In April de 2020, the national retail trade dropped 16.8% over March, in the seasonally-adjusted series. This is the sharpest decrease in the time series started in January 2001, reflecting the effects of the social isolation. The quarterly moving average was -6,1% in the quarter ended in April. In the seasonally-adjusted series, over April 2019, the retail trade fell 16.8%. The cumulative index over the last 12 months, in turn, was 0.7%.

In the extended retail trade, which includes Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, the volume of sales fell 17.5% in relation to March, whereas the quarterly moving average was -9.9%. In relation to April 2019, the extended retail trade declined -27.1%, a record decrease of the time series started in January 2004. The cumulative index in the last 12 months was 0.8%.

The decrease of 16.8% in the volume of retail sales and of 17.5% for extended retail trade, in April 2020, were the most intense reductions in the time series, and amplify the scenario of a general decline in the indicators on account of the pandemic. All ten sectors investigated had negative results in comparison with March 2020. As a result, the level of sales reached its lowest point in the series, registering the greatest gaps with the records: 22.7% below the record level (October 2014 ) for retail and 34.1% below the record (August 2012) for extended retail.

All activities registered negative changes from March to April (seasonally-adjusted series), and seven out of eight in the interannual indicator. From the point of view of the Federation Units, all registered negative changes both from March to April (seasonally-adjusted series), as well as in the interannual indicator.

In the comparison with April 2019, in the non-adjusted series, the retail trade fell by 16.8%, the sharpest drop in the time series, intensifying the decrease observed in March (-1.1%). In the cumulative index in 12 months, going from 2.2% in March to 0.7% in April, the indicator signals a strong loss in the pace of sales.

The extended retail trade, compared to April 2019, also had a record decrease (-27.1%), intensifying the fall registered in March (-6.4%). Year-to-date, it decreased by 6.9%, after stability in March. In the cumulative index over the last twelve months, it went from 3.3% until March to 0.8% until April, with a loss in the pace of sales.

Seven of the eight surveyed activities shrank

In the seasonally-adjusted series, from March to April 2020, there were falls in all the eight activities surveyed: Textiles, wearing apparel and footwear (-60.6%), Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-43.4% ), Other personal and household articles (-29.5%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-29.5%), Furniture and household appliances (-20.1%), Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles and toiletries (-17.0%), Fuels and lubricants (-15.1%) and Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-11.8%).

The extended retail trade decreased 17.5%, compared to March 2020, in the seasonally-adjusted series, with the activities of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and Construction material registering a fall of 36.2% and 1.9%, respectively.

In April 2020, compared to April 2019, the retail trade decreased 16.8%, reaching seven of the eight activities surveyed. The highlights were Textiles, wearing apparel and footwear (-75.5%), Other personal and household articles (-45.6%), Furniture and household appliances (-35.8%), Fuels and lubricants (-25.3 %), Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles and toiletries (-9.7%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-45.4%) and Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-65, 6%). Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (4.7%) was the only sector on the rise in this comparison, with less intensity than in March (11.0%).

With a decline of 27.1%, compared to April 2019, the result for the extended retail trade mainly reflected the performance of the activities of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (-57.9%) and Construction material ( -21.1%), totaling nine of the ten activities in this indicator.

Major Activities

Textiles, wearing apparel and footwear, with a decrease of 75.5% in relation to April 2019, had the greatest negative influence on the absolute composition of the rate for this indicator (-5.7 pp of a total of -16.8% of retail). With the second consecutive negative change (-39.7% in March 2020 compared to March 2019), the sector was one that suffered most from the effects of social isolation. Year-to-date, it registered -28.5% up to April, compared to -12.4% in March. In the cumulative index in the last 12 months, a downward trend started in February (-0.2%), remained in March (-2.5%) and in April (-7.6%).

Other personal and household articles - department stores, opticians, jewelers, sporting goods, toys stores, etc. - decreased by 45.6% in relation to April 2019, intensifying the negative trend started in March (-18.0%). It was the second major negative contribution to the overall retail result (-5.6 pp). The index accumulated in the year registered -12.3%, compared to -0.7% in March. In the cumulative index in the last 12 months, it changed by 0.4%, following the reduction of pace already presented in the previous month (5.0%).

Furniture and household appliances, with a decrease of 35.8% in relation to April 2019, the sector was the third major negative impact (-3.3 pp of a total of -16.8%), after a 12.2% decrease registered in March. In the cumulative index in the year, it went from 3.6% until March to -5.9% until April, also affected by the pandemic. In the the cumulative index in the last 12 months, from 5.0% until March to 2.2% in April. The sector has interrupted the recovery trend, which started in October 2019 and peaked in February (5.5%).

Fuels and lubricants, with a decrease of 25.3% in relation to April 2019, it recorded the fourth major negative contribution, reflecting the decrease in the number of people and vehicles on the streets, with a consequent drop in fuel sales. In the cumulative result for the year, from -3.4% up to March to -9.0% up to April, the sector shows an intensification of the negative trend, which is also repeated in the annualized indicator (-0.2% in March and –2.1% in April).

Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles and toiletries, with a drop of 9.7% compared to April 2019, the sector interrupts a series of 35 months in the positive field for the interannual indicator. In the cumulative result for the year, it increased from 9.0% until March to 4.3% until April, due to the effects of the pandemic. In the cumulative index in the last 12 months, it fell from 7.3% until March to a 6.2% increase in April, with reduction in the intensity of growth.

Office, computer and communication material and equipment, had a decrease of 45.4% in relation to April 2019. The cumulative index in the year went from -14.4% until March to -21.9% in April. The cumulative index in the last 12 months was -7.0% compared to -3.7 in March.

Books, papers, magazines and stationary fell 65.6% compared to April 2019, with a record in the negative field for the entire sector's series in the interannual indicator. In the cumulative index in the year, going from -8.8% up to March to -19.1% up to April, it reached a new record. In the cumulative index in the last 12 months (-16.0%), the indicator has remained negative since March 2014 (-0.2%).

Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, with an increase of 4.7% compared to April 2019, it registered the only positive rate. Despite the fact that the activity has the greatest weight in the Survey, the positive contribution (2.3 pp) was not enough to place the indicator in the positive field in April. The result accumulated in the year, until April (4.2%), compared to March (4.0%), showed stability in the pace. The cumulative index in the last 12 months remained stable: 1.8% in April against 1.6% in March.

Extended Retail

Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces had a decrease of 57.9% in relation to April 2019, a record negative change for activity and a greater contribution to the result in the month for expanded retail. The cumulative index in the year up to April fell 17.9% compared to the same period of the previous year, keeping the downward trend of March (-3.7%). The cumulative index in the last 12 months was the only positive indicator, 1.3% up to April, compared to the fall of the previous months: 10.1% in January; 8.7% in February and 7.0% in March.

Construction Material, with a decrease of 21.1% in relation to April 2019, the sector recorded the third consecutive negative rate (-1.9% in February and -7.5% in March). The cumulative indicator in the year up to April shows a decrease of 7.1%, a drop greater than that registered until March, 2.3%. The cumulative index in the last 12 months, from 2.8% in March to 0.7% in April, reduces the growth trend started in August 2019.

Four-month period offsets indicator with a 3% drop

Between the third four-month period of 2019 to the first one of 2020, there was an inversion of the changes (from 3.0% to -3.0%). The negative result is also observed in seven of the eight activities: Textiles, wearing apparel and footwear (from 0.5% to -28.5%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (from 3.6% to -21, 9%), Other personal and houssehold articles (from 7.9% to -12.3%), Furniture and household appliances (from 10.2% to -5.9%), Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery ( from -8.9% to -19.1%), Fuels and lubricants (from 0.6% to -9.0%) and Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles and toiletries (from 7.6% to 4 , 3%). Only the Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco sector (from 0.5% to 4.2%) showed an increase in pace compared to the previous four-month period.

In the extended retail trade, there was also a change inversion  the third four-month period of 2019 and the first one (from 4.5% to -6.9%), reaching both the Construction material sector (from 5.4% to -7.1% ) and Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (from 8.9% to -17.9%).

Trade sales fall in all 27 Federation Units

From March to April 2020, in the seasonally adjusted series, there was a drop in retail sales in all 27 Federation Units, with a highlight to: Amapá (-33.7%), Rondônia (-21.8%) and Ceará (-20.2%). For the same comparison, in the extended retail trade, the negative change also occurred in the 27 Federation Units, with a highlight to: Amapá (-31.6%), Espírito Santo (-23.4%) and São Paulo (-23.3%).