The state of Rio de Janeiro will have, in total, 26 municipal holidays, considering city anniversaries and other dates of regional relevance, in addition to national and state holidays, such as Saint George’s Day (April 23). As a result, retail trade in Rio de Janeiro could lose more than R$2 billion this year. The monthly revenue of Rio de Janeiro’s commerce reaches, on average, R$1.4 billion, with the city of Rio de Janeiro responsible for half, around R$700 million. The survey is carried out by the Commercial Shopkeepers Union of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro (SindilojasRio).
For commerce, the sensitive point is that important commemorative dates will fall on working days, and may be extended due to so-called hangingscausing many companies to no longer operate, reducing the movement of people on the streets, which mainly impacts retail commerce. It is also important to remember the 52 Sundays this year, when a large part of commerce will not be open. Furthermore, 2026 will be the year of the World Cup and elections, which could also negatively affect trade.
Another factor to be considered is profitability, observed through the cost of opening the establishment and the revenue earned with the store open. This opportunity is highly scrutinized in shopping malls and street commerce, which open on holidays and deal, in particular, with essential products.
“Holidays are important for society. The excess is what worries us. If it weren’t for collective agreements, which allow opening on holidays and Sundays, and electronic commerce, revenue losses could be even greater”, says Aldo Gonçalves, president of SindilojasRio.
“Excessive holidays end up harming commercial activity, slowing down the circulation of goods and the turnover of money and business. In some locations, it notably affects street retailers, especially smaller ones, who are more sensitive to the effects of weekends and holidays because they no longer open on those days normally”, assesses Gonçalves.
On holidays, family spending is mixed with leisure spending. Thus, the appeals for consumers to travel, stroll and seek other entertainment are greater, favoring activities related to tourism, bars and restaurants”, concluded the president of Sindilojas.
