Brazilian retail sales grew 0.5% from August to September. This performance places the sector back to the highest level in the series, previously reached in May 2024.
The finding is part of the Monthly Trade Survey, released this Tuesday (12) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
The positive result places Brazilian trade once again in the positive field when comparing immediately consecutive months, as it had fallen by 0.2% between July and August.
In comparison with September 2023, the sector advanced 2.1%. In 2024, the combined gain is 4.8%. In 12 months, the sector grew 3.9%. Looking at quarterly data, the third quarter of 2024 expanded 0.3% compared to the months of April, May and June as a whole. In relation to the third quarter of 2023, the increase is 4%.
Activities
Four of the eight activities surveyed by IBGE showed positive results: other articles for personal and domestic use (3.5%), fuels and lubricants (2.3%), pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles (1.6% ) and hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, drinks and tobacco (0.3%).
On the other hand, furniture and household appliances (-2.9%), office, computer and communication equipment and material (-1.8%), fabrics, clothing and footwear (-1.7%) and books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-0.9%) fell.
The IBGE highlights that, throughout 2024, the performance of supermarkets and pharmaceutical items has sustained growth.
Sales in supermarkets have the greatest weight in the IBGE survey, 55.6%. Pharmaceutical items are the third largest weight (11%), behind fuels and lubricants.
The research manager, Cristiano Santos, classifies the result as “quite significant”. He emphasizes that the performance takes the trade out of a zone of stability at an already high level.
“If we are around the record level, more or less, since May, we are on a high base”, he points out.
He explains that factors such as increased credit for individuals, expansion in the number of employed people and growth in workers’ wages helped to boost Brazilian trade. “This scenario is leading to the year 2024.”
Vehicles and motorcycles
The IBGE also publishes data on the so-called expanded retail, which includes activities involving vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces; building material; and specialized wholesale of food, beverage and tobacco products. With these sectors added together, trade grew 1.8% from August to September, surpassing the highest level in the historical series, reached in August 2013.
“There was also the issue of credit for purchasing vehicles, which was quite strong, 2.4% from August to September”, he says.
In comparison with September 2023, expanded trade expanded by 3.9%. In 12 months, the accumulated gain is 3.8%.
