In February 2022, the volume of retail sales increased by 1.1%, in the seasonally-adjusted series, after changing by 2.1% in January. The quarterly moving average changed 0.2% in the quarter ended in February, after stability (0.0%) in the quarter up to January. In the non-adjusted series, retail trade grew by 1.3% compared to February 2021, after falling by 1.5% in January 2022, compared to January 2021. In the year, retail had a change of -0.1%. As for the cumulative index in the last twelve months, changing from 1.3% until January to 1.7% in February, showed an increase in the growth pace of the sector.

In the extended retail trade, which includes vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and construction material, the sales volume increased by 2.0% in relation to January (0.2%). As a result, the moving average for the quarter ended in February increased by 0.7%, when compared to the moving average for the quarter ended in January (0.3%).

Six of the ieght activities had positive rates in the seasonally-adjusted series

The increase of 1.1% in the volume of retail sales, in February, in the seasonally-adjusted series, had positive rates in six of the eight activities surveyed: books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (42.8%), fuels and lubricants (5.3%), furniture and household appliances (2.3%), fabrics, clothing and footwear (2.1%), other articles for personal and domestic use (1.6%) and hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (1.4%).

On the other hand, there was a decrease in pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic items and toiletries (-5.6%). The sector of office, computer and communication material and equipment remained stable (0.0%).

In extended retail trade, the growth of 2.0% in the sales volume, in February, was influenced by the positive rate of vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (5.2%). Construction material had a variation of -0.4%.

Six of the eight retail activities advanced compared to February 2021

In comparison with February 2021, retail trade increased 1.3%, with positive rates in six of the eight activities: books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (18.5%), pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic items and toiletries (9 .4%), fabrics, clothing and footwear (8.0%), hypermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (2.0%), other personal and household articles (1.0%) and fuel and lubricants (0.1%). Office, computer and communication equipment and materials (-7.2%) and furniture and household appliances (-12.6%) registered declines. Considering the extended retail trade, for the same comparison, vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces registered an increase of 1.4% and construction material registered a decrease of 8.0%.

Sales of books, newspapers, magazines and stationery showed an increase of 18.5% compared to February 2021, the second consecutive increase, since the interannual indicator, in January, was 23.2%. In relation to the cumulative index in the year, which changed from 23.2% until January to 21.0% until February, the activity shows a pace decrease. In the case of the cumulative index in twelve months, the indicator for February registered 5.0%, the first month to register a positive value, after 95 months of cumulative negative results (the last month that had been positive was February 2014, with 0.7 %).

Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic items and toiletries increased by 9.4% in sales compared to February 2021, against 14.2% in January 2022 compared to January 2021. The interannual indicator of February 2022 also represented the highest positive contribution, together with the activity of Hyper and Supermarkets, among the eight surveyed: 1.0 pp totaling 1.3%. In the first two months of the year, the sector accumulated 11.9%, below the result of 14.2%, showing a reduction in pace. In terms of the cumulative result in the last twelve months, after increasing from 9.9% in January to 10.0% in February, the sector showed stability in the intensity of growth.

The activity of fabrics, apparel and footwear grew 8.0% compared to February 2021, the second consecutive increase (2.4% in January 2022 compared to January 2021), after three months of decline (-2.0% in October, -4.4% in November and -1.0% in December). In the first two months of the year, the sector accumulated 5.1% of growth, a higher result than that of January (2.4%). In the 12-month indicator, activity increases from 16.1% until January 2022 to 18.6%, indicating an increase in the pace of sales.

Hyper, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco had an increase of 2.0% in sales, compared to February 2021, the first month of growth after 12 months recording negative values ​​in the interannual indicators. The activity shares with the pharmaceutical sector the first place in terms of contribution to the general indicator, adding 1.0 pp, totaling 1.3% of the retail trade. It is worth mentioning that the sales volume indicators have been impacted by food inflation, which is evidenced in the comparison with the revenue indicators, which registered, in the comparison February 2022 against February 2021, a growth of 12.1%. In the two-month period, the sector accumulated 0.5% of change, while in the last twelve months, the accrued figure is negative at 2.3%, above January (-2.8%).

Sales of other personal and household articles, which include department stores, opticians, jewelry stores, sporting goods, toys stores, etc., grew 1.0% - the first month with a positive result after six months of declines (in July 2021, the last one with a positive value, the growth was 36.8%). As a result, the first two months of 2022 closed with a drop of 3.0%, less intense than the result of January (-6.2%). In the last 12 months, the indicator has remained stable: 11.3% until January and 11.2% until February 2022.

The fuel and lubricants sector changed by 0.1% in sales compared to February 2021, a result that represents the seventh consecutive month without growth (both the result of 0.1% in February 2022 and the 0.4% in August 2021 are considered stability). In the year the sector accumulated -3.6% and, in the last twelve months, the result is 1.3%.

The activity of resale of office, computer and communication equipemet and material showed a drop of 7.2% in sales compared to February 2021, the eighth consecutive month of decline in the interannual indicator (the month of June 2021 was the last to show an increase: 3.7%). In the first two months of 2022, the sector accumulateds -7.4% compared to the same period in 2021 and in the last twelve months the value, until February, was -1.1%, showing a decrease in the pace of decline compared to the indicator until January (-1.4%).

Furniture and household appliances, on the other hand, had a drop of 12.6% in sales compared to February 2021, being the ninth month to record negative numbers (May was the last month with a positive value: 22.7%). The interannual result places the activity as the one with the greatest negative contribution to the retail trade indicator, adding up to -1.3 pp in the total  of +1.3%. In the year, the sector accumulated -11.9% and in the last twelve months, -8.5%.

In the extended retail trade, companies that sell vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces had a 1.4% increase in sales compared to February 2021, the fourth consecutive month showing positive results: 1.8% in November 2021, 0.4% in December and 1.7% in January 2022. The first two months of 2022 grew by 1.5% compared to the same period of the previous year, while the 12-month indicator closed February with 17.4% - above the result registered until January (16.9%).

Sales of construction material fell by 8.0% compared to February 2021, the same result in the comparison between January 2022 and January 2021 (-8.0%). With this result, the sector had the second highest negative contribution among the ten activities surveyed: -0.8 pp of a total of 0.3%. In the year, the sector also accumulated -8.0%, while, in the last twelve months, the result until February was 1.0%.

Sales grow in 26 Federation Units compared to January

From January to February 2022, in the seasonally adjusted series, the national average rate of retail sales increased by 1.1%, with positive results in 26 of the 27 Federation Units, especially Amapá (8.0%). Rondônia (8.0%) and Acre (5.9%). Only Tocantins had a negative result (-3.7%).

In the same comparison, the extended retail trade increased by 2.0%, driven by 23 of the 27 FUs, with more intense positive rates in Amapá (8.7%), Acre (8.4%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (7 ,1%). On the other hand, pressing negatively were Pernambuco (-14.1%), Bahia (-2.5%), Espírito Santo (-1.9%) and Goiás (-0.4%).

Compared to February 2021, retail sales grew 1.3%, with positive results in 18 FUs, mainly Amazonas (21.5%), Roraima (17.8%) and Acre (16.5%). In the negative realm, there are nine Federation Units, among them, Pernambuco (-7.7%), Sergipe (-7.0%) and PiauÍ (-5.0%).

In the extended retail trade, in comparison with February 2021, the change was 0.3%, with positive results in 17 Federation Units. The positive highlights were Amazonas (16.5%), Roraima (13.0%) and Acre (11.6%). Of the 10 FUs with negative results, the main ones were Pernambuco (-8.0%), Rio Grande do Norte (-5.2%) and Bahia (-4.4%).