Sales exceed forecast and Christmas is best since 2004
Valor Econômico
The sales volume of the Brazilian retail during the Christmas week (December 18-24) increased 15% compared to the same week in 2009, the best result since 2004 - year in which there was 16.1% growth in the same period of 2003. The data were collected by the Serasa Experian Indicator of Commercial Activity - Christmas of 2010. The result exceeded the expectations of the retailers that foresaw growth of 10.5% on the sales of 2009, according to the Serasa indicator. The sales increased 14.9% in the city of São Paulo. The good performance was also seen in the end of the weekend before Christmas (17, 18 and 19), when the sales increased 12.6%, compared to the same period of 2009.
For the economists of Serasa Experian, the performance was set by the high level of employment, by the growth of the income mass of the consumers and by the conditions of payment in installments that were also quite favorable, despite the measures taken by the Central Bank (BC), aimed at containing the accelerated growth of credit and that "seem not to have had major adverse effects on the year-end sales", assessed Serasa. The Brazilian Shopping Mall Store Owners' Association (Alshop) shares the same assessment. For the Alshop, the effects will probably be noticed as of mid-January.
According to a survey of the Alshop, the sales in the malls in the Christmas period registered growth of 13% compared to the same period in 2009. Throughout the year, there was an increase of 12%. The segment of eyewear, costume jewelry and accessories stood out in the malls during the Christmas time, with nominal growth of 18% compared to the same period in 2009. All year around, the performance was lower, but it still quite positive - stayed at 12%. The segment of perfumery and cosmetics had nominal sales up 17% higher in the week before Christmas and 14% from January to December 2010. In third place, the segment of clothing featured nominal growth of 13% compared to Christmas 2009. All year around, the growth achieved 10%.
For the Alshop, with the improvement in the Brazilian economy, the performance of the retail in 2010 presented, since the first few months, strong and consistent development supported by great credit offer and long-term payments, reduction in the interest rates for consumption, increase in the income, growth of the formal employment and the increase in the value of the Real - made the imported products cheaper. As regards the hiring of temporary workers, the mall retailers have hired, at the end of 2010, nearly 130 thousand people, an increase of 13% compared to those hired during Christmas 2009.