In the seasonally-adjusted series, the retail trade dropped 1.3% in September 2021 after retreating 4.3 in August. The quarterly moving average retreated 0.9%.

In the seasonally-unadjusted series, the retail trade dropped 5.5% after retreating 4.1% in August. The retail accumulated 3.8% in the year and 3.9% in 12 months.

In the extended retail trade, which includes vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces and construction material, volume of sales retreated 1.1% after dropping 3.0% in the previous month. The moving average of the quarter ended in September was -0.9%. Compared with September 2020, the extended retail dropped 4.2%. In the year, the extended retail accumulated a rise of 8.0% and, in 12 months, of 7.0%.

Volume of sales in the retail fell 1.3% between August and September 2021, the second consecutive retreat after hitting, in July, its second highest level since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic (March 2020). After retreating 0.8% in the quarter ended in August, the quarterly moving average of the retail dropped once again (-0.9%) in September. Six out of eight activities surveyed by the Monthly Survey of Trade  dropped.

The retail also declined (-5.5%) against the same month of 2020 for the second consecutive month, after a series of five consecutive months of positive rates. As a result, the level of the retail, in an upward trend between March and July 2021, retreated once again, standing at levels similar to April 2021 and February 2020.

In September, six 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 August and September 2021, hitting six out of eight activities surveyed: Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-3.6%), Furniture and domestic appliances (-3.5%), Fuels and lubricants (-2.6%), Other articles of personal and domestic use (-2.2%), Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-1.5%) and Fabric, apparel and footwear (-1.1%).

On the other hand, two activities remained stable: Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (0.0%) and Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (0.1%).

In the extended retail trade, the activity of Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces recorded a drop of 1.7% between August and September, while Construction material decreased 1.1%, both, respectively, after a 0.3% change and a 1.2% drop registered in August.

The comparison with the same month of the previous year, in the non-adjusted series, showed seven negative rates among the eight surveyed activities:  Furniture and household appliances (-22.6%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-14.8%), Other articles of personal and domestic use (-6.9%), Fuels and lubricants (-4.0%), Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-3.7%), Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-3.4%) and Fabric, apparel and footwear (-0.1%). Pharmaceutical and medical goods, cosmetic and toilet articles (4.3%) was the only sector to register a positive rate.

The extended retail trade fell 4.2% over September 2020. The activity of Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces grew 2.9% and that of Construction material dropped 10.3%.

Six out of eight retail activities retreated over September 2020

Sales volume of the Furniture and household appliances segment fell 22.6% compared with September 2020, the fourth negative rate after four months of positive results. As a result, this activity exerted the biggest contribution to the absolute composition of the inter-annual rate, adding -2.7 p.p. to the total of -5.5% of the retail trade. This sector accumulated a rate of -0.9% between January and September in relation to the same period of the previous year, the first rate on the negative side in the second quarter of 2021. The cumulative indicator in the last 12 months registered a positive rate of 3.1%, below that accumulated until August (7.7%).

Having retreated 3.7% over September 2020, the sector of Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco recorded the eighth consecutive drop in this comparison. That segment was the one that mostly contributed, on the negative side, to the overall indicator, adding -1.7 p.p. to the inter-annual retail indicator. The cumulative index in the year has slightly changed over the last five months (-2.7%, -2.7%, -2.6%, -2.9% and -3.0% in May, June, July, August and September, respectively). Having dropped 1.4% in September, the cumulative indicator over the last 12 months stepped up the pace of fall in relation to August (-0.8%).

The segment of Other articles of personal and domestic use, which includes department stores, glasses shops, jewelry shops, sporting goods stores, toy stores, etc., decreased 6.9% over September 2020, the second negative result after 14 months of rises. Compared with the previous month (26.9%), the cumulative index in the year up to September (22.1%) lost pace. The cumulative indicator over the last 12 months increased 18.5%, with a loss of 1.5 p.p. in relation to the August´s figure (21.0%).

Having declined its volume of sales by 4.0% in relation to September 2020, the sector of Fuels and lubricants registered the first month on the negative side, after five consecutive months of rates on the positive side for the inter-annual indicator. As a result, in the cumulative index of the year, decreasing from 3.9% up to August to 2.9% up to September, the activity showed a loss in the sales pace.  In the cumulative indicator over the last 12 months, the rates remained on the positive side for the second consecutive month (0.3% in August and 0.4% in September), after 17 months accumulating negative rates.

The segment of Office, computer and communication material and equipment retreated 14.8% over the inter-annual indicator in volume, in relation to September 2020. The cumulative index in the year (2.3%) up to September was lower than that in July (4.1%). In the cumulative index in the year, the result was positive at 0.3% up to September, below that recorded up to August (2.3%). The cumulative indicator over the last 12 months (-3.3%) stepped up the pace of drop in relation to August (-2.7%).

The activity of Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery registered a drop of 3.4%% compared to September 2020, reversing the negative sign for this indicator, registered in the month of August (1.4%).  Having changed from -20.7% up to August to -19.4% up to September, 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 -25.2% up to August to -23.1% up to September.

The sector of Fabric, apparel and footwear changed -0.1% over September 2020, a result that closes a series of five positive rates in this comparison. As a result, the cumulative index in the year went from 28.1% in August to 24.0% in September, while the cumulative indicator in the last 12 months, which changed from 11.1% in August to 11.8% in September, registered the fourth positive rate for this indicator.

The activity of Pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic articles, and toiletries increased 4.3% in sales over September 2020, recording the 16th consecutive positive change compared with the same month last year. As a result, this sector was the one that mostly contributed, on the positive side, to the absolute rate of the retail trade, adding 0.4 p.p. to the total. In relation to the cumulative index in the year up to August, this sector recorded 13.3%, changing to 12.3% with the inclusion of September. In the cumulative result over the last 12 months, until August, the increase had been 13.4%, going to 12.5% in September.

In the extended retail trade, the Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces sector grew 2.9% compared to September 2020, its seventh consecutive positive rate, exerting the biggest positive contribution of the month to the extended retail.  The cumulative indicator in the year up to September posted an increase of 21.6%, showing a loss of pace compared with August (25.9%). Having registered 14.8% up to September, the cumulative index over the last 12 months pointed out a growth in the pace of sales for the fifth month in a row.

Having dropped 10.3% in relation to September 2020, the segment of Contruction material registered the third negative rate after a period of 13 months of positive rates in this comparison. As a result, the cumulative index in the year up to September (9.7%) decreased the pace of sales when compared with August (12.9%). The cumulative index over the last 12 months changed from 16.0% in August to 12.0% in September.

Sales drop in 25 out of 27 Federation Units compared with August

Between August 2021 and September 2021, the national average rate of sales of the retail trade retreated 1.3% in the seasonally-adjusted series, with negative figures prevailing in 25 out of 27 Federation Units, highlighted by: Mato Grosso do Sul (-3.9%), Santa Catarina (-3.6%) and Rio Grande do Norte (-3.4%).

The positive side registered two out 27 Federation Units: Acre (0.4%) and Mato Grosso (0.2%).

For the same comparison, the negative change between August and September (-1.1%) in the extended retail trade was followed by 23 out of 27 Federation Units, highlighted by: Mato Grosso do Sul (-4.7%), Tocantins (-4.0%) and Maranhão (-3.6%). On the other hand, four out of 27 Federation Units rose, highlighted by: Pernambuco (2.9%), Ceará (1.3%) and Goiás (1.0%), between August and September.

Compared with September 2020, sales in the retail trade declined in 26 out of 27 Federation Units, highlighted by: Maranhão (-12.3%), Sergipe (-11.9%) and Rondônia (-11.8%). Only one out of 27 Federation Units recorded a positive figure: Espírito Santo (4.4%).

 the comparison with September 2020, the regional distribution showed a predominance of negative figures in 20 out of 27 Federation Units in the extended retail trade, highlighted by: Maranhão (-11.5%), Amazonas (-10.9%) and Amapá (-9.4%).  On the other hand, 7 out of 27 Federation Units pressed positively, highlighted by: Pernambuco (13.9%), Goiás (6.2%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (4.2%).