In July, extended retail trade presented increase of 0.5% in both volume of sales and nominal revenue. With this increase, the sector completes a quarter of positive rates, as shown in graphs of fixed-base and quarterly moving averages (Graphs 1 and 2). In the other comparisons, obtained from the original series (without adjustment), national retail trade had, in terms of sales volume, increases of 5.9% compared to the figure in July last year and of 4.7% and 5.8% accumulated in the first seven months of the year and of the last twelve months, respectively. For the same indictors, nominal revenue of sales changed by 9.4%, 9.8% and 11.4%, respectively (Tables 1 and 2). 

RESULTS BY SUBSECTOR

In terms of volume of sales with seasonal adjustment, results show that four of the tem activities surveyed had positive changes: Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles (4.2%); Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles and cosmetics (3.8%); Furniture and household appliances (1.9%) and Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco e (0.8%). Negative changes occurred in: Other articles of personal and domestic use (-0.8%); Fuels and lubricants (-1.3%); Construction material (-1.3%); Textiles, apparel and footwear (-3.9%); Office, computer and communication material and equipment (-4.2%) and Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces (-10.4%) - Table 1.

In the July 09/July 08 comparison (series without adjustment), six of the eight activities surveyed had increase in the volume of sales: Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, 10.1%; Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles,13.4%; Other articles of personal and domestic use, 7.9%; Office, computer and communication material and equipment, 9.6%; Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles,  12.1%; Furniture and household appliances, 0.5%; Textiles, apparel and footwear, -2.1%; and Fuels and lubricants, -4.2%. 

The subsector Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, with change of 10.1% in terms of volume of sales, in July compared to the figure in the same month of the previous year, accounted for the main contribution to the retail trade rate – Table 3. This result, above average, is a consequence of the increase of the population’s purchasing power due to the increase of salary volume of the employed population (4.1% compared to July 2008, according to the PME); as well as due to the stabilization of prices which rose, accumulated in the last 12 months, of 1.7% in the group Food Products and Beverages being below the overall inflation measured by IPCA (4.5%). The results of the activity accumulated in the first seven months of the year and accumulated in the last twelve months were 7.3% and 6.3%, respectively. 

The activity Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles, with the second major participation in the overall rate of trade, increased by 13.4% compared to the result in July last year, and accumulated rates of 12.0% in the year and 12.7% in the last twelve months. Favorable economic conditions, especially in relation to salary volume and the gradual recovery of credit, together with the relevance of these products, justify the positive performance of the subsector.

 The activity Other articles of personal and domestic use, which encompasses segments such department stores, jewelry shops, sporting goods stores and toy stores, etc, accounted for the third major impact to the formation of the overall retail trade rate, with change of 7.9% in terms of volume of sales, compared to the result in  July 2008. This result shows that the activity continued having its performance related to the changes of salary volume and credit. In terms of accumulated figures, the rate for the first seven months of the year was 9.3% and for the last 12 months, 9.4%. 

The subsector Office, computer and communication material and equipment, responsible for the major impact on the formation of the overall rate, had increase of volume of sales, in July, of about 9.6% compared to that of the same month in the previous year, and rates of 15.6% accumulated in the year and of 24.1%, in the last 12 months. Among the factors which have led to this performance, the highlights were the reduction of the prices of products of this kind, for example: -3.9% for personal computers and -3.2% for mobile telephones, in the last 12 months, according to IPCA. Also important were the financing benefits and the growing importance of computer and communication products in the consumption habits of families.  

The activity Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles, with change of 12.1%, accounted for the fifth main contribution to the result of retail trade. The rate accumulated in the year changed by 9.0% and, in the last twelve months, by 9.7%. These results are a consequence of the improvement of  income and the distribution of CDs and DVDs, mainly in big newsstands and bookshops, as well as of the sales of computer material and other.

The activity Furniture and household appliances, with increase of 0.5% in volume of sales in relation to July last year, represented the sixth main impact on the formation of the performance rate of Retail trade. This result, the first positive one in six months, can be explained due to the recent improvement of credit, to the fall of prices of products belonging to the “white type”, also can be seen as caused by the reduction of IPI (a federal excise tax on the manufacturing of goods) and the increase of the salary volume earned by the employed population. Considering the index accumulated in the year, the activity represented a rate of -1.9%, and in the last 12 months, 3.6%.

The subsector of Fuels and lubricants, with change of -4.2% in volume of sales in relation to July 2008, contributed negatively to the formation of the overall rate of retail trade. After 29 months with increase, this is the second negative result of this activity. Considering the index accumulated in the year, the change rate f the activity reached 1.2%, and in the last 12 months, 4.6%. 

The subsector Textiles, apparel and footwear, which reduced its volume of sales -2.1%, was responsible for the main contribution to the overall rate of retail trade. Even considering the participation in the market of the new summer-spring collection, the performance of prices of this activity has affected consumption, once these prices were significantly above the overall inflation index. It is observed that, according to IPCA accumulated in the last 12 months, the change of the group Apparel (which encompasses textiles and footwear) was 7.6%, whereas the overall index was 4.5%. In terms of the accumulated index, results were -6.2% for the first seven months of the year and -4.1% for the last 12 months.

Extended retail trade faced changes in relation to the previous month (-6.0%) in volume of sales and in nominal revenue of sales -4.2%, both rates with seasonal adjustment. Compared to the same month in the previous year (without seasonal adjustment), the changes were 0.9% for volume of sales and 1.0% for nominal revenue. Considering the index accumulated in the year and in the last 12 months, the subsector presented change rates of 3.4% and 3.8% for volume and 5.1% and 7.0% for nominal revenue of sales, respectively.

In terms of volume of sales, the activity Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces faced decrease of -4.9% in relation to July 2008, having accumulated, in the year and in the last twelve months, rates of 3.7% and 1.8%, respectively. The politics of reduction of IPI has stimulated car sales, affected by credit restraints occurred after the last quarter of 2008.

As for Construction material, changes were -12.5% in the July 09/July 08 comparison, -10.3% accumulated in the year and -4.9% accumulated in the last twelve months. The subsector does not present positive results even after official measures stimulating the construction sector and the increase of income.   

RESULTS BY AREA

Twenty-tow Federative Units had positive results in the July 09/July 08 comparison; the most significant negative rates came from Piauí (20.0%); Sergipe (19.0%); Alagoas (10.8%); Ceará (10.5%)  and Rondônia  (9.1%) – Graph 3. As for participation in the formation of the Retail trade rate, the highlights, in order of importance, were: São Paulo (8.0%); Rio de Janeiro (4.6%); Minas Gerais (5.5%); Bahia (8.5%); and Rio Grande do Sul (4.2%).

In terms of extended retail trade, the highest performance rates of volume of sales occurred in Sergipe (14.0%); Piauí (13.4%); Acre (11.9%); Rondônia (10.9%) and Alagoas (8.6%). Considering the impact on the overall result of the sector, the highlights were the states of São Paulo (1.5%); Minas Gerais (1.8%); Bahia (3.9%); Ceará (5.6%) and Piauí (13.4%).

Also in terms of Federative Units, seasonally adjusted results for volume of sales indicate positive rates in nineteen states, in the month/previous month comparison: Rondônia (4.8%); Sergipe (4.6%); Alagoas (3.9%); Acre (3.5%); Pará  (3.4%) and Piauí  (2.1%).