For the sixth month in a row in October, retail sales in Brazil recorded a positive result. In comparison with September, there was growth of 1.4%, the highest rate since June, when there was an increase of 1.7%. Compared with the same period of last year, there was growth of 8.4%.
The data of the Monthly Trade Survey were disclosed Tuesday, December 15, by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and also show that retail trade grew by 5.1% in the year-to-date period ended October, and by 5% in the last 12 months.
Nominal revenues from retail sales also grew in the two types of comparison. Over September, there was growth of 1.8%. Compared with October 2008, the growth rate was 11.5%.
In comparison with September, sales increased in nine out of ten activities surveyed. The highlights were pharmaceutical, medical and orthopaedic items, perfumery and cosmetics (2.5%); textiles, clothing and shoes (1.9%); and books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (1.8%). Results were negative for vehicles and motorcycles, and their parts (-15.8%).
In comparison with October 2008, sales grew for all of the activities surveyed. The highlight was the segment of hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco, which recorded a 12.2% increase.
The IBGE survey underscores that the higher-than-average result may be explained by the "population’s greater purchasing power, resulting from the increased actual total regular income of workers, as well as stabilization of sector prices, which increased by 1.4% in the last 12 months in the household food category, a rate lower than that of overall inflation, measured by the IPCA [Extended National Consumer Price Index], which was 4.2%."
In comparison with October of last year, other segments that grew significantly include other items for personal and household use (9.1%) and pharmaceutical, medical, orthopaedic and perfumery items (11.3%).
The survey also shows that sales in the expanded retail trade category – which includes vehicles and motorcycles, their parts, and building material – decreased by 2.6% compared with September. In comparison with the same period of 2008, there was growth of 11.2%.
Encouraged by the policy of reduction of the Tax on Industrialized Products (IPI), the vehicles, motorcycles and parts sector, whose sales were affected starting in the third quarter of 2008 by restrictions on credit, grew by 20% compared with October last year. In comparison with September, there was growth of 15.8%.
Sales of building material decreased by 4.5% in comparison with October last year, but bounced back from the 1.2% reduction recorded one month earlier, and grew 0.8% in October.
ABr
