In February 2026, retail sales volume grew 0.6% compared to January of this year, in the seasonally adjusted series. As a result, the quarterly moving average was 0.2%.

Compared to February 2025, retail sales volume grew by 0.2%. The cumulative growth over the last 12 months was 1.4%.

In the extended retail sector, which includes vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories, construction materials, and wholesale specialized in food products, beverages, and tobacco, sales volume grew 1.0% in February. Compared to the same month in 2025, there was a negative change (-2.2%). The three-month moving average was 0.3%.

The cumulative index in the last 12 months recoreded negative change (-0.4%).

From January to February 2026, retail trade showed a balance between positive and negative rates: Books, newspapers, magazines and stationery (2.4%), Fuels and lubricants (1.7%), Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco (1.1%) and Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic and perfumery articles (0.3%) presented positive results. With negative rates, there were four activities: Office, computer and communication materials and equipment (-2.7%), Other personal and household articles (-0.6%), Textiles, wearing apparel and footwear (-0.3%) and Furniture and household appliances (-0.1%).

In the same comparison, the extended retail trade showed an overall increase of 1.0%, with two positive results per category: Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories (1.6%) and Construction materials (0.5%).

Five of the eight activities showed negative results compared to February 2025

In a comparison between February 2026 and the same month of the previous year, retail trade grew by 0.2%. Three activities showed positive results and three others were negative.

The activity called "Other personal and household articles," which includes department stores, opticians, jewelers, sporting goods, toy stores, etc., registered a 5.3% drop in the year-on-year indicator, reversing the positive trend that had been occurring since April 2025 (March 2025 saw a 6.2% drop). Therefore, the first two months of 2026, compared to the first two months of 2025, closed with a 1.6% decrease. In the last 12 months, the sector accumulated gains of 1.3% up to February, a less intense increase than the result up to January (1.9%).

The Textiles, Wearing apparel and Footwear sector showed a 5.0% drop in sales volume compared to February 2025, the second largest (negative) decline among the eight sectors. In the last six months, the only positive result occurred in January (1.4%). Its contribution to the overall rate was also the second largest, in negative territory, adding -0.2 percentage points to the total +0.2% of the year-on-year retail indicator. In the first two months of 2026, the sector shows losses compared to the same period of the previous year (-1.7%), demonstrating a slowdown compared to January (+1.4%). In the 12-month indicator, this activity falls from 1.3% through January 2026 to 0.4% through February.

The Books, Newspapers, Magazines, and Stationery sector saw a 4.1% drop in sales compared to February 2025, the third consecutive decline and the largest negative range for the year-on-year indicator (-1.6% in December 2025 and -3.4% in January 2026). In the first two months of 2026, cumulative losses reached 3.7% up to February, and over the last 12 months the rate is -1.1%.

The Furniture and Household Appliances sector showed a 1.2% drop in sales compared to February 2025, the first decline after seven consecutive months of strong growth (the sector even registered a change of 8.1% in September and 7.4% in December 2025). However, the sector begins the year with a positive accumulation in the first two months, compared to the same period in 2025, registering a 2.6% increase. Over the past twelve months, activity continues to demonstrate positive performance, with gains of 3.9% up to February 2026.

The Fuels and Lubricants sector changed -0.2% in sales volume compared to February 2025. This result follows a change of the same value in January (-0.2%), which, in turn, followed a 3.0% increase in December 2025. In the first two months of 2026, there is an cuulative result of -0.2%. Over the last twelve months, the rate is positive, but also close to zero: 0.5% up to January and 0.3% up to February.

With positive results, in February 2026 compared to February 2025, the Pharmaceutical, Medical, Orthopedic and Perfumery Articles sector showed a 2.1% increase in sales. This is the largest positive result among retail activities. In total, there have been 36 consecutive months of growth for the year-on-year indicator (the last month to register a decline was February 2023: -0.5%). This makes the sector the second largest contributor to the overall retail growth rate, adding 0.2 percentage points to the total of 0.2%. In the first two months of the year, the sector accumulated 3.6%, less intense than up to January (5.1%). In terms of cumulative results over the last twelve months, the sector shows a maintenance of growth intensity, as it remains at a similar level in the last three periods (4.5% up to December 2025, 4.5% up to January 2026, and 4.4% up to February).

The group encompassing Hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages, and tobacco showed a 1.5% increase in sales compared to February 2025, after registering 2.7% growth in January. This made the largest positive contribution to the year-on-year retail growth rate, adding 0.7 percentage points to the total of 0.2%. Over the two-month period, the sector accumulated gains of 2.1%. In the last twelve months, the cumulative growth is positive at 0.9%, maintaining a stable growth rate (0.8% both through December and through January).

The resale of Office, computer and communication materials and equipment showed a 0.2% change in sales compared to February 2025. Thus, the expansion of the activity stabilized after five months of intense growth (reaching a 31.1% increase in December 2025). Therefore, the first two months of 2026 closed with cumulative gains of 3.0%. A similar trend can be observed in the cumulative indicator for the last twelve months, which registered 4.7% through February, increasing the rate of gains compared to previous months (4.1% through December and 4.4% through January).

For the same comparison, the extended retail sector showed a negative change (-2.2%). Companies that sell vehicles and motorcycles, parts and accessories showed a 7.8% drop in sales volume compared to February 2025, continuing a negative trend for the second consecutive time. This sector registered the largest negative contribution among the eleven surveyed, adding -1.5 percentage points to the total -2.2% of the year-on-year result. The first two months of 2026 showed losses of 5.5% compared to the same period of the previous year, while the twelve-month indicator closed February with -5.0% compared to the previous twelve months.

Sales of Construction materials showed an 8.5% drop compared to February 2025, a greater negative decline than in January (-2.6%). This activity made the second largest negative contribution to the overall rate, adding -0.7 percentage points to the total -2.2% of the extended retail sector. The first two months of 2026 also closed with losses (5.5% below the first two months of 2025). The cumulative indicator for the last twelve months up to February registered a drop of -2.1%, becoming more negative than that observed up to January (-0.7%).

Still within the extended retail sector, the activity of Wholesale specialized in food products, beverages and tobacco registered a drop of 1.0% in the comparison of February 2026 with February 2025, the first month of decline after five consecutive increases (7.7% in September, 2.3% in October, 0.9% in November, 8.5% in December and 2.1% in January). The cumulative figure for the year is 0.6% and for the last twelve months it is -0.9%.

Retail trade had positive rates in 17 of the 27 Federation Units

Compared to the previous month, in the seasonally adjusted series, retail trade showed positive results in 17 of the 27 Federation Units, with notable increases in: Paraná (2.9%), Bahia (2.7%), and Minas Gerais (2.5%). On the other hand, negatively impacting the figures were 9 of the 27 Federation Units, with notable decreases in: Mato Grosso (-3.6%), Maranhão (-3.2%), and Amazonas (-3.2%). Rio de Janeiro (0.0%) showed stability.

In the same comparison, in the extended retail trade, the change between January and February 2026 also showed positive results in 17 of the 27 Federation Units, with notable increases in: Mato Grosso do Sul (6.2%), Bahia (5.4%), and Paraná (3.7%). On the other hand, negatively impacting the figures were 10 Federation Units, with notable decreases in: Pará (-2.1%), Amazonas (-1.9%), and Tocantins (-1.5%).

Compared to February 2025, the change in retail sales showed a 0.2% increase, with positive results in 16 of the 27 Federation Units, notably Pernambuco (10.1%), Acre (8.1%), and the Federal District (4.8%). On the other hand, 11 of the 27 Federation Units showed negative results, notably: Amazonas (-7.2%), Pará (-5.3%), and Espírito Santo (-4.7%). In the extended retail sector, there was a balance between the number of Federation Units with positive (13) and negative (13) rates. The positive highlights were Mato Grosso (7.0%), Acre (6.0%), and Mato Grosso do Sul (5.7%). The largest decreases were in Piauí (-7.5%), São Paulo (-7.4%), and Rio Grande do Sul (-6.6%). Paraíba (0.0%) showed stability.

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