In February 2020, the national retail trade grew (1.2%) compared to January, in the seasonally adjusted series, after falling by 1.4% in January. The quarterly moving average was -0.2% in the quarter ended in February. In the non-adjusted series, there was an increase of 4.7% in comparison with February 2019. In the cumulative index  in the year, against the same period of the previous year, the advance was 3.0%. The cumulative index in the last 12 months was 1.9%.

In the extended retail trade, which includes vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and construction material, the volume  of sales increased 0.7% in relation to January, the second consecutive month of positive change, contributing to the positive result of the moving average of the closed quarter in February: 0.2%, offsetting the decline of the quarter ended in January (-0.2). The full publication is on the right.

With the gain of pace noticed between January and February 2020 (1.2%), the national retail trade offsets part of the cumulative decrease from the last two months and becomes 4.5% under the highest point of the series, achieved in October 2014.

Considering the extended retail trade, 7.2% is the current distance to the highest point of the series, achieved in August 2012.

Five out of eight surveyed activities boost

In the seasonally-adjusted series, the advance of 1.2% in the volume of sales between January and February was the consequence of sales increase in five out of the eight surveyed activities. The positive highlights were furniture and household appliances (1.6%); Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear (1.6%); Other personal and household articles (1.5%); Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (1.5%) and pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic products, toiletries and cosmetics (0.6%).

On the other hand, the negative influences in February results were Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-3.9%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-1.1%) and Fuel and lubricants (-0.6%).

In extended retail trade, the volume of sales grew 0.7% between January and February, in the seasonally adjusted series. In this comparison, the sector motor vehicles, motorcycles, pieces and parts (0.9%) and construction material (0.1%) had a positive change. In the previous month, the first one increased 8.5% and the second one rebounded -0.1.

In relation to February 2019, the retail trade grew 4.7%, with positive rates prevailing in six out of the eight surveyed activities, even though February 2020 (18 days) had two less business days than February 2019 (20 days). Among the growing activities, the highlights were Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products and tobacco (4.1%); Furniture and household appliances (11.7%); Other personal and household articles (8.7%) and Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic products, toiletries and cosmetics (7.9%). Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear (1.0%) and Fuel and lubricants (0.2%) also recorded positive rates.

Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-13.3) and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-7.8%) had negative results.

The Extended retail trade, with advance of 3.3% against February 2019, recorded the eleventh positive rate in a row. The sector Motor vehicles, motorcycles, pieces and bodies increased 1.1%, while Construction material rebounded 2.0%.

Main activities

Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco exerted the biggest positive impact on the overall retail trade rate. With increase of 4.1% against February 2019, the activity inverted the movement recorded in the last two months. In the first two months of 2020, this sector accumulated an increase of 0.6% against same period 2019. In the cumulative index of the last twelve months, the sector recorded again acceleration in the intensity of growing (0.2%) after six months of loss of pace. 

Furniture and household appliance was the second biggest positive impact in the retail trade index, after achieving the sixth consecutive month of growth: increase of 11.7% in volume of sales in comparison with February 2019. In the first two months 2020, it accumulated a high of 11.4%, in comparison with same period in the previous year. The sector recorded the fourth consecutive two-month period with positive changes, the second two-digit rate (in the 4th quarter 2019 the value was 11.7%). In twelve months, it accumulated 5.5%.

Other personal and household articles, which covers department stores, glasses shops, jewelry stores, sporting goods, toy stores, and others, grew 8.7% in relation to February 2019, showing gain of pace in relation to January (7.6%). In the first two months of 2020, it increased 8.1% against the same period of 2019. The cumulative rate of twelve months, 6.1%, shows stability over December (6.1%) and January (6.2%).

Pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic products, and toiletries, with a high of 7.9% against February 2019, recorded the thirty-fourth positive change in a row in this comparison, the longest growing series among all surveyed sectors since 2017. In the first two months of this year, it accumulated a change of 7.5% in relation to same period 2019. In the last twelve months, it accumulated an increase of 6.8%.

Fabric, wearing apparel and footwear, with increase of 1.0% in relation to February 2019, showed the second consecutive month of positive rates. The cumulative index for the last twelve months records loss of pace, from 0.4% until January to -0.1% in February.

Fuel and lubricants showed a positive change of 0.2% in the volume of sales in relation to February 2019, interrupting two consecutive months of decrease. The cumulative index of the first two months 2020 was -0.2% and for the last twelve months was 0.2%.

Office, computer and communication equipment and material, in relation to the same period of 2019, recorded retreat of 13.3%, in the second consecutive month of decrease. The sector was the only negative influence in the retail trade index. The cumulative index of the year for this activity was of -10.1%, the first negative two-month period since July-August 2019, and the cumulative index of the last twelve months was of -1.8%, reversing the trend for this comparison, which had been followed since November 2019.

Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery recorded retreat of 7.8% in the volume of sales against February 2019, after two consecutive months of growth. As result, the sector shows again the retreat recorded until November 2019. Even so, in the comparison with the first two months last year, the loss was of 1.5%, the least intense since the second quarter 2017. In the last twelve months, the sector accumulated retreat of 14.8%, remaining negative since March 2014 (-0.2%).

Extended retail trade

Motor vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces recorded increase of 1.1% in relation to February 2019, indicating the eleventh positive rate in a row. In the first two months, the sector accumulated an advance of 5.6% and, in the last twelve months, of 8.7%, showing loss of pace in relation to January (10.1%), interrupting a trend of stability that has been recorded since November 2019 with changes up to 0.2 pp.

Construction material, with a fall of -2.0% in relation to February 2019, interrupted five consecutive months of growth. In the cumulative index of the year, the rate was of 0.3%. The cumulative index of the last twelve months recorded loss of pace, from 4.2% in January to 3.4% in February, reaching the same level it had in October (3.5%).

Trade sales grow in 21 out of the 27 Federtionl Units

From January to February 2020, in the seasonally adjusted series, the national average rate of the retail trade sales recorded growth (1.2%) with  positive results in 21 out of the 27 Federation Units. In this context, the highlights were Tocantins (15.1%), Amazonas (3.5%) and Minas Gerais (2.7%). The main negative highlights were Amapá (-3.8%), Ceará (-1.7%) and Rondônia (-0.5%). Bahia recorded stability (0.0%).

The Extended retail trade recorded positive results in 17 out of the 27 Federation Units, with a highlight to: Mato Grosso (5.6%), Tocantins (5.1%) and Minas Gerais (2.8%). On the other hand, the negative influences were nine out of the 27 Federation Units, with a highlight to: Amapá (-5.9%), Roraima (-2.1%) and Ceará (-1.3%). The Federal District recorded stability on sales (0.0%) against December 2019.

Against February 2019, the volume of sales of the national retail trade had positive results in 25 out of the 27 Federation Units, with a highlight to: Amazonas (13.6%), Paraíba (11.8%) and Tocantins (11.8%). On the other hand, the negative influences were two out of the 27 Federal Units: Ceará (-4.5%) and Bahia (-0.7%).

Regarding the extended retail trade, against February 2019, the growth was followed by 19 out of the 27 Federation Units, and the highlights in terms of volume of sales were Tocantins (9.4%), Amazonas (9.3%) and Roraima (9.1%). On the other hand, eight out of the 27 Federation Units had negative influences, with a highlight to: Rio Grande do Norte (-3.2%), Bahia (-3,5%) and Piauí (-2.4%).