The activity of pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and cosmetic and toilet articles, with the second highest impact on the retail rate, recorded a growth of 14.9% compared with April 2012, and cumulative rates of 9.2% in the year and of 9.9%, over the last 12 months.  The expansion of the payroll (change of 2.4% in relation to April last year) and the essential character of the products in this activity are the main reasons for its positive performance.

Fuels and lubricants, with a change of 8.3% in the volume of sales in the April13/April12 comparison, accounted for the third highest contribution to the overall retail rate this month. In the cumulative index, the change rates reached 5.0% in the year and 7.3% in the last 12 months. The growth pace of the activity is due to the price rises in the segment, which were below the average change (4.9% in fuels in the cumulative rate over the last 12 months, against 6.5% of the overall index, according to IPCA).

With a change of 10.2% in relation to April last year, Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear exerted the fourth highest influence in the overall retail rate. Even though the segment presents price changes close to the average inflation (6.5% in Wearing apparel, according to IPCA), it has been recovering in 2013. The activity accumulated change rates of 5.6%, in the year, and of 4.9% in the last 12 months.

In April of 2013, the Retail Trade recorded a change of –0.5% for the volume of sales and of 0.8% for the nominal revenue, both rates in relation to the previous month (seasonally adjusted). The rate for the volume of sales is again positive, for it was negative in February (-0.4%) and did not post any change in March (0.0%). Conversely, the nominal revenue had its tenth positive result. This indicator has not recorded negative changes since May 2012. As to the moving average, both the volume of sales and the nominal revenue registered positive change rates of 0.1% and 0.7%, respectively. In the other comparisons, obtained from the unadjusted original series, the volume of sales in the retail trade rose 1.6% over April in the previous year, accumulating a 3.0% increase in the four months and 6.4% in the last 12 months.  For the same indicators, the nominal revenue of sales recorded rates of 10.4%, 11.1% and 11.9%, respectively (Tables 1 e 2).

The Extended Retail Trade, comprising the retail trade plus the activities of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories and Construction material, rose 1.9%, in relation to the previous month (with seasonal adjustment), both for the volume of sales and for the nominal revenue.  In relation to April of 2012 (unadjusted series), the changes were of 9.1% for the volume of sales and of 14.1% for the nominal revenue. In the cumulative indicators over the last 12 months, the sector presented a change of 5.1% and 7.7% for the volume of sales and 9.5% and 10.0% for the nominal revenue, respectively. For further information, access

https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/comercio/pmc/ .

In April, there were highs in the volume of sales in seven of the ten activities surveyed, in the seasonally adjusted series: Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (6.4%); Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (4.5%); Fuels and lubricants (3.3%); Other articles of personal and domestic use (2,.5%); Construction material (1.2%); Furniture and domestic appliances (0.7%); Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories (0.4%); Hypermarket, supermarket, food, beverages and tobacco (-0.5%); Fabric, apparel and footwear (-0,.5%); and Office, computer and communication material and equipment (-1.1%) (Table 1).

Conversely, in the April 2013 over April 2012 relation (unadjusted series), for the retail, seven of the eight activities presented positive results. The results, by order of importance as to the overall result, were: 9,.2% in Furniture and house appliances; 14.9% in Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles; 8.3% in Fuels and lubricants; 10.2% in Fabric, apparel and footwear; 6.9% in Other articles of personal and domestic use; 12.7% in Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery; 5.1% in Office, computer and communication equipment and material and 5.4% in Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco.

RESULTS BY SECTOR

Furniture and house appliances, with a change of 9.2% in the volume of sales in relation to April last year, exerted the highest impact in the formation of the retail rate - Table 3. This monthly result reflects price changes in part of the sector (1.8% in electric-electronic devices in IPCA, versus an average inflation of 6.5%, both rates for the last 12 months.), as well as credit maintenance, job stability and income rise. The cumulative rate over the last four months was of 3.3% and in the last 12 months, 8.4%.

Other articles of personal and household use, with a change of 6.9% in the volume of sales against April of 2012, exerted the fifth highest influence on the retail rate.  As in the previous month, the sector encompassing department, optical, jewelry, sports, toy stores, etc., had its performance influenced by the Easter Effect, for in 2012 Easter was celebrated in April and in 2013, in March. The cumulative changes of the first four months and of the last 12 months were, respectively, 10.6% and 10.2%.

The sector Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery exerted the sixth highest influence on the overall retail result, offsetting the moderate results of the last two months. In relation to February of 2012, the activity presented a 12.7% growth in the volume of sales and cumulative rates of 6.5% for the first four months of the year and of 6.6% for the last 12 months.

Office, computer and communication material and equipment, with the seventh biggest impact in the composition of the overall rate, recorded a change of 5.1% in the volume of sales, in relation to April 2012. In cumulative terms, the rates were 4.0% and 0.2%, respectively, in the year and in the last 12 months.  The activity still presents a positive performance mostly due to the behavior of the prices of the products in the sector, which have been rising slowly (2.0% in the last 12 months for personal computer according to IPCA).  Moreover, there has been a demand accommodation in the last months.

With a -5.4% change in the volume of sales over the same month a year ago, Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food, beverage and tobacco became the lowest contributor (after being the highest one in March) to the overall index in April. In terms of cumulative index, the rate for the first four months of the year was 0.0% and for the last 12 months, 5.3%. This result is attributable to the sharp price rises of the segment in the last 12 months (15.7% in Food at home according to IPCA) and to the Easter Effect as well.

As to the volume of sales, Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories recorded a rise of 0.4% in relation to March. It is the second consecutive positive result after the 1.6% fall in February. Comparing with April a year ago, the change was of 22.4%. In terms of cumulative indexes, the changes were as it follows: 8.5% in the four months and 10.1% in the last 12 months. The frozen IPI for vehicles until the end of the year, announced in the end of March, interrupting the tax recomposition, explains those results.  

Concerning Construction material, the changes for the volume of sales were of 1.2% against the previous month, of 16.2% in relation to April of 2012 and 7.8% and 6.4% in the cumulative indexes of the four months and of the last 12 months, respectively.   The sector recovered from the results of the last two months.

RESULTS BY AREA

As to the volume of sales, the twenty three Federation Units registered positive results in the comparison with April 2011. The highlights were: Roraima (15.6%); Paraíba (13.7%); Mato Grosso do Sul (13.2%); Rio Grande do Norte (11.6%) and Tocantins (10.2%) – Graph 5. As to the contribution to the composition of the Retail Trade rate, the highlights were: Rio de Janeiro (2.8%); Mato Grosso do Sul (13.2%); Rio Grande do Sul (2.4%); Ceará (4.5%) and Paraíba 13.7%.

As to the extended retail, all the twenty three Federation Units registered positive results for the volume of sales, in the comparison with April 2012. The highlights were: Tocantins (22.9%); Acre (21.4%); Roraima (21.4%); Paraíba (21.0%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (17.8%). In terms of impact on the sector’s overall result, the highlights were São Paulo (6.1%); Rio de Janeiro (9.6%); Minas Gerais (10.0%); Paraná (11.6%) and Rio Grande do Sul (11.1%).

Concerning the Federation Units, the seasonally adjusted results for the volume of sales point to nineteen States with positive results month on month. The highest changes were in Espírito Santo (3.2%); Rondônia (3.0%); Alagoas (2.7%); Bahia (2.4%) and Tocantins with 2.3%.  Piauí posted the greatest negative change (-4.2%).