Abras: household consumption grows 1.98% in the first quarter

The result includes the cash and carry store formats, conventional supermarket, neighborhood store, hypermarket, minimarket and e-commerce. All indicators are deflated by the Broad National Consumer Price Index (IPCA), measured by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

According to the Abras vice-president, the first quarter of the year brought some relief to consumers, with less pressure from food inflation, unlike what happened in the same period last year. “During that period there was an increase in the prices of the main commodities in the international market with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The increase in the costs of inputs for the production of food and animal protein, fuel prices and freight ended up reflecting intensely on supermarket shelves in that period”, he said.

Another factor that interfered with consumption in March was the purchase of products for Easter, celebrated on April 9, and the additional R$ 150.00 for children up to six years old for 8 million families enrolled in income transfer programs of the federal government.

The increase in the minimum wage (+7.42%) for more than 60 million people also influenced the increase; maintenance of the payment of BRL 600 from Bolsa Família; Auxílio Gás, in the amount of 100% of the national average for a 13 kg kitchen gas cylinder, paid in February; the rescue of Pis/Pasep (from February to December); the payment of residual Income Tax lots for taxpayers who fell into the fine mesh or submitted the declaration in arrears and readjustments of education grants.

According to data from Abras, the value of the basket of 35 products of general consumption (food, beverages, meat, cleaning products, hygiene and beauty items) registered a decrease of 0.94% in the first quarter. In March, there was a drop of 0.62%, causing the national average price to go from R$ 752.04 in February to R$ 747.35 in March.

In the quarter, the decreases are more expressive for onions (-36.75%), potatoes (-11.99%), tomatoes (-10.07%), soy oil (-6.60%), and beef – rump cuts (-3.74%) and front cuts (-2.91%), frozen chicken (-2.47%), roasted and ground coffee (-2.15%).

Among the hikes are beans (7.29%), rice (6.05%), egg (10.33%), cassava flour (7.64%) and long life milk (4.40%).

In the hygiene and beauty basket, soap (3.07%), toothpaste (2.5%), toilet paper (2.39%), shampoo (1.42%) were discharged.

In the cleaning basket, the biggest rises were pulled by washing powder (+2.48%), liquid detergent for dishes (+1.52%), disinfectant (+1.18%) and bleach (+0.87 %)

The biggest decrease was registered in the Southeast Region (-0.84%). In the other regions, changes in the price of the basket in March compared to February were Central West (-0.73%), North (-0.45%), Northeast (-0.25%) and South (-0. 19%).