Retail reacts in June, with high of 8.8%
O Estado de S. Paulo
The abundant credit offer and the strong appeal for the purchase of TV sets during the FIFA World Cup drove the sales in the retail this month, even though the Central Bank has already started a cycle of high in the interest rates to cool down the consumption. In the first half of June, queries for sales in installments grew 10.7% compared to the same period of 2009 and 8.8% compared to the first 15 days of May, according to data of the Commercial Association of São Paulo (ACSP). Similar performance was seen in the queries for sales at sight. In the first half of June, there was an increase of 3.4% in comparison to the same period of last year and 12.9% compared to May.
"Normally, the performance of the sales in the retail in June should be inferior to that of May because of mother's day", observes the Economist of the Association, Emílio Alferi. Nevertheless, that has not happened this year, according to him, due to the FIFA Soccer World CupTM that drove the sales of TV sets upwards, and because of the intense cold in recent weeks, which has influenced the sales of clothing items. The Economist of the Federation of Commerce of the State of São Paulo (Fecomércio - SP), Altamiro Carvalho, on his turn, stresses out that some factors support the growth of the sales in the retail, in spite of the high in the basic interest rate. They are falling unemployment, the increase of the income and the offer of credit.
Like in the Monthly Retail Trade Survey (PMC) released yesterday by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), which indicated a 3% fall of the sales in the retail in April compared to March and an increase of 9.1% compared to the same month of 2009, the data of the Conjuncture Survey of the Retail (PCCV) of the Fecomércio show the sales fell 11.8% in April in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo compared to the previous month and increased 6.4% in relation to 2009.
Carvalho considers it is unlikely that the deceleration registered in April in comparison with the previous month continues. The expectation of the Fecomércio-SP is that retail ends 2010 with growth of 7% in sales compared to last year. Compared to 2009, Alfieri says there was an accommodation in the sales growth rates because of the improvement in the basis for comparison. That movement should continue in the coming months because the sales gained vigor in the 2nd half of 2009. For the year, the ACSP projects an increase of 8%.