Retail sales rose 3.8% in January 2023

With this result, the quarterly moving average for retail was 0.1% in the quarter ended in January. Compared to January 2022, retail trade sales grew by 2.6%, their sixth consecutive increase. The index accumulated in the last 12 months (1.3%) surpassed that of December (1.0%).

Economist and financial educator Alexandre Arci explains that the year 2023 brings a positive scenario for commerce, in particular retailers.

“The year 2023 brings a more positive scenario for all retail trade. Among the factors that contribute to a good outlook for the sector is a more controlled inflation, and mainly a perception that in the next Copom meetings there is a good tendency for the selic rate to be reduced”, analyzed Arci

For the professor of Economics at the Federal Institute of São Paulo (IFSP) Newton Ferreira, however, the impacts on the economy will depend on changes in politics. “If by chance, this change in economic policy happens as the new government has pointed out, this could have a positive impact on the economy, increasing employment and income. but it still depends on two factors that are fundamental, which is the reduction of the basic interest rate and also the increase in the salary mass with the resumption of the employment level”, he highlighted.

“The impacts are very good, because every time the tertiary sector, which is the trade sector, shows growth, it pulls the primary and secondary sectors. So, in general, the first productive chain that receives the impact is commerce”, added Ferreira

The states that registered the most increase were Espírito Santo 8.8%, Tocantins 8.7%, Roraima 7.4%, Federal District 7.1%, Piauí 7.1% and Maranhão 7.0%. The biggest casualties were in Mato Grosso with -1.7%, Amapá -1.6%, Paraíba -1.1% and Mato Grosso do Sul -0.8%.

In addition, the sectors that most contributed to this increase were fabrics, apparel and footwear. And the least contributor was the pharmaceutical sector.