices, with change below that of the overall inflation index. According to IPCA, in terms of the index accumulated in 12 months up to April, automotive vehicles have changed in price by 1.1%, versus change of 5.5% of the overall index.

The activity Furniture and household articles, with -10.0% of decrease in volume of sales, in relation to April 2008, was the one which contributed the most to the formation of the retail rate this month. The index accumulated from January to April faced reduction of -1.6% compared to the same period in the previous year, and had positive rate of 8.3% accumulated in the last 12 months. The latter rate also included the high performance index observed until September 2008. Credit restraint, together with consumer expectations before a new economic scenario, and also the high level of sales reached by this subsector after five consecutive years of significant increase, can explain the current scenario of negative rates.

The second major negative impact on the retail trade result came from Textiles, apparel and footwear, which changed by -9.8% in terms of volume of sales in the same month of 2008. In terms of accumulated results, the rates were -7.5%, in the comparison April 2009/April 2008, and -1.1%, accumulated in the last 12 months. Once the sale of this activity are sensitive to the evolution of salary mass, with positive change, in terms of credit (offered with restrictions from September 08 on), it can be said that the difference of price is na important factor accounting for this negative performance. From September 2008 to April 2009, according to IPCA, the item apparel changed 6.2% whereas the overall index did by 3.1%, that is, a 50 percent difference.

The change in the volume of sales of Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles, of -1.4% compared to April 2008, had reduced importance in the formation of the overall retail trade rate. The result of this month, the first negative one after 27 months of increase, practically did not affect the accumulated results, which remain above the rate of the sector, reaching 9.4% relative to the first four months of the year and 10.3% relative to the last twelve months. Such figures may result from the diversity of traded products, especially the ones sold by big chains of stationery and book stores, with increasing participation of computer-related items.

Completing the group with negative rates in the comparison April 2009/April 2008 feature: Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, with change of -11.3%; and Construction Material (-15.8%) and results which led to decrease of -0.8% the volume of sales of Extended retail trade. With reference to the accumulated indicators, there was decrease of rates of both activities: 1.3% in the period January-April and 5.1% in the last twelve months for Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces; -11.4% accumulated in the year and 0.3% in the last twelve months for Construction material. These results are seen as a consequence of credit restraints and of the doubts of consumers since September 2008. The policy of tax (IPI) reduction for the purchase of cars and, more recently, for basic construction material, had led to reduction of these activities.

RESULTS BY AREA

Considering the volume of sales of Retail trade, the April results by Federative Units concerning the seasonally adjusted month/previous month indicator are: 16 states with positive changes and 11 with falling results. The main increases occurred in Alagoas (3.4%); Roraima (3.2%), Sergipe (3.0%); and Paraíba (2.4%), whereas the main decreases were those in Rondônia (-7.6%); Tocantins (-2.1%); Santa Catarina (-2.1%); and Goiás (-1.7%).

In the comparison April 2009/April 2008 (without adjustment), 22 of the 27 Federative Units had positive results in terms of volume of sales. The highest increase rates were those in the states of Roraima (24.2%); Sergipe (12.4%); Rondônia (11.6%); São Paulo (9.8%); and Alagoas (9.7%). The main decreases were those of Tocantins (-2.0%); Acre
(-1.9%); and Espírito Santo (-1.8%). In terms of participation in the overall Retail trade rate, the highlights were São Paulo (9.8%); Rio de Janeiro (5.4%); Paraná (8.9%); Minas Gerais (5.4%); and Santa Catarina (9.7%).

In terms of volume of sales of extended retail trade, also in comparison with April 2008, negative results prevailed. They came from 15 of the 27 Federative Units, and the main highlights in this case were Acre (-12.6%); Amazonas (-10.1%); Espírito Santo (-7.7%); Federal District (-7.4%); and Goiás (-6.6%). In terms of contribution to the negative result of the sector, the highlights were Rio Grande do Sul (-3.4%); Federal District (-7.4%); Goiás (-6. 6%); Espírito Santo (-7.7%); and Rio de Janeiro (-1.4%).