Monthly Survey of Trade
On the negative side again, retail registers -0.2% in May
July 08, 2025 09h00 AM | Last Updated: July 08, 2025 02h51 PM
Office, computer and communication equipment and material benefited from the devaluation of the dollar - Picture: Freepik
Between April and May, the Brazilian retail trade sales changed
-0.2%, maintaining the index in the field of stability for the second consecutive month (-0.4% in April). As a result, the quarterly moving average was 0.1% in the quarter ended in May. Volume of sales rose 2.1% compared with May 2024. In the indicator of the last 12 months, the gain was 3.0% and, in the year, 2.2%. In the extended retail trade, which includes vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, construction material and wholesale specializing in food products, beverages and tobacco, volume of sales grew 0.3% in May. The data are from the Monthly Survey of Trade (PMC), released today (8) by the IBGE.
The index stability scenario can be explained by the March results, when the index reached the highest level in the time series started in January 2000. "It is the base effect, i.e., stability after a rise, not any rise, since March is the peak of the time series, besides the retreat of credit to individuals," explains the manager of the Monthly Survey of Trade, Cristiano Santos.
Of the activities investigated, five out of eight activities of the retail trade registered positive changes: Office, computer and communication equipment and material (3.0%), Furniture and domestic appliances (2.0%), Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles and toiletries (1.7%), Fabric, apparel and footwear (1.1%) and Hyper and supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (0.4%).
According to Santos, Office, computer and communication equipment and material recorded positive figures in two out of three last months (March and May), which were related to the depreciation of the dollar that has been happening since February. "The positive result for Furniture and domestic appliances, also in May, reflects a better year for the category, which had been developing with a certain negative bias until the first semester of last year, but after that had a good period of growth from the second
On the other hand, between April and May 2025, the negative results were due to Other personal and household articles (-2.1%), Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (-2.0%) and Fuels and lubricants (-1.7%).
In the extended retail trade, Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces grew 1.5%, while Construction material showed stability (0.0%) from April to May 2025. “In the case of the extended retail, we had a positive result, but also with some stability, very different from what happened in previous months, when it had fallen 1.9% in April after a 1.7% growth,” explains Santos.
Six retail activities grew over May last year
In relation to May 2024, volume of sales in the retail trade grew 2.1%, with six out of eight sectors investigated rising: Fabric, apparel and footwear (7.1%), Furniture and domestic appliances (7.0%), Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles and toiletries (5.5%), Office, computer and communication equipment and material (4.7%), Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (2.5%) and Hyper and supermarket, food products, beverages and tobacco (1.2%). The drops were due to Fuels and lubricants (-0.6%) and Other personal and household articles (-0.4%).
In the extended retail, Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces registered an increase of 1.5%, Construction material grew 4.7% and Wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco fell 5.1% between May 2024 and May 2025. "In the case of the extended retail, we had a positive result, but also with some stability, very different from what happened in previous months, when it had fallen 1.9% in April after a 1.7% growth," says Santos.
About the survey
PMC produces indicators to monitor the short-term behavior of retail trade in Brazil, investigating the gross revenue of formal enterprises with 20 or more employed persons and whose major activity is retail trade.
Having started in 1995, the PMC brings monthly results of changes in sales volume and nominal revenue for retail trade and extended retail trade (cars and construction material) for Brazil and Federation Units. Results can be accessed on Sidra. The next PMC release, with the results for June 2025, will be on August 13.
