In December 2013, the volume of sales of the retail trade in Brazil changed -0.2% and the nominal revenue, 0.5% in relation to November, in the seasonally adjusted series. This was the first negative figure after nine consecutive months of the volume of sales series. The nominal revenue kept its positive evolution since June 2012. As to the moving average index, both the volume and the revenue registered positive rates (0.2% and 0.8%, respectively).  Compared with the previous year, the volume of sales changed 4.0% over December 2012 and 4.3% in the cumulative index of the year. The nominal revenue changed 10.7% over the same month of 2012 and 11.9% in the year.

In the seasonally adjusted series of the extended retail trade, the volume of sales changed -1.5% and the nominal revenue, -1.0%, after two months of growth. Both the volume of sales and the revenue recorded positive figures in relation to December 2012 (2.9% and 8.7%, respectively). Compared with the previous year, the volume of sales changed 2.9% over December 2012 and 3.6% in the cumulative index of the year. The rates were of 8.7% and 8.9% for the nominal revenue, respectively. More detailed information about the survey on https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/comercio/pmc/.

Six activities from extended retail register negative figures in December

In the seasonally adjusted series, six out of the 10 activities of the extended  retail trade registered negative figures for the volume of sales: -12.6% for Office, computer and communication equipment and material; -3.5% for Furniture and household appliances; -3.4% for Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces; -1.9% for Fuels and lubricants; -1.2% for Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics; and -0.2% for Construction material. On the other hand, the following activities recorded positive figures: Fabrics, wearing apparel and footwear (0.7%); Hypermarket, supermarket, food, beverages and tobacco (0.5%); Other articles of personal and domestic use (0.2%); and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery(0.2%).

Only one out of the eight activities surveyed in retail - Furniture and household appliances - dropped in the relation December 2013/December 2012 (-0.9%). Conversely, the major expansion was posted by: Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles and toiletries, (12.4%); followed by Other articles of personal and domestic use (11.2%); Office, computer and communication equipment and material (9.5%); Fuels and lubricants (5.7%); Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (3.9%); Fabrics, wearing apparel and footwear (3.2%); and Hypermarket, supermarket, food, beverages and tobacco (2.4%).

ANNUAL RESULTS

The segment of Other articles of personal and domestic use expanded its volume of sales by 10.3% in 2013 over the previous year. By accounting for 23.3% of the retail annual rate, this segment exerted the main impact over the annual result of the retail trade. Among a number of sectors that comprise this activity, the sector of department stores exerted the biggest influence on the result, accounting for 48% of the final activity rate.

By growing 1.9% in 2013 over the previous year, the activity of Hypermarket, supermarket, food, beverages and tobaccoexerted the second main impact on the overall retail rate (22.6%).  The decline of the growth rate over last year - when it increased 8.5% over 2011 - could be explained by the deceleration of the growth pace of the real volume of wages (change of 2.9% in 2013 against 6.5% in 2012, according to the Monthly Employment Survey).

The activity of Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles and toiletries, which recorded a growth of 10.1% in relation to the previous year, was the third highest contribution to the annual retail trade rate (15%).  The adjustment of medicine prices below the General Index[1] and the expanded volume of wages, in conjunction with the essential nature of its products, were the main factors that explained why the performance of this sector was above the general average of the retail.

The activity of Fuels and lubricants (14.6%) exerted the fourth biggest contribution to the overall retail rate. In 2013, it recorded a positive figure for the volume of sales of approximately 6.3% in relation to the previous year. Such performance was not only influenced by the behavior of fuel prices - whose increase in 2013 (6.1%) stood very close to the general average (5.9%), according to the IPCA -, but also by the increased national fleet of vehicles.

With an increase of 5.0% over the previous year, Furniture and household appliances  exerted the fifth highest impact (14.4%) on the annual retail rate.  The reduced growth pace of this activity against 2012 (12.2%) was mainly due to the behavior of the volume of sales of furniture. As a result of the increased prices of furniture[2], the volume of sales changed from 11.9% in 2012 to -1.6% in 2013, despite the tax exemption over these products (reduced IPI). Accounting for 65% of the activity of Furniture and household appliances, the segment of household appliances posted an expansion of 8.6% over the previous year.

The sixth major contribution to the overall result in 2013 came from Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear, with a 3.5% change over the previous year, the same figure as in 2012.  Wearing apparel registered an annual change below the retail average, even with its price behaving below the general index (5.3% against 5.9% in 2013, according to the IPCA).

The activity of Office, computer and communication equipment and material increased  the volume of sales by 7.2% in relation to 2012, recording the seventh highest positive contribution to the result of the retail this year. The 2013´s figure, as in 2012, represented less than half the change in 2011 (19.6%), even with a rate above the overall average of the retail sector. In 2013, the performance of this activity was explained by the increased level of prices of microcomputers (annual changes of -9.3% in 2011; -5.2% in 2012 and 6.3% in 2013) and the lower pace of the expansion of credit, according to the Central Bank.

The segment of Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery was the smallest contribution to the overall rate, posting a change of 2.6% in relation to 2012.

In 2013, the volume of sales of the extended retail trade rose 3.6% over the previous year, after an expansion of 8.0% in 2012. This deceleration was due to the decreased pace of sales of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, from 7.3% in 2012 to 1.4% in 2013. Higher austerity for granting credit; increase of the basic interest rate in April 2013; and lower dynamism in the consumption of families were some of the factors that could explain this result.  

The segment of Construction material grew approximately 6.9% in 2013 over the previous year. The ongoing policy reducing the IPI for some products in the sector, as well as the favorable conditions of the housing loans in addition to the "Minha Casa Minha Vida" federal program were the factors that contributed to the positive result of this activity.

REGIONAL RESULTS

Concerning the Federation Units, the seasonally adjusted results for the volume of sales pointed out to only six states with positive changes in the month-over-month comparison.  The increases were reported by Rondônia (1.6%); Roraima (1.4%); Piauí (1.3%); Santa Catarina (1.2%); Mato Grosso (0.7%); and Paraná (0.7%). The major falls were reported by Tocantins (-11.9%); Mato Grosso (-7.1%); Paraíba (-5.8%); Sergipe (-5.4%); and Amapá (-3.1%).

As to the volume of sales, still in the regional analysis, only two Federation Units registered negative figures in the comparison December 2013/December 2012: Espírito Santo (-3.7%) and Sergipe (-0.2%). The highest changes were recorded in Mato Grosso do Sul (15.6%); Acre (13.2%); Rondônia (13.2%); Maranhão (9.7%); and Paraná (8.9%). As to the contribution to the formation of the retail trade rate, the highlights were, by order of importance: São Paulo (3.6%); Paraná (8.9%); Rio Grande do Sul (5.0%); Rio de Janeiro (2.5%); and Mato Grosso do Sul (15.6%) – Graph 6. 

Based on the volume of sales of the extended retail trade, the figures of December 2013 over the same month of the previous year, by Federation Unit, were: 22 states growing with the biggest growth in Acre (11.3%); Mato Grosso do Sul (11.0%); Santa Catarina (8.5%); Paraná (7.5%); and Amazonas (7.2%). The highest negative rates were posted in Espírito Santo (-10.6%); Tocantins (-7.3%); and Minas Gerais (-5.2%). 

 QUARTERLY AND SEMI-ANNUAL RESULTS

In quarterly terms, the recorded figures pointed out to a deceleration in the pace of growth for the volume of sales between the third and the fourth quarter of the year. In terms of retail, it dropped from 3.1% to 1.1% in the seasonally adjusted series, and from 5.5% to 5.3% in the seasonally unadjusted series (quarter/same quarter last year). On the other hand, the extended retail trade registered an opposite movement, by changing from 0.6% to 1.5% in the adjusted index and from 3.3% to 3.6% in the unadjusted one.

In the second semester of 2013, the retail trade recorded the following rates over the previous semester: 4.1% for the retail and 1.9% for the extended retail. Compared with the same period last year, the figures in the second semester were 5.4% for the retail - exceeding the rate of the first semester (3.0%) - and 3.5% for the extended retail - below the rate of the first semester (3.7%).