Retail sales volume in Brazil decreased a seasonally adjusted 0.8% in May, as compared to the previous month, according to the data released by Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
Brazilian retail sales have not fallen so much in a month since a 1.3% decline in November 2008.
Month-on-month, three of the eight retail categories tracked by IBGE showed a drop in sales volumes in May, on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Sales volume of office, computer and communication material and equipment recorded the highest monthly growth, rising 3.5% in May.
During the month, volume of sales of textiles, apparel and footwear moved up 0.3%, while books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles saw a 1.6% rise in sales volume.
Pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics sales volume remained flat in May, on a monthly basis.
The volume of sales of furniture and household appliances decreased 3.1%, while hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco sales volume rose 0.1% month-on-month in May.
Fuels and lubricants sales volume fell 0.8%, while the volume of sales of vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces advanced 1.5% in May from April.
Sales volume of other articles of personal and domestic use declined 0.2% in May, while the volume of sales of construction material plunged 11.3%, on a monthly basis.
Year-on-year, sales volume surged 17.3% for office, computer and communication material and equipment in May.
Furniture and domestic appliances sales volume moved up 9.3% in May, while the volume of sales jumped 10.9% for pharmaceutical, medical and orthopedic articles, toiletries and cosmetics.
Sales volume of hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages and tobacco increased 9% in May, on an annual basis.
Textiles, apparel and footwear sales volume grew 3.8%, while books, newspapers, magazines and stationery articles saw a 3.6% decline in sales volume.
Year-on-year, sales volume of other articles of personal and household use recorded an 8.1% gain in May, while fuels and lubricants sales volume grew 7.4% from the same month last year.
Image: Brazilian retail sales volume fell most in May since November 2008. Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
