Brazilian supermarket sales rose by 1.58% in real terms during 2016, compared to the same period last year, according to the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (ABRAS).
In December, sales increased 20.89% in comparison with the previous month and were 2.23% higher in relation to the same month of 2015.
ABRAS has revised the growth forecast for 2017 to 1.3%.
In December, the basket of Abrasmercado products (consisting of the most consumed food and non-food products in supermarkets) recorded a rise of 0.50%, going from R$480.69 (€143.71) to R$483.10 (€144.43). For the full year, from January to December, the basket presented an increase of 10.03%.
The highest price increases in the month of December were registered for products such as: onions, soybean oil, mandioca flour and eggs, while the biggest price drops were seen in potatoes, beans, mozzarella cheese and cheese plates.
With revenues of R$315.8 billion (€94.39 billion), the supermarket sector in the country represents 5.35% of GDP and generates more than 1.85 million direct jobs. It is the most important retail activity, with 84,500 stores in Brazil, which receive around 25 million consumers every day.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up for ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
