Save the quarter retail electronics

Pulled by the good sales performance of electronics, trade activity ended the first quarter 7.3% higher than in 2017, according to Serasa Experian. The result, which was the best in five years for the period overshadowed significant losses in sectors such as building material and fuel.
The growth of 12.5% in the activity of shops geared for appliances was largely responsible for the positive result, as consumers returned to find prices of items with higher added value. "This thread was three years with very low sales. Consumers who avoided the debt crisis now back to thinking about the acquisition of a durable, "says retail analyst and Professor at the Unifesp, Fabiana Nunes.
The Serasa indicator, which measures the flow of customers in stores, can be considered a bellwether for sales in the coming months. "With the World Cup, many consumers will buy TVs and home theater and that kind of purchase requires a search time", he adds.
The expectation is high among retailers of Rio de Janeiro. According to the Center for the study of the Club of Directors Retailers do Rio de Janeiro (CDL-Rio) sales of televisions must advance 10% in the next two months in Rio de Janeiro. "In addition, retailers cite the end of the analog signal will also help sales," says report signed by economists of the entity.
Bad beginning
When analyzed the construction material sector, the fall in the first quarter was 6.9% over a year earlier, reflecting a period which is traditionally bad for sales. "February was a month quite below what we expected, and March back to the level of growth," explained the President National Association of traders of construction materials (Anamaco), Cláudio Conz.
Especially pressured by deflation in the price of food, the supermarket segment presented a high of 1.7% in activity compared to the first quarter of 2017. The problem, however, was in the comparison between March and February this year, when there was a 2% fall in the margin. "The result of the month was also impacted by the calendar effect (February 28 days), but we continue with the prospect of a resumption in the prices of some foods gradually during 2018", the President of the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (OPEN), João Sanzovo Neto.