Trade sales are stable in February, points IBGE

Brazilian retail sales were stable in February, compared with the previous month, after advancing 0.4 percent in January, according to figures released on Tuesday (9) by the Brazilian Institute of geography and statistics (IBGE). In comparison with February 2018, the retail trade grew by 3.9%, the seventh positive rate and the highest since November last year (4.5%). "The magnitude of this growth of February has to do in part with the calendar effect in 2019 had two working days more than in February 2018," said Isabella Nunes, Manager of the monthly survey trade IBGE. Loss of traction in the first two months of the year, against the same period in 2018, the volume of sales rose 2.8%. In 12 months, the sector recorded a high of 2.3% in February, remained virtually stagnant for the third month followed, which shows a recovery pace slow and still no gain traction. According to the IBGE, the level of trade sales follows 6.6% below your highest point, achieved in October 2014. For the Manager of the IBGE, though I did lose traction, the retail trade follows showing recovery, albeit slowly. "This is clear when we analyze every two months. The accumulated from the first quarter this year was the best result of the last 5 terms, "said. Activity performance of activities surveyed by IBGE, 4 high and 4 recorded recorded fall in the volume of sales in February, compared with January. Between sectors, the highlight was for textiles, clothing and footwear (4.4%), followed by other personal and household articles (1%). Already the main negative pressures came from fuels and lubricants (-0.9%), and hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-0.7%). The drop in sales in these sectors is related to more expensive prices. According to the Coordinator of the survey, in February last year, feed item at home, for example, showed deflation of 3.81 percent, while in February this year had high of 6.32 percent. The retail sales indicator expanded, including the activities of vehicles, motorcycles, parts and construction materials, retreated 0.8% compared to January. The survey also brought nominal revenue (without discount inflation) grew 0.3% retail from January to February, given already adjusted seasonally. Before February 2018, there was rise of 7.5%. See the performance of each segment in February: fuels and lubricants:-0.9% Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco:-0.7% Fabrics, clothing and footwear: 4.4% furniture and appliances:-0.3% pharmaceutical Articles, doctors, orthopedic and Perfumery: 0.1% Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery: 0.2% equipment and stationery, computers and communication: -3% other articles of personal use and household: 1% Vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces:-0.9% of Material construction:-0.3% "in General, all activities, except books, showing stability in the (accumulated) 12 months," said Isabella Nunes. Sales fall in 15 of 27 Federation units according to the IBGE, in spite of the stability in the overall balance of trade in February sales in the country, 15 of 27 Federation units registered negative results. The biggest falls were in Paraná (-1.5%), Distrito Federal (-1.1%) and Piaui (-1.1%). Already high standouts were Tocantins (8.9%), Espírito Santo (5.0%) and Sergipe (2.6%). Slow recovery and the recovery of the sector, as well as the rest of the brazilian economy, slow pace, with a level of consumption is still far below the pre-recession period. Industrial production, for example, grew 0.7% in February, but still accumulates a fall in the year. Focus research held by the Central Bank and released the day before showed that the market has reduced the forecast of growth of GDP (gross domestic product) in 2019 for the sixth consecutive week. The expectation is of a high of 1.97 GDP growth this year, after a high of 1.1% in 2017 and 2018.