In the seasonally-adjusted series, the national retail trade retreated 1.7% in June 2021 over May, after increasing 2.7% in May 2021. The quarterly moving average increased 1.2% in the quarter ended in June.

In the seasonally-unadjusted series, the retail trade rose 6.3% in June 2021 against June 2020, the fourth positive rate in a row. The cumulative index in the year stayed at 6.7% and the cumulative index in 12 months was 5.9% in June.

In the extended retail trade, which includes vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and construction material, volume of sales retreated 2.3% in relation to May 2021. The moving average of the quarter ended in June (1.6%) was higher compared with the moving average in the quarter ended in May (0.7%). It rose 11.5% over June 2020. In the year, the extended retail accrued a rise of 12.3% and, in 12 months, sales increased 7.9%.

Between May and June 2021, volume of sales in the retail dropped after two months of rise, spread along five out of eight activities. Due to the drops expected in the period that marked the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil, the retail registered a gain in the inter-annual indicator (from March to June 2020), especially in the most affected activities, like fabric, apparel and footwear and other articles of personal and domestic use, which resumed two-digit rates on the positive side. As a result, the level of the retail in June gets farther from its historical record, obtained in October 2020.

In June, five out of eight activities dropped in the seasonally-adjusted series

Among eight sectors investigated by the Monthly Survey of Trade for the retail trade and ten for the extended retail trade in the seasonally-adjusted series, negative rates prevailed between May and June 2021, hitting five out of eight activities surveyed: Fabric, apparel and footwear (-3.6%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-3.5%), Other articles of personal and domestic use (-2.6%), Fuels and lubricants (-1.2%) and Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-0.5%).

On the other hand, the activities that grew in volume of sales between May and June were: Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (5.0%), Furniture and domestic appliances (1.6%) and Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (0.4%).

Considering the extended retail trade, the activity of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces changed -0.2% between May and June, whereas Construction material grew 1.9%, both of them after increases of 1.2% and 4.9%, respectively, recorded in the previous month.

The cumulative index in 12 months was 5.9% in June against 5.4% in May, signaling an acceleration in the pace of sales.

In the comparison with the same month a year ago in the seasonally-unadjusted series, the change of 6.3% had six positive rates out of eight activities surveyed: Fabric, apparel and footwear (61.8%), Other articles of personal and domestic use (22.6%), Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (17.1%), Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (13.1%), Fuels and lubricants (11.4%) and Office, computer and communication equipment and material (3.3%).

In contrast, two sectors retreated in the inter-annual indicator: Furniture and domestic appliances (-5.3%) and Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-3.0%).

With the increase of 11.5% over June 2020, the extended retail trade posted a rise of 33.1% for the activity of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and of 5.3% for the sector of Construction material.

Six out of eight retail activities retreated over June 2020

The sector of Fabric, apparel and footwear registered an increase of 61.8% in relation to June 2020, the third positive rate in this comparison. The activity exerted the major positive impact on the global retail rate. As a result, the cumulative index in the year changed from 26.3% up to May to 32.6% in June. Having changed from a drop of 3.9% in May to an increase of 3.9% in June, the cumulative index in the last 12 months interrupted a series of 16 negative rates for this indicator.

The segment of other articles of personal and domestic use, which includes department stores, glasses shops, jewelry shops, sporting goods stores, toy stores, etc., increased 22.6% over June 2020, below the May´s figure (59.7%). That segment exerted the second biggest positive contribution to the overall retail result (2.8 p.p. of 6.3% in the total). Compared with the previous month (33.8%), the cumulative index in the year up to June (31.6%) lost pace. The cumulative indicator in 12 months increased 20.7%, with a gain of 1.5 p.p. in relation to the May´s figure (19.2%).

The activity of Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles, and toiletries increased 13.1% in sales over June 2020, recording the 13th consecutive positive change compared with the same month last year. The cumulative index in the year hit 16.2%. In the cumulative result over the last 12 months, it changed from 13.9% up to May to 14.4% in June.

Having risen 11.4% in relation to June 2020, the sector of Fuels and lubricants posted the third consecutive month of positive rates for the inter-annual indicator. Having changed from 2.5% up to May to 3.9% up to June, that activity accelerated the pace of sales in the cumulative index in the year. It decreased the loss of pace in the cumulative indicator over the last 12 months, changing from -4.3% in May to -2.1% in June.

The activity of Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery rose 17.1% over June 2020, the third consecutive rise for this indicator. The behavior of that activity has been influenced by the continuous replacement of printed products by electronic media, as well as by the reduction of physical stores. Having changed from -27.3% up to May to -22.8% up to June, the cumulative index in the year pointed out to a decrease in the loss of pace, the same movement of the cumulative index over the last 12 months, which changed from -31.1% up to May to -28.3% up to June.

The segment of Office, computer and communication equipment and material increased 3.3% over June 2020. In the cumulative index in the year, it rose 6.4% against 5.9% up to May. The cumulative indicator over the last 12 months (–3.1%) reduced the pace of drop in sales in relation to May (–4.1%).

He segment of Furniture and domestic appliances retreated 5.3% over June 2020, the first negative rate after four months on the positive side. As a result, the cumulative index in the year changed from 15.1% up to May to 11.0% up to June. The cumulative index over the last 12 months was of 16.3%, below the cumulative indicator up to May (18.9%).

Having retreated 3.0% over June 2020, the sector of Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco recorded the fifth consecutive negative rate in this comparison, with a decrease in the pace of loss in relation to the May´s figure (-4.3%). That segment was the one that mostly contributed, on the negative side, to the overall indicator, adding -1.5 p.p. to the inter-annual retail indicator. The cumulative index in the year up to June was the same as that registered up to May (-2.7%). Having risen 0.8% in June, the cumulative index over the last 12 months decrease the intensity of the growth in relation to May (1.5%).

Having increased 33.1% over June 2020, the sector of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces reported the fourth consecutive positive rate, exerting the biggest positive contribution to month´s result in the extended retail trade. The cumulative indicator in the year up to June (27.5%) showed a gain of pace compared with May (26.4%). Having registered 8.3% up to June, the cumulative index over the last 12 months pointed out a growth in the pace of sales for the second month in a row.

Having increased 5.3% over June, the segment of Construction material reported the 13th consecutive positive rate in this comparison. Even so, the cumulative indicator in the year up to June (21.5%) showed a decrease in the pace of sales when compared with May (25.6%). Having changed from 23.7% in May to an increase of 22.0% in June, the cumulative index over the last 12 months also signaled less intensity on the positive side.

Half-year results

Compared with the first semester of 2020, the first semester of 2021 of the retail trade increased 6.7%, the second consecutive increase and the same rate of the cumulative indicator in the year. The increase in the intensity of sales of the retail trade between the second semester of 2020 and the first semester of 2021 was registered by six out  of eight activities: Fabric, apparel and footwear (32.6%), Other articles of personal and domestic use (31.6%), Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (16.2%), Furniture and domestic appliances (11.0%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (5.9%) and Fuels and lubricants (3.9%).

The only activities that recorded negative figures in the comparison with the same previous period were: Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-22.8%) and Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-2.7%).

The extended retail trade posted a growth in both sectors this semester: Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces (27.5%) and Construction material (21.5%).

Sales drop in 18 out of 27 Federation Units compared with May

Between May 2021 and June 2021, the national average rate of sales of the retail trade retreated 1.7% in the seasonally-adjusted series, with negative figures prevailing in 18 out of 27 Federation Units, highlighted by: Amapá (-16.7%), Rio Grande do Sul (-5.1%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (-4.0%). The positive side registered nine out 27 Federation Units, highlighted by: Ceará (2.5%), Espírito Santo (2.2%) and Pará (1.9%).

For the same comparison, the negative change between May and June in the extended retail trade (-2.3%) was followed by 15 out of 27 Federation Units, highlighted by: Amapá (-9.0%), Rio Grande do Sul (-4.8%) and Paraná (-3.3%). On the other hand, 12 out of 27 Federation Units recorded a growth, highlighted by: Piauí (3.2%), Sergipe (2.5%) and Rio Grande do Norte (-0.3%).

Compared with June 2020, positive figures prevailed in 23 out of 27 Federation Units in terms of the change in sales of the national retail trade, highlighted by: Amapá (29.1%), Piauí (21.4%) and Acre (19.0%). On the other hand, four out of the 27 Federation Units pressed negatively, highlighted by: Tocantins (-19.1%), Amazonas (-4.5%) and Mato Grosso (-1.5%).

N the comparison with June 2020, the regional distribution showed a predominance of positive figures in 25 out of 27 Federation Units in the extended retail trade, highlighted by: Piauí (33.6%), Pernambuco (29.6%) and Rondônia (26.0%). On the other hand, two out of the 27 Federation Units pressed negatively: Tocantins (-2.6%) and Amazonas (-1.0%).