Trade grows 2% in 2019 and Christmas sales rose 4.1%, says Serasa

Serasa Experian's Trade Activity Indicator increased by 2% in the accumulated from January to December 2019, compared to the same period a year earlier. Following the trend of the year, growth was driven by the vehicle, motorcycle and parts sector, which was up 8.4% and the construction material segment, an increase of 4.6%. In the monthly variation — December versus November —, the indicator fell 0.1%. The punctual increase in income brought by the new looting modality of the Service Time Guarantee Fund (FGTS) was reflected in the positive variation of 3.9% in December against the same month a year earlier, Serasa says. The highlight was the Fabrics, Clothing, Footwear and Accessories sector (6.8%), which is not usually linked to credit as Vehicles or Construction Materials, explains Serasa Experian economist Luiz Rabi, in a comment sent to the press. Only Fuels and Lubricants showed a drop (-7.2%) in December, maintaining the negative results presented throughout the year. Christmas Data from the Trade Activity Indicator – Christmas show that sales in the week of the commemorative date (December 18-24) in 2019 recorded a 4.1% increase compared to the previous year. This was the second largest increase since 2014, when consecutive sales declines began, lagging behind only 2017, when there was the largest release of FGTS resources. Over the weekend (December 21-23), the increase was 4.7% nationwide. In the city of São Paulo, between 18 and 24, the variation was also 4.7%, while the weekend recorded 3.6% growth. The Serasa Experian Trade Activity Indicator – Natal is based on a sample of the queries held in the Serasa Experian database. Consultations held from 18 to 24 December 2019 were considered and compared to those from 18 to 24 December 2018. For the weekend, consultations held from December 21 to 23, 2019 were considered and compared to those from 20 to 22 December 2018.