In August 2014, the retail trade of the country recorded a growth of 1.1% in the volume of sales and 1.3% in the nominal revenue, after two months of drops in the two indicators, both changes in relation to the previous month, seasonally adjusted.  The moving average in relation to the volume of sales kept falling (-0.2%). Concerning the nominal revenue, the moving average remained positive at 0.2%. In the other comparisons, obtained from the unadjusted original series, the national retail recorded, as to the volume of sales, rates of -1.1% against August of the previous year and of 2.9% and 3.6% in the cumulative indicators of the first eight months of the year and of the last 12 months, respectively. For the same indicators, the nominal revenue of sales recorded change rates of 5.2%, 9.2% and of 10.1%, respectively. The complete publication of the survey can be accessed at www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/comercio/pmc/.

Among ten activities, eight registered positive change

In August's results over the previous month, eight of the ten activities surveyed presented positive changes in the volume of sales. In a decreasing order of changes, the results were: Office, computer and communication equipment and material (7.5%); Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear (3.2%); Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics (2.5%); Other personal and household articles (1.6%); Fuels and lubricants (1.4%); Furniture and household appliances (1.3%); Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (0.9%); Construction material (-0.2%) and Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-0.1%) and Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces (-2.5%).

In the August14/August13 comparison (unadjusted series), of the eight activities of the retail trade, five recorded negative changes in the volume of sales. The five activities with negative results were: Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-1.7%); Furniture and household appliances (-7.5%); Fabrics, apparel and footwear (-1.2%); Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-8.9%); and Office, computer and communication material and equipment (-6.8%). The segments with a positive impact were: Fuels and lubricants with 0.1%; Other articles of personal an household use with 4.4%; and Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics 7.1%.

The sector of Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, with a change of -1.7% in the volume of sales in August, against the same month a year ago, exerted the main negative impact in the formation of the overall retail trade rate. This activity had its performance influenced by the lower pace of income growth and by the behavior of food prices, which have risen above the average overall rate over the 12-month period: 7.5% for food at home, against 6.5% for the overall inflation, according to IPCA. The cumulative rates were: 2.4% for the first eight months of the year and 2.6% for the last 12 months.

The activity Furniture and domestic appliances, with the rate of -7.5% in the volume of sales in relation to August last year, was responsible for the second major negative contribution to the overall rate. This result was influenced by the lower growth pace of credit with free resources, which, according to the Central Bank, in the last 12 months, moved from 9.2% in August 2013, to 5.0% in August this year. It is worth mentioning that the highs in the prices of the main products comprised in this activity are above inflation. The cumulative rates were: 1.5% for the first eight months of the year and 2.6% for the last 12.

The segment Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear, which recorded a change of -1.2% in the volume of sales in comparison with August last year, represented the third negative contribution to the overall rate of retail. In the cumulative indexes, the results for the first eight months of the year were -1.3% and, for the last 12 months, 0.5%. Even with the main item of the activity changing below the overall inflation (wearing apparel with 4.7% against the 6.5% of the general index, according to IPCA), the sector presented a performance below average.

The activity Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery with a rate of -8.9% in the volume of sales over August 2013, accounted for the fourth major negative contribution to the retail total result. In the cumulative results for the eight months of the year and of for the last 12 months, the rates were respectively, -6.8% and -4.2%. The downward trend of this activity has been influenced by the price reset in stationary products, whose cumulative growth in 12 months reached 7.6%, surpassing the general average of 6.5%, according to IPCA.

The segment Office, computer and communication material and equipment, responsible for the fifth highest negative contribution in the formation of the global rate, presented a change of -6.8% over same month a year ago, and cumulative rates of -4.2% for the year and of 0.9% for the last 12 months. Among the reasons for this performance, the highlight is the reduced growth pace of credit, as mentioned before.

BRAZIL - COMPOSITION OF THE MONTHLY RATE DA TAXA OF THE RETAIL TRADE, BY ACTIVITY: PMC - August 2014 (*) (Indicators of the volume of sales)

Extended retail changes -1.2% in August

The extended retail trade, which includes Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and Construction material, recorded, for the volume of sales, a change of -0.4% in relation to the previous month (seasonally adjusted) and of -6.8% compared to the same month a year ago.

This performance reflects, especially, the behavior of the sales in Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, which registered a rate of -2.5% over July 2014 - seasonally adjusted, and -17.4% in relation to August 2013. The cumulative results of this activity were -9.8% in the eight months of 2014 and of -5.5% in the last 12 months. These changes were influenced by the lower pace of credit and by the household income reduction, which provoked a deceleration of the consumption in this activity.

Concerning Construction material, the changes for the volume of sales were of 0.2% against the previous month (seasonally adjusted) and of -5.7% in relation to August 2013. In terms of cumulative indexes, the changes were: 0.2% in the first eight months of 2014 and 2.5% in the last 12. The reduction of the volume of sales in the sector can be attributable to the lesser availability of credit.

Positive results in 16 states compared with August of 2013

In the retail rate, of the 27 Federation Units, 16 presented negative changes in the volume of sales in the comparison between August 2014 and the same month a year ago (unadjusted series), with a highlight to Santa Catarina (-5.1%); Espírito Santo (-4.5%); and Goiás (-4.2%). The biggest positive results were seen in: Acre, with 19.0%; Rondônia, 10.0%; and Roraima with 8.1%.

For the volume of sales, in relation to the previous month with seasonal adjustment, there are 23 states with positive changes, the greatest ones were found in Piauí (4.7%); Rondônia (4.6%); Paraíba (3.8%); Maranhão (3.4%); and Acre (3.1%).

As to the extended retail trade, 22 states registered negative changes in the comparison with the same period a year ago for the volume of sales. The highlights are São Paulo (-14.0%); Espírito Santo (-9.0%); and Paraná (-8.9%). The highest performance rates came from: Roraima, with 5.9%; Tocantins, 2.2%; and Rondônia, 2.1%.