The volume of retail sales in Brazil rose 0.4% in January 2026 compared to December 2025, according to data released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) on Wednesday (March 11). Over the past 12 months, growth stood at 1.6%. The survey highlights gains in sectors like pharmaceuticals and clothing, but declines in office equipment and fuels.
The Monthly Retail Trade Survey (PMC), started in January 1995 by the IBGE, tracks gross resale revenue in formal companies with 20 or more workers focused on retail trade. Indicators cover real and nominal revenue, employed personnel, and wages. In January 2026, four of the eight surveyed activities showed positive results. Pharmaceutical, medical, orthopedic articles, and perfumery led with a 2.6% rise, followed by textiles, clothing, and footwear (1.8%), other personal and household articles (1.3%), and hypermarkets, supermarkets, food products, beverages, and tobacco (0.4%).
Conversely, office equipment, informatics, and communication materials dropped 9.3%, books, newspapers, magazines, and stationery fell 1.8%, and fuels and lubricants declined 1.3%. Furniture and household appliances activity remained stable, with zero variation.
The expanded retail trade, including vehicles, motorcycles, parts and pieces, construction materials, and wholesale of food products, beverages, and tobacco, grew 0.9% in January compared to December 2025. Versus January 2025, growth was 1.1%, but over 12 months, variation was zero. Vehicles and motorcycles, parts and pieces rose 2.8%, and construction materials increased 3.4%. However, compared to January 2025, vehicles and motorcycles fell 3.3%, construction materials dropped 2.3%, while specialized wholesale in food, beverages, and tobacco grew 2%.
The IBGE noted that wholesale of food products is not disclosed in the seasonally adjusted comparison due to insufficient months for modeling.
