In March 2019, volume of sales changed 0.3% over February, in the seasonally adjusted series, after being stable (0.0%) in February. The quarterly moving average also changed by 0.3%, after a decrease of 0.6% in February.

Against March 2018, retail trade fell by 4.5%, interrupting a series of seven months, with the most significant negative change since December 2016 (-4.9%). The cumulative index in the year was 0.3%. The cumulative index in 12 months (1.3%) decelerated in relation to February (2.3%) and has been on a downward trend since August 2018.

The volume of sales of extended retail trade, which includes the activities of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and Construction material, recorded an increase of 1.1% against February 2019, after a decrease of 0.5% in the preceding month.  The quarterly moving average increased 0.5% in the quarter, with acceleration in comparison with the figure recorded in February  (-0.4%).

Extended retail trade fell by 3.4% against March 2018, interrupting a series of twenty-two positive rates. As a result, extended retail increased 2.3% in the year. The cumulative indicator in twelve months (3.9%) also decelerated against that of February (4.9%) The complete publication is available on the right of the page.

Five of the eight retail activities record decrease, in the seasonally adjusted series

In the seasonally-adjusted series of retail trade, five of the eight activities surveyed recorded negative rates. The negative highlights, by relevance to retail, were: Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-0.4%), Fuels and lubricants (-0.8%), Furniture and household appliances (-0.1%), Fabric, apparel  and footwear (-2.5%) and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-4.1%). 

Among the activities on the rise in this comparison, the highlights are: Pharmaceuticals,  medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles and cosmetics (1.4%) and Other personal and household articles (0.7%), besides Office, computer and communication material and equipment (2.9%).

Against March 2018, retail trade fell by 4.5%, with negative rates in six of the eight activities surveyed. Hypermarkets,  supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-5.7%) accounted for more than 60% of the overall retail trade. Other activities recording decreases were: Fuels and lubricants (-4.3%), Furniture and household appliances (-4.8%), Other personal and domestic articles (3.3%), Fabric, apparel and footwear (-5.7%) and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-36.7%).

On the other hand, Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles and cosmetics (3.8%) and Office, computer and communication material and equipment (0,6%) are the sectors on the rise in this comparison.

In extended retail trade, the volume of sales increased 1.1% in March, against February 2019, in the seasonally adjusted series, with increase in Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, by 4.5%, and in Construction material, by 2.1%.  

Extended retail trade, with a decrease of 3.4% against March 2018, recorded its first negative rate after twenty-two months recording increase. The main contribution to that result came from the sector of Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-5.7%), followed by Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (-1.2%), Other personal and domestic articles (-3.3%) and Furniture and household appliances (-0,4%).

The sector of Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco decreased by 5.7% against the result of March 2018, its first decrease after twenty-three consecutive positive rates, in this comparison. That was the most significant decrease since March 2017 (-7.0%), and the most significant impact on retail trade. In the month, sales in this segment were affected by the change of Easter's holiday to April. 

One more negative contribution to sales came from the rise of food at home prices, according to IPCA. As a result, the cumulative index in the year fell by 0.9%, the first decrease in 18 months. The cumulative index in 12 months increased by 1.9%, but it has decelerated since September 2018 (4.4%).

The volume of sales of Fuels and lubricants decreased by 4.3% in relation to that of March 2018 and accounted for the second main negative contribution to the retail result. The cumulative index in the year remained virtually stable (0.1%) whereas the cumulative index in 12 months (-3.7%) almost repeated the decrease recorded in February (-3.8%) and has been negative for 49 months.

The segment of Furniture and household appliances, with a decrease of 0.48% in volume of sales against March 2018, also accounted for the second negative impact on the retail trade rate, after an increase of 2.7% in February. The sector had a cumulative decrease of 1.9% in the year. The cumulative index in 12 months, having changed from -2.0%, up to February, to -2.1%, up to March, has been practically stable for the third time.

Other personal and household articles, which encompasses department stores, glasses shops, jewelry shops, sporting-goods stores, toy stores, etc. recorded a decrease of 3.3% against March 2018 and decelerated in relation to February (10.7%), accounting for the third negative contribution to retail trade. The cumulative index in the year increased 4.0%. In the last 12 months there was a decrease of 6.1%; against February, a decrease of 7.5%.

Fabric, apparel and footwear recorded a decrease of 5.7% in relation to March 2018. With the decrease recorded in March, the cumulative index in the first three months of the year changed by 0.5%. The cumulative index in the last twelve months, having changed from -0.8% in February to -1.1% in March, contributed to the downward trend observed since October 2018 (-0.1%).

The activity Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery recorded a decrease of 36.7% in volume of sales against March 2018. Considering the magnitude of that decrease, the cumulative index in the first three months of the year stayed at -29.4%, the most significant decrease among all retail activities. The annualized indicator, cumulative in the last 12 months, having changed from -19.6% to -21.7%, had more significant decrease; it has been on a downward trend since March 2014.

The activity Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles and toiletries, with an increase of 3.8% in sales against March 2018, accounted for the only positive contribution to the overall retail trade rate, and recorded its 23rd positive result in a row, against the same month a year ago. As a result, the  cumulative indicator for the first three months of the year increased by 6.9%, the biggest change among retail trade activities. in terms of cumulative result in the last twelve months, the sector, having changed from 6.4%, in February, to 6.3%, in March, remained virtually stable. 

The segment Office, computer and communication material and equipment recorded an increase of 0.6% over March 2018. In cumulative terms, that changed by 3.9% in the year, whereas the cumulative index in twelve months (0.7%) has followed a path a recovery for the last three months. 

Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces fell by 1.2% in relation to March 2018, its first negative rate after twenty-two months. As a result, the cumulative index in the year increased 8.3%. The cumulative index in the last 12 months had been 12.7% up until March, but decelerated in comparison with February (14.3%).

Construction Material  decreased once more (-0.4%) after the positive results of January (2.2%) and February (9.5%), in this comparison. The cumulative index in the year was 3.5%. The cumulative index in 12 months (3.5%) remained practically stable against that of February (3.4%).

In the quarter, five of the eight activities recorded increases against 2018

In the cumulative index in the year, against the same period in 2018, retail trade changed by 0.3%, with positive reults in five of the eight activities. The highlights, in terms of contribution to the overall rate, were Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles and toiletries (6.9%) and Other personal and household articles (4,0%).

Retail trade changed by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2019 and completed eight consectutive quarters recording positive rates, but with develeration in relation to the other quarters, all comparisons agains the same period in 2018.

Decrease in the intensity of sales from Q4 2018 (2.2%) to the first quarter of 2019 (0.3%) also took place in five of the eight activities, the main highlights being: Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics (from 7.2% to 6.9%), Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (from -28.5% to -29.4%), Fabric, apparel and footwear (from 1.6% to 0.5%), Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverage and tobacco (from 2.2% to -0.9%), Other personal and domestic articles (from 8.5% to 4.0%).

Acceleration against the same quarter in 2019 was observed in: Office, computer and communication material and equipment (from 0.8% to 3.9%), Fuels and lubricants (from -2.7% to 0.1%), Furniture and household appliances (from -2.0% to -1.9%).

Extended retail trade increased 2.3% in Q1 2019, with positive figures in seven of the ten positive rates and  bigger contribution coming from Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (8.3%). There was deceleration between the fourth quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019 (from 4.4% to 2.3%) with increases in Construction material (from 2.5% to 3.5%) and decreases in Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (from 13.2% to 8.3%), as shown in Table 2.

In the seasonally adjusted series, retail increased in 18 of the 27 Federation Units 

In the seasonally adjusted series, a change of 0.3% in retail trade resulted from positive results recorded in 18 of the 27 Federation Units, the main highlights being, in terms of magniture of rate: Tocantins (5,3%) and Amazonas (4.4%). Among the nine Federation Units recording decreasing rates, the highlight was Mato Grosso (-3.9%).

In that same comparison, extended retail trade had an increase of 1.1%,  with a predominance of positive results in 21 das 27 of the 17 Federation Units surveyed, mainly in Acre (5.2%). On the other hand, six locations accounted for negative contributions, the main highlight being Amapá (-1.9%). Ceará remained stable (0.0).

Against March 2018, the change of retail trade sales  recorded a decrease of 4.5%, with a predominance of negative results in 20 of the 27 Federaion Units, the main highlights being: Paraíba (-10.7%), Paraná (-9.3%) and Piauí (-7.7%). On the other hand, positive results came from seven of the 27 Federation Units, and the highlight, in terms of rate, was the state of Acre (4.6%), as shown in Graph 6. As for participation in the composition of retail rate, the highlights were: Minas Gerais (-6.6%), Rio de Janeiro (-6.8%) and São Paulo (-4.0%). With positive results, we mention: Espírito Santo (2.6%), Santa Catarina (0.5%) and Pará (1.1%).

Considering extended retail trade in comparison with March 2018, the decrease of 3.4% was followed by 22 of the 27 Federation Unit, the main highlights being, in terms of volume of sales: Paraíba (-10.6%), Alagoas (-9.7%) and Bahia (-8.0%).  On the other hand, with negative contributions, there are 5 of the 27 Federation Unis, the main highlight being the state of Amapá (5.5%), s shown in Graph 7. As for participation in the extended retail trade rate, stand out: Rio de Janeiro (-7.8%), Minas Gerais (-6.4%) and Paraná (-6.1%).  On the other hand, the highlight were: Santa Catarina (0.5%), Goiás (0.8%) and Mato Grosso (0.5%).