In March 2025, the volume of retail trade sales increased by 0.8% from February, in the seasonally adjusted series. A month ago, the change was 0.5%. The quarterly moving average changed by 0.6% in the quarter ended March.

In the seasonally adjusted series, retail trade fell by 1.0% against March 2024. The cumulative result in the year 1.2%, while the cumulative total for the last 12 months grew by 3.1%.

As for extended retail trade, which includes vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, and construction material, sales volume grew by 1.9% in the non-seasonally adjusted series, after a change of -0.2% in February. The quarterly moving average was 1.6% in the quarter ended March 2025, after an increase of 0.4% in the immediately previous month.

In the non-adjusted series, which includes, besides the aforementioned activities, specialized wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco, extended retail fell -1.2% compared to March 2024. The cumulative total in the year was 1.1%, while the cumulative result in 12 months was 3.0%.

Six of the eight activities increased from February

In March 2025, in the seasonally adjusted series, there was a predominance of positive rates, reaching six of the eight activities surveyed, presented below in order of magnitude: Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (28.2%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (3.0%), Other personal and household articles (1.5%), Pharmaceuticals, medica and orthopedic articles and toiletries (1.2%), Fabric, apparel and footwear (1.2%) and Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (0.4%).

On the other hand, between February and March 2025, two of the eight groups surveyed had negative results: Furniture and household appliances (-0.4%) and Fuels and lubricants (-2.1%).

The two additional activities that make up extended retail in this indicator recorded increases: Construction material, 0.6%, and Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces, 1.7% in the period.

Five retail activities dropped from March 2024

Compared to March 2024, five of the eight sectors surveyed in the retail sector declined: Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-6.9%), Other personal and household articles (-6.3%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-2.1%), Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-1.4%) and Fuels and lubricants (-0.8%).

The other three activities recorded positive results: Furniture and household appliances (3.3%), Pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic articles and toiletries (2.1%) and Fabric, apparel and footwear (1.4%).

As for extended retail trade, the 1.2% drop in sales from March 2024 was followed by Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces (-2.2%) and Wholesale of food products, beverages and tobacco (-3.6%). Construction material had an increase of 5.2% in this same comparison.

Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery recorded a 6.9% drop in sales in March 2025 against March 2024, the eleventh consecutive drop and the steepest drop since November 2024, when it recorded -11.1% from September 2023. In the year, the sector has cumulative losses of 3.7% up to March, more significant than up to February (-2.7%). In the indicator of the last twelve months, the sector also recorded losses, going from -6.6% up to February 2025 to -5.9% up to March.

The activity of Other personal and household articles, which includes department stores, glasses shops, jewelry stores, sporting goods stores, toy stores, etc., recorded a 6.3% drop in March 2025 compared to March 2024, the first negative result since January 2024, when it had recorded -2.1%. The sector accounted for the second biggest contribution to the overall result, in negative terms, adding -0.6 p.p. to the total of -1.0% in retail. The activity also shows a slowdown in relation to the cumulative growth in the year, going from 3.7% up to February to 0.1% in the reference month. The same is true in terms of the cumulative result in the last twelve months, which registered 7.1% up to February and 5.5% up to March.

Office, computer and communication equipment and material showed a 2.1% drop in sales compared to March 2024, following the same trend as in the previous month (-4.0% in February). As a result, the year-to-date figure went from -1.2% up to February to -1.5% up to March. In the last twelve months, there has been a reversal in the intensity of growth, going from -0.8% up to February to +0.4% up to March 2025.

For the second consecutive month, the Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco recorded a negative result in the year-on-year comparison, reaching -1.4% growth between March 2025 and March 2024, leading the activity to exert the main influence on the indicator, in terms of negative results: -0.8 p.p. of the total of -1.0%. In the year, there was a positive cumulative result of 0.3% until March, with a downward trend along the first three months of 2025: 2.8% in January and 1.2% in February. In the last twelve months, the figure is also positive until March (2.8%) and with a downward movement over the last four months: 5.2% in November 2024, 4.6% in December, 4.3% in January 2025 and 3.6% in February.

The sector of Fuels and lubricants decelerated by 0.8% in sales volume against March 2024, the first negative result after two months of increase (1.3% in January and 2.2% in February). As for the cumulative result the in the year, with a change from 1.7% to February to 0.9% in the reference month, the activity shows a decrease in the growth rate. The cumulative index in the last twelve months is negative: -1.3% up to February and -1.0% up to March.

Furniture and household appliances showed a 3.3% increase in sales from March 2024, the fourth consecutive month recording an increase (9.4% in December 2024, 4.8% in January 2025 and 9.7% in February). As for the cumulative index in the year, the result of Q1 was 5.8%, the first month to record deceleration since April (in February, increases were 7.1% higher than in the same period of 2024). In the last twelve months, however, increases intensified: from 4.9% up to February to 5.6% up to March.

The activity of Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles and toiletries showed a 2.1% increase in sales from March 2024. A total of 25 consecutive months recorded increases: the last time the sector recorded a drop was February 2023 (-0.5%). The increase contributed +0.2 p.p. to the result of retail (-1.0%), the greatest positive influence in a month of March. As a result, the sector had a cumulative result of 3.6% until March, compared to the same period in 2024. In the last twelve months, the figure is 6.5% up to March, amounting to 102 consecutive months of positive results for this indicator.

Fabric, apparel and footwear activity recorded an increase of 1.4% in sales against March 2024, the ninth consecutive increase and the eleventh positive increase, in the year-on-year comparison, since January 2024 (in the period, only the months of February to April and June 2024 did not record increases). In the quarter, the sector had a cumulative increase of 4.0% up to March. For the eighth consecutive month, the 12-month indicator grew, with 3.7% cumulative up to March.

In extended retail trade, companies that sell Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces recorded negative results (-2.2%) in the comparison between March 2025 with March 2024, the first drop after a sequence of 21 months of increase. As for the cumulative index in the year, the sector shows positive but decreasing results: 11.6% up to December 2024, 9.0% up to January 2025, 9.4% up to February and 5.3% up to March. In the last twelve months, the activity has the cumulative result up to March was 10.5%.

Wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco recorded its eighth consecutive drop in March 2025 (-3.6%). This result places the sector as the main contributor, in terms of negative results, to extended retail, together with hypermarkets and supermarkets: -0.5 p.p. of the total of -1.2%. In the year 2025 until March, the activity has cumulative losses (-6.8%), with a negative result for the thirteenth consecutive month. In the last twelve months, the index also dropped: -8.2% up to March 2025.

Also within extended retail, the result of 5.2% between March 2024 and March 2025 for Construction Material was the tenth consecutive positive one, for volume indicator. The increase in March led the sector to the biggest positive contribution: 0.4 p.p. of the total of -1.2%. The cumulative indexes in the year and in the last twelve months were both positive: 6.3% in the year and 6.8% in the last twelve months.

Retail sales increased by 1.2% in Q1 2025

Against the same period in the previous year, Q1 2025 saw a growth of 1.2% in retail trade. This result represents the tenth consecutive positive result in this comparison, since the last negative result was in Q3 2024 (-0.4%).

In terms of sectors, six activities had positive results: Furniture and household appliances (5.8%), Fabric, apparel and footwear (4.0%), Pharmaceuticals, medical and orthopedic articles and toiletries (3.6%), Fuels and lubricants (0.9%), Hypermarkets and supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (0.3%) and Other personal and household articles (0.1%).

Two activities recorded negative changes in Q1 2025 against the same quarter in 2024: Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-3.7%) and Office, computer and communication equipment and material (-1.5%).

In terms of extended retail trade, the result of Q1 2025 was positive by 1.1% compared to that of Q11 2024. In terms of sectors, Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces recorded an increase of 5.3%, Construction material, of 6.3% (the highest among all eleven sectors) and Wholesale of food products, beverages and tobacco closed the quarter with the biggest drop among all activities: -6.8%.

Sales increase in 20 of the 27 states against February

From February to March 2025, in the seasonally adjusted series, the national rate of retail trade sales recorded an increase (0.8%) with positive results in 20 of the 27 Federation Units, where: Paraíba (3.0%), Goiás (2.4%), Piauí (2.1%) and Distrito Federal (2.1%) stand out. On the other hand, seven of the 27 Federation Units negatively affected, mainly Amazonas (-5.9%), Sergipe (-2.1%) and Rondônia (-1.2%).

In the same comparison, in extended retail trade, the change between February and March 2025 was positive at 1.9%, with positive results in 20 of the 27 Federation Units, especially in: Paraná (4.7%), Espírito Santo (3.7%) and Paraíba (3.7%). On the other hand, six of the 27 Federation Units are under pressure, the main highlights being Rondônia (-2.1%), Amazonas (-1.7%) and Roraima (-1.1%). Ceará registered stability (a change of 0.0%) from February to March.

Against 2024, sales dropped in 15 Federation Units

Against March 2024, the change in retail trade in the month was -1.0%, with negative results in 15 of the 27 Federation Units, and highlights being: Rio de Janeiro (-6.7%), Bahia (-5.6%) and Rio Grande do Norte (-5.0%). On the other hand, accounting for positive contributions, there were 12 of 27 Federation Units, mainly Amapá (11.0%), Mato Grosso (7.7%) and Piauí (7.4%).

In extended retail trade, the change between March 2024 and March 2025 recorded a drop of 1.2%, with negative results in 13 of the 27 states, with highlights being: Pernambuco (-7.3%), Bahia (-7.1%) and Maranhão (-6.5%). Positive highlights were recorded by 14 of the 27 Federation Units, among which Amapá (10.0%), Mato Grosso (8.2%), Piauí (8.9%) and Santa Catarina (8.9%) stand out.