Commerce surprises and grows 4%
O Estado de S. Paulo
The retail sales in May surprise with growth above the expected by economists. The increase was of 0.8% compared to the previous month and 4% compared to May/2008, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Another surprise, but negative, was the fact that the reduction of the Excise Tax (IPI) has not produced any effect on the sales of household appliances. Analysts of 20 financial institutions estimate, in an average, an increase of 0.2% in the sales compared to the month of May/2008, according to a prior survey of AE Projeções of 2.6%
The technician of the Coordination of Services and Commerce of the IBGE, Reinaldo Pereira, pointed out the best performance of the retail from one month to another. "That can be reflecting a reaction in the credit and in the confidence of the consumer and the continuity of the growth of the salary mass." He emphasized that, while eight activities registered fall in the sales in April compared to the preceding month, in May the only segment to retreat in this comparison was the segment of equipment and office supplies and computers (- 11.6%).
Moreover, the retail reverted two consecutive falls compared to the previous month, in March and April, to growth in May. In the year, the retail accumulates growth of 4.4% in sales and, in 12 months, growth of 6.5%. For Pereira, the data of May makes it clear it is the growth of the salary mass that has been upholding the sector. He exemplified that segments like hyper and supermarkets (growth of 6.7% in May compared to the same month of 2008) and pharmaceutical items (growth of 10%) clearly show this influence of the income in sales. According to the data of Tendências Consultoria the real salary mass increased 5.3% in the five first months of the year compared to the same period of 2008.