Trade activity reacts and 1.1% grows in 2017

The movement of consumers in stores across the country grew 1.1% in the year 2017, topping the 6.6% 2016 indentations and 1.3% in 2015, that is, two consecutive years of retraction because of deep and prolonged economic recession that settled in the country from the second half of 2014. The data are the Serasa Experian Indicator of Trade activity.
According to Serasa Experian's economists, the fall in inflation, the continuing shrinkage of the interest rate, the process of deleveraging of households ' indebtedness, the arrival of the inactive FGTS accounts resources in the economy, the recovery of real income mass, all this contributed to reverse the cumulative fall in retail 2015/16, managing to close the year of 2017 with expansion, although quite modest.
The highlight of the retail in 2017 was the segment of supermarkets, hypermarkets, food and drinks, which surged in the year to 1.2%. On the other hand, the biggest consumer downturn in 2017 in construction material segment, which recorded a fall of 14.3% in 2017 front the previous year. The second largest fall was of 12.2%, observed in the stream of consumers in stores of fabrics, clothing, footwear and accessories. There were also setbacks of 9.5% in the segment of fuels and lubricants, of 7.5% on furniture, electronics and computer science and also of 7.5% in stores of vehicles, motorcycles and parts.