Supermarket breaks sales record
Valor Econômico
With sales 11.2% greater in volume than those of December last year, this was the best year-end of the decade, according to data of the São Paulo Association of Supermarkets (Apas). "All economic brackets bought a lot", says Orlando Morando, Vice-President and Communications Director of the Association that represents 1.5 thousand members, of 2.6 thousand stores, with sales of R$ 54.7 billion (US$ 32.2 billion) a year - 31% of the national operations.
Among the main highlights was cod. "In view of the rise on the prices of meat and with the cheaper dollar, the consumer adopted the codfish in its year-end tradition", says Morando. In Grupo Pão de Açúcar the sales of the product brought from Portugal and Norway increased 30% compared to the same period in 2009. In earnings, according to the Apas, there was an increase of 8% compared to the total of December 2009.
In Pandurata Alimentos, owner of the brands Bauducco - market leader - and Visconti, Christmas was also the best of the recent years. The projection was to get to 58 million units sold. "But we got near 59 million, an increase of 17% compared to last year", says Paulo Cardamone, marketing officer of the company. According to him, the growth was the same in all regions of the country. Besides, there was some consumer migration to more sophisticated products.
In the stores of the Pão de Açúcar group, according to the company, the expectation of selling 20% more Panettone than last year was achieved. There was no lack of products according to the Apas. "All retailers got very well prepared for the festivities. There is still some meat and Panettone in the stock of the stores catering to consumers who like to buy at the end of the season", says Morando.