Brazilian retail sales fell 16.8% in April, IBGE shows.

Brazilian retail sales fell 16.8% in April compared to the previous month, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said today. Compared to April 2019, the decrease was also 16.8%. On the other hand, restricted retail sales accumulated a 3% decrease in the year and a 0.7% increase in 12 months. Expectations in a Reuters poll were down 12 percent compared to a monthly basis and a 13.6 percent drop from a year earlier. Between March and April, there were falls in the eight activities studied: fabrics, clothing and footwear (-60.6%), books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-43.4%), other articles for personal and household use (-29.5%), office equipment and supplies, information technology and communication (-29.5%), furniture and appliances (-20.1%), pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic, perfumery and cosmetic articles (-17%), fuels and lubricants (-15.1%) and supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (-11.8%). In the industry that includes construction material and vehicle activities, called "expanded retail", sales fell 17.5% in April versus March, in the seasonally adjusted series. In relation to nominal revenue, retail had declines of 17% compared to March this year and 13.7% compared to April last year.