In February of 2012, the retail trade recorded a change of –0.5% for the volume of sales and of 0.7% for the nominal revenue, both changes in relation to the previous month (seasonally adjusted). In terms of volume of sales, this result interrupts a sequence of three months of positive rates, and in terms of nominal revenue, it is the first negative result since March of 2010. In the other comparisons, obtained from the unadjusted original series, the national retail trade recorded, as to the volume of sales, increases of 9.6% against February of the previous year, 8.7% in the accumulated index of the last two months and of 6.7% in the accumulated of the last 12 months. For the same indicators, the nominal revenue of sales recorded change rates of 13.2%, 12.6% and 11.4%, respectively. The complete publication of the survey can be accessed at www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/comercio/pmc/.

Among activities, four present positive changes 

In February, four of the ten surveyed activities registered positive results for the volume of sales, seasonally adjusted (month indicator/month).  The results were:  office, computer and communication equipment and material (3.1%); fuels and lubricants (1.9%); other articles of personal and household use (1.6%); furniture and domestic appliances (1.3%); pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics (0.0%); construction material (0.0%); vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories (-1.0%); hypermarket, supermarket, food, beverages and tobacco (-2.1%); books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-2.7%) and fabric, apparel and footwear (-3.6%). 

In the comparison between February of 2012 and the same month of 2011 (unadjusted series), just two activities had negative results in the volume of sales: 11.8% for hypermarkets, supermarkets, food, beverages and tobacco; 13.3% for furniture and domestic appliances; 9.5% for pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics; 26.6% for office, computer and communication equipment and material; 5.6% for other articles of personal and household use; 3.9% for fuels and lubricants; -0.8% for books, newspapers, magazines and stationery and -3.4% for fabric, apparel and footwear. 

The sector of hypermarkets, supermarkets, food, beverages and tobacco, with a change of 11.8% in the volume of sales in February, against the same month a year ago, remains as the main contributor to the overall retail rate (58%).  In the accumulated indexes, the rate for the first two months of the year was 10.1%, and for the last 12 months, 5.1%.

Furniture and house appliances, with a change of 13.3% in the volume of sales in relation to February last year, registered the second highest impact (25%).  The accumulated rate in the two months was of 13.2% and in the last 12 months, 15.5%. 

The activity of pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics recorded a growth of 9.5% in the comparison with February of 2011, and the accumulated rates in the year and in the last twelve months were 9.0% and 9.3%, respectively. 

The sector of office, computer and communication material and equipment had an increase of 26.6% in the volume of sales in February, with an index accumulated in the year of 29.6% and a 22.1% index accumulated in the last twelve months. 

Other articles of personal and household use changed by 5.6% in the volume of sales compared with February of 2011, accounting for 4% of the overall rate. The accumulated change for the first two months of the year was 9.4%, and, for the last 12 months, 4.2%.

Fuels and lubricants, with a change of 3.9% in the volume of sales in the February12/February11 comparison, accounted for the sixth highest contribution to the overall retail rate. In the accumulated index, the change rates reached 1.5% in the year and 0.7% in the last 12 months. 

Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery, with a minimal impact in the structure of the survey, posted a drop in the overall result of the retail trade.  In relation to February of 2011, the activity presented a change of -0.8% in the volume of sales and accumulated rates of 5.0% for the last two months and of 4.1% for the last 12 months. 

Fabric, apparel and footwear, also influencing negatively the overall rate of the retail sales, registered a decrease of 3.4% in the volume of sales in February, and the indexes accumulated in the year and in the last twelve months were, respectively, 0,9% and 2,0%.

Extended retail trade decreases by 1.1% in February

The extended retail trade, comprising the retail trade plus the activities of vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories and construction material, recorded, in relation to the previous month (with seasonal adjustment), a decrease both for the volume of sales (1.1%) and for the nominal revenue (-1.4%).  Compared with the same month of a year ago (seasonally unadjusted), changes were of 2.5% for the volume of sales and of 4.8% for the nominal revenue. In the accumulated indicators of the year and of the last 12 months, the sector presented rates of 5.4% and 5.5% for the volume and of 7.7% and 8.2% for the nominal revenue.

As to the volume of sales, vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories recorded a drop of -1.0% in relation to January. This is the second month in a row of negative results in this kind of comparison. Comparing to February of 2011, the change was -10.0%, accumulating in the year and in the last 12 months changes of -1.5% and of 3.0%, respectively. In relation to January, construction material remained stable in terms of volume of sales (0.0%). When compared to February of 2011, the volume of sales changed by 8.4%. In the year, the change was of 11.5% and it reached 8.3% considering the last twelve months. 

In the comparison with February of 2011, positive results in all states 

All the 27 states presented positive results in the comparison with February of 2011 in terms of volume of sales; the principal states were Roraima (35.9%); Tocantins (19.6%); Mato Grosso do Sul (17.1%); Santa Catarina (16.2%); and Paraná (15.9%). Concerning the contribution, the highlights were São Paulo (10.5%); Paraná (15.9%); Minas Gerais (8.5%); Rio Grande do Sul (11.2%) and Santa Catarina (16.2%). 

As for the extended retail trade, the highest rates of performance in the volume of sales occurred in Roraima (21.5%); Tocantins (11.9%);Mato Grosso (11.6%); Piauí (7.9%); Rondônia (6.3%); and Maranhão (6.2%). In terms of impact on the overall result of the sector, the highlights were São Paulo (4.7%), Paraná (5.3%); Minas Gerais (2.7%), Mato Grosso (11.6%) and Santa Catarina (2.6%). 

Concerning the volume of sales, the seasonally adjusted results point to 13 states with positive results on a month/previous month comparison. The highest changes were in Alagoas (8.3%); Sergipe (4.9%); Amapá (5.0%); Tocantins (4.7%). The sharpest falls were in Acre (-3.4%); Paraná (-3.2%); Rondônia (-3.1%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-1.8%).