According to the results of the Annual Survey of Trade – PAC, relative to year 2010, the trade sector in Brazil generated net operating revenue of R$ 1.9 trillion and employed 9.4 million persons, having paid R$ 112.4 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation.  The estimate presents 1,526 thousand commercial companies, distributed among 1,651 local branches, dealing with the resale of goods.

 

Companies with 20 or more employed persons generated 73.4% of the total net operating revenue of trade (R$ 1.4 trillion), what corresponds to 50 thousand companies and represents 3.3% of PAC.  In 2010, these companies employed 3.9 million persons, 42.2% of the total, and paid R$ 64.1 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, representing 57.0% of the overall trade.  Retail kept its position as the main segment of trade, with the biggest number of companies (1,204,841) and of employed persons (6,887,617), besides the highest figures in terms of salaries paid (R$ 70.1 billion) and net operating revenue (R$ 789.3 billion). In this respect, it is important to highlight that wholesale is equivalent to retail, with generation of R$ 788.4 billion.

 

PAC represents the main source of data about the commercial sector structure. It describes the basic features of the trade sector in the country, as well as its changes in time, considering three specific groups: retail trade, wholesale trade and trade of fuels, automobiles, pieces and motorcycles. The analysis considers Brazil, its Major Regions and Federation Units.  

 

Besides the comparison between the year of reference and the immediately previous year (2010-2009), the current edition of PAC also approaches the evolution of trade results in four years, from 2007 to 2010, according to real annual changes of the formal market. In this period, the productivity of Brazilian trade recorded real evolution of 18.0%, having changed from R$ 28,695.00 to R$ 33, 851.00. Nevertheless, the amount paid in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation compared with the value added recorded decrease (from 37.9%, in 2007, to 35.5%, in 2010). The average salary of commercial companies was 1.9 minimum wages, in 2007, but fell to 1.8 minimum wages, in 2010.

 

From 2007 to 2010, retail confirms its position as a key element in trade, accounting for almost 50% of the change of net operating revenue

 

By analyzing the evolution of commercial company indicators in 2007 and 2010, it is possible to observe reduction of the real growth rate in the period 2008-2009, and later recovery in 2009-2010. These results reflect the behavior of Brazilian economy before the financial world crisis which, having started in the last quarter of 2008, negatively affected the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 2009 and the performance of some sectors as well. Since then, the recovery of economy has been based on the domestic market dynamics, pushed by family consumption, what had a positive effect on trade sales in 2010.  

 

In the analysis of the three segments of activity which form PAC, the highlight, from 2007 to 2010, were the accumulated change of net operating revenue for the resale of vehicles, pieces and motorcycles (56.5%) and retail trade (47.7%), both above the total of PAC (33.7%). The accumulated change rate of revenue in the Brazilian wholesale trade was 16.2%. In this same period, in terms of employed persons, retail trade was the highlight, with accumulated increase of 25.7%, above the average of PAC (24.8%).  The other two groups of activity were below the aforementioned average: trade of vehicles, pieces and motorcycles increased by 21.6%, and wholesale, by 22.9%.

 

The annual performance of the three segments reflected, in the period analyzed, the effects of the decrease of economic activity in 2009, and its subsequent recovery. However, retail trade, with significant participation in the commercials structure (42.5% of the net revenue of resale of PAC, in 2010) recorded significant increase between 2008 and 2009, the period in which the evolution of different activities of retail trade was reduced, as a general rule. The same way, in 2010, when trade started its recovery in relation to 2009, retail recorded growth rates above those of both wholesale companies and traders of vehicles, pieces and motorcycles.

 

 

 

 

 

These results indicate that retail trade, whose activities are usually affected by changes in employment, income and credit, guaranteed a positive performance in  overall trade in Brazil, in 2009. That was the main reason for recovery of trade rates in 2010. From 2007 to 2010, the accumulated change of retail trade net resale revenue was 47.7%, pointing, in 2008, to increase of 16.1%; in 2009, to deceleration by 8.9%; and in 2010, to increase of 16.8%.

 

There was also negative change of 2.0% in the net resale revenue of wholesale trade, in 2008-2009. Another performance that differs from the average of PAC was recorded on the trade margin for vehicle, pieces and motorcycles, which faced deceleration, having changed from 20.4%, in 2008, to 17.3%, in 2009, and of 13.2%, in 2010. In spite of that, this segment recorded, in terms of margin, the biggest real accumulated increase (59.9%). 

 

 

Retail trade, the only segment which did not record deceleration in the annual evolution of salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, increased by 9.4% in 2008; 9.9% in 2009; and 15.4% in 2010, having accumulated increase of 38.7%. Besides, the number of employed persons recorded grew by 7.4%, in 2008, 8.1%, in 2009 and 8.3% in 2010, resulting in 25.7% between 2007 and 2010, the biggest rate among the three trade segments.

 

 

 

In 2010, wholesale and retail trade recorded similar revenue figures, with less than 15% of the number of companies and number of employed persons reduced by four times   

 

In 2010, the 152,290 retail companies of motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles generated R$ 280.8 billion in net operating revenue, employed 887,306 persons and paid R$ 13.0 billion in volume of salaries. These figures represented, respectively, 10.0%, 9.5% and 11.5% of the total of PAC. The activities of this segment had trade margin (division of the trade margin by the cost of the good resold) of R$ 41.6 billion, 10.6% of the total of trade.

 

In terms of wholesale trade, in 2010, 169.0 thousand enterprises, which corresponded to 11.1% of the total of PAC, generated R$ 788.4 billion of net operating revenue, 42.4% of the total estimate.  This segment employed 1,583 thousand persons and paid R$ 29.3 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation;  each level contributed, respectively, with 16.9% and 26.1% to estimates for trade as a whole. Trade margin was R$ 146.4 billion, 37.1% of the total of trade.

 

Retail trade included 1.2 million companies in 2010, with a generation of R$ 789.3 billion in net operating revenue. These companies represented 78.9% of the trade companies working in the country, and their respective revenue figures were equivalent to 42.5%. The activities of this segment employed 6,888 thousand persons (73.6%) and, also this year, paid R$ 70.1 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation. They represented, this way, 62.4% of trade. Trade margin was R$ 206.4 billion, 52.3% of the total.

 

Trade recorded the highest trade margin, 36.1%, and the biggest relative return by monetary unit traded. In wholesale trade, this rate was 24.2%; in motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles, 18.1%.  The average figure for trade was 28.0%.

 

Trade of car pieces employed, in 2010, more than 57% of the persons in the segment of resale of motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles

 

In 2010, the activity of resale of motor vehicles, with 22.7 thousand enterprises, accounted for R$ 202.9 billion of the net resale revenue, representing 14.9% and 72.6% of the segment in each variable. Trade of pieces for vehicles, which represented 74.8% of the total of enterprises (113.9 thousand) had 20.8% of the net resale revenue (R$ 59.4 billion). The trade of motorcycles, pieces and accessories generated R$ 18.4 million in net resale revenue (equivalent to 6.6% of this division of activity) and contributed with 10.3% to the total of enterprises (15.8 thousand). The highlight, in this segment, is the activity resale of vehicle pieces which, in 2010, employed 506.5 thousand persons, and spent R$ 6.0 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, reflecting 57.1% and 46.0% of participation in the trade of vehicles, pieces and motorcycles.

 

 

Dealers of motor vehicles paid R$ 5.9 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, corresponding to 45.3% of the total volume of salaries, and employed 287.5 thousand persons (32.4%). Trade of motorcycles, parts and pieces employed 93.3 thousand persons and accounted for R$ 1.1 billion of salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, being equivalent to 10.5% and 8.8% of the segment of resale of vehicles, pieces and motorcycles.

 

The activities which form trade of vehicles, pieces and motorcycles employed six persons per company and paid 2.2 minimum wages per employed perspn. The activity resale of motor vehicles was a highlight, with an average of 13 employed persons per enterprise and an average wage of 3.1 minimum wages. In terms of productivity (division of value added by the number of persons employed on Dec 31, 2010), car dealers recorded results above the average of this segment. Each workers aggregated R$ 69 848.00 to value added (difference between gross production value and intermediate consumption; it expresses the value added by the economic activity to goods and services consumed during its producing process) of trade of automotive vehicles, compared to total productivity of R$ 43 051.00.

 

In relation to trade margin, the trade activities related to vehicles, pieces and motorcycles reached 18.1% in 2010. Among the three activities of this segment, trade of car pieces recorded the highest return by monetary unit sold, and reached a trade margin of 39.8%.

 

Pharmaceuticals: highest trade margin of wholesale in 2010

 

In wholsesale, the highlights were dealers of fuels and lubricants, which accounted for 26.9% of the net resale revenue (R$ 202.5 billion), generated by 1 939 companies (1.1%). Dealers of food products, beverages and tobacco recorded significant participation in the net resale revenue (R$ 126.5 billion or 16.8%) of wholesale trade. This activity is predominantly formed by distributing companies which provide goods for establishments, such as restaurants, hotels and supermarket chains, besides exporters, and recorded the biggest participation in the number of enterprises and of employed persons in the wholesale segment. In 2010, PAC estimated at 27 847 the number of wholesale enterprises of food products, beverages and tobacco (16.5%), which employed  23.7% of the total employed persons (374,972) and paid R$ 5.2 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (17.8%).

 

The Brazilian wholesale segment had a productivity of R$ 73 677, average salary of 2.8 minimum wages, an average of nine persons employed per company and trade margin rate of 24.2%. Companies of fuels and lubricants were a highlight with figures above average, R$ 287,374 of productivity and 7.0 minimum wages. Concerning trade rate, the main highlight was the activity resale of pharmaceuticals, with 56.4%.  Trade of goods in general recorded the biggest average of employed persons per company (38).

 

Hyper and supermarkets in 2010: 84 persons employed per company versus six, on average, of employment in retail

 

Two activities, together, generated 42.8% of the total revenue of retail trade in 2010: hypermarkets and supermarkets; fuels and lubricants. The first one, with 1.0% (12,140) of the total enterprises of retail trade, generated R$ 193.3 billion in net resale revenue (24.8%), employed one million persons (14.7%) and spent R$ 11.7 billion (16.7%) in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation. This type of trade recorded the biggest average of employed persons per company (84), being above the average of retail trade (six employed persons per company).

 

Trade of fuels and lubricants obtained, in 2010, revenue of R$ 139.8 billion, 18.0% of the total, amounting to 29 500 enterprises (2.4%), which paid R$ 4.0 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (5.7%) and employed 350.5 thousand persons (5.1%).  This activity generated the highest productivity in the segment, R$ 44,000.  

 

Trade of textiles, apparel and footwear held, in 2010, 22.0% (265,481) of the total enterprises of retail trade; it employed the biggest number of persons, 1.3 million (18.3%) and paid R$ 11.7 billion (16.7%) in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation. Another highlight was he highest trade margin rate of retail, 75.7% followed by resale of computer equipment and communication, 58.2%.

 

Southeast has the biggest participation in trade sector gross resale revenue and Northeast recorded the biggest increase between 2007 and 2010

 

The Major Region recording the biggest accumulated increase of gross resale revenue between 2007 and 201 was the Northeast (43.2%). The highlight, in this Region, was Piauí, with increase of 64.0%. Nevertheless, Northern states were the ones recording the highest rates: Tocantins (68.8%) and Roraima (68.7%). The average of income for the total of PAC in the analyzed series was 32.5%. Among the states with a performance below average, São Paulo presents the lowest result (27.1%).

 

The biggest change in the number of employed persons, from 2007 to 2010, was 38.4%, being the main highlight the Central West, with the biggest accumulated increase (46.5%). The highest average salaries (in minimum wages), both in 2007 and in 2010, were paid in the Southeast, respectively, 2.5 and 2.0. This Region, however, also recorded the lowest figure for relative decrease of this indicator. Throughout the period analyzed, there was relative participation of salary averages among the different regions of Brazil.

 

In 2010, the predominance of gross resale revenue belonged to wholesale (43.0%), followed by (42.6%) and by vehicles and and pieces (14.4%) at national level. By analyzing the participation of the three segments in each Region, it is possible to observe that wholesale trade was the most representative in the North (47.7%), Southeast (44.4%) and Central West (42.6%); retail trade was best represented by the Northeast (48.2%). In the South Region, wholesale and retail trade reached, respectively, 42.8% and 42.7%.

 

Retail trade accounted for the biggest number of employed persons in all the Brazilian Major Regions. In the Northeast, with the biggest representation among them, 75.7% of the persons were employed in retail. In spite of the predominance of wholesale trade, in terms of generation of gross revenue, in the North, Southeast and Central West, and of the significant performance in other Major Regions, its participation in the number of persons employed changed from 14.7% (Central West) to 20.9% (North).   

 

It is worth mentioning the accumulated increase, in the Northeast Region, of 43.9% in the number of persons employed in trade, from 2007 to 2010.